Canadian country rock storyteller with a lifelong passion for songwriting and the stage
Colin Amey’s career reads like a roadmap through Canadian country and rock music over the past few decades—built on early talent show wins, steady radio success, and a deep commitment to songwriting.
From growing up between Ontario and the Yukon to collaborating with some of Canada’s most respected writers and producers, Amey has continually evolved while staying grounded in the storytelling roots that first pulled him to music.
Now performing with The Mudmen while continuing his solo work, he joins us to reflect on the journey, the milestones, and the songs that shaped him along the way.
He has unveiled his latest single, “Better Days.”
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Colin Amey, and I’ve been singing and performing for most of my life. I started when I was around three years old. I’m the youngest of 3 boys in my family. I’m very fortunate that my folks were very encouraging and supportive when I was starting out. Music has always been my passion in life.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
I co wrote Better Days with John Collins who I’ve known for over 30 years, and David Alexander, a Michigan native who’s living in Nashville. This one speaks about feeling nostalgic about childhood days and about how things were better back in simpler times. It also touches on how Faith was more prevalent back then.
Walk us through your creative progress when creating music.
I’m a titles guy for the most part. More often than not, I’ll come up with a title and write it down or text it to John, my cowriter and then we’ll get on a zoom call and bounce ideas back and forth until we land on something that both of us can get excited about, and we just take it from there.
Now that the music is out, what does the ‘road ahead’ look like? Beyond tours and videos, what’s one ‘bucket list’ goal you hope to achieve with this release?
I keep pretty busy as the lead singer for a band called The Mudmen, which is a Celtic Country Rock band so I don’t have that much time to play my own solo shows these days but whenever there’s a hole in the calendar, I try to book something for myself. Other than that, we’re pretty much playing a Theatre, a Festival, a Legion or Concert Hall every weekend in Ontario. We do hit the road for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, about 2 or 3 times a year whether it’s out west , down through the States, or even the Maritime provinces. There’s no real bucket list thing I hope to achieve with this single. I just hope that radio plays it a lot and that people will like it.
Every artist has a ‘lightbulb moment’ where things just clicked. Looking back, what’s the one performance or milestone that made you realize, ‘Okay, this is what I was meant to do’?
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to play music live. There was never really any lightbulb moment for me or an epiphany, but looking back, it was more of a moment where I felt like I was on the right path. I guess it would’ve been the first time I heard my first single on the radio back in 1999. I was driving home from a gig and my song came on the local station. That’s when I knew I was heading in the right direction, or so to speak.
We love championing Canadian talent. If you were curated a ‘Must-Listen’ playlist of emerging artists right now, who is the first person you’d add?
There is an artist I believe he’s from Western Canada and his name is Kyle McKearney. I really like what he’s doing.
There’s nothing like the energy of a live room. Where can fans catch you on stage next, and for someone seeing you for the first time, what should they expect from your show?
Well, we’ll be playing 3 shows this weekend out in Western Ontario, near London. We’ll (The Mudmen) be playing at Memorial Hall in the town of Blyth, Ontario, followed by the Royal Canadian Legion in Mount Forest, and we’ll finish off the weekend with a Sunday afternoon Show, in Newbury Ontario at the Home Hardware on the Main St. This one is a free show in the parking lot. For the most part, we keep it Family Friendly, and upbeat. We just hope people leave with a smile on their face!