Ontario’s own country newcomer, Angelica Appelman has unveiled her debut single, “Happy Place”, which showcases Appelman’s ability to embrace you in a unique listening experience through genuine lyrics, passion, and vocal depth.
“Happy Place” introduces Appelman as a soulful musician who takes care in crafting lyrics that reflect the experiences that inspired them.
“It really connects with who I am as a person because I’ve been brought up to cherish the simple things,” Angelica says. “Family has always been such a huge part of my life.”
The track was co-written with Rich Cloke, TJ Simpson, and Matt Koebel, and produced by Matt Koebel, and is the first of a number of releases you can expect from Angelica in the coming year.
Check out “Happy Place” below, and find out more about Angelica via our mini-interview.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Of course! Hey there, my name is Angelica Appelman and I am a country artist, singer-songwriter from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. I have been singing since I could talk, writing songs since I was 13 years old (Taylor Swifting my way through high-school, haha), and working on my craft for over 10 years. I have spent a lot of my life performing on stage, having attended University of Toronto and Sheridan College for the performing arts and really honing my vocal skills with years of lessons and training.
I began co-writing the past two years with country industry folks in songwriting groups and began sharing my originals with trusted mentors. No other way to say it, I was bit by the bug. The more and more that I did it, I came to this epiphany that music is what sets my soul on fire and I have so many stories that I want to share that I knew I was meant to be in the country music scene professionally.
I met my producer, Matt Koebel in these songwriting groups and he took me on board for my first project the rest has been like going 0-60 ever since. I said to myself, “if I am going to do this, I gotta go big or go home” and that is what I have been doing – taking risks, writing a lot with some incredible songwriters all across Canada and in Nashville, making industry connections and playing as many shows as I possibly can given the circumstances. Just completely immersing myself in this world the best I can.
Right now, you can catch me playing shows, writers rounds all across Ontario, whether that is virtual or live events, promoting my new single, Happy Place, (which is out now on all streaming platforms), as well as the other songs on my upcoming EP, “A Reason or a Season” coming out later this year.
You have just released your debut single, “Happy Place”, care to tell us about the release?
It has been an absolute dream come true! I am so overwhelmed by the incredible support of my family, friends, and the Canadian County community. The team I had behind me from my co-writers, Rich Cloke, T.J. Simpson, and Matt Koebel, to my band, absolutely killing it, to my trusted mentor, Nicole Rayy, to my vocal coach, Amanda Kind, to the PR team really understanding just how special this moment and this song is and capturing my story and who I am as an artist, I can’t say thank you enough. Everyone made this so special.
The reception has already been beyond anything I could ask for. It is so great to be recognized for the hard work and dedication that went into making this single. This has been many years in the making. I am just feeling so much love and gratitude and I just love that people are connecting to this song and are being reminded of their happy place when they hear it. That was really important to me, especially during these times, that I could bring some ‘good vibes’ to my listeners day and remind them to cherish the simple things in life. It has been a memorable debut release, to say the least!
You wrote “Happy Place” with Rich Cloke, TJ Simpson, and Matt Koebel, how was that experience?
I hate to be cheesy here, but we really were in a happy place when we wrote it. As soon as I brought this idea to them and outlined the whole concept and where I wanted to take it, they were all on board and we had such a blast sharing our own stories and happy places. I had said to them, I really want to create my own version of Tenille Arts’ “Somebody Like That” so that helped pinpoint the feel and they are all such talented songwriters that I had all the faith we would be able to do it. It was such a collaborative process. Once we got the groove going and figured out how we were going to get the chorus to soar, because melodically that is very important for me as an artist, we knew we had something cool going. Then, by the second verse, we were finishing each other’s sentences. I had already written with Matt all summer, and I also wrote with both Rich and T.J. a bunch throughout the summer, so I felt confident that they knew my sound and we would be able to collaborate to bring my vision to life.
You’ve said you’re on a mission to bring back ’90s country, what do you mean by that?
90’s country was a really special time for country music and it’s what I grew up on. You have superstars like Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, and The Chicks, who were all such powerhouse vocalists with stories that were relatable to listeners. They wrote songs about everyday people and their everyday struggles but did it with a lot of heart and that resonated with listeners. The songs of the ’90s have really lived on. To this day, most of us jump up when we hear “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” or prefer to drink to “Low Places”.
The songs always made you feel something because there was such strength and detail in the storytelling not only vocally but lyrically. I always just admired the vocal quality and power of these artists. There were these pivotal ‘singy’ moments that enhanced the song and I always appreciated that those moments were created through voice and relied a little less on the production to enhance it. Also, 90’s country was a great time for women to be at the top of the charts and you just don’t see that anymore, I would love that to change or at least for it to be a little more equal.
What’s next for you?
I am going to continue this country music journey by releasing more music this year, with another single to follow that I am so pumped to share with the world. It is a whole other side of me but an important part of me. It was so fun to create and I can’t wait to keep people on their toes with it, haha! Angelica has many layers and I can’t wait for listeners to peel them back with every song I release. It’s a lot of fun really. I love that my listeners will understand and get to know me better with every song I release by the time I release my EP, “A Reason or a Season”.
I am also writing non-stop for the next project and I plan to head to Nashville in the spring to do some more writing and meet with more industry folks. I have a few live band shows already lined up for this year that I am really excited about. I have just been asked to open up for Nicole Rayy at her All-Woman Harmonia Festival so I am super pumped about that too and really honoured to be asked. I want to continue to take small steps towards bigger goals and build a really solid and supportive team.
Thank you so much to the Canadian Beats team for sharing my story!
Connect with Angelica Appelman:
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