Kadooh‘s been in the music business for a while now. This isn’t his first rodeo. But, standing in the middle of the stage, running the show, and putting his name and face out there for the world to see is new.

The former guitarist and backup vocalist for Juno-winning rock group State Of Shock has released his debut country EP, and with six songs, he’s making his jump into a new chapter of his career. We caught up with Kadooh in Toronto to talk about the music, his path, influences, and more. And while we were with him, before we stepped out into the sun to snap a few photos, we played a round of 5 Quick Questions.

The prairie-born, BC-based singer-songwriter told us that he didn’t set out to have a career as a solo artist in country, it just kind of went that way. He was with Jeff Johnson, writing songs and getting work done when he says Johnson told him he had a unique voice and asked him if he’d thought about getting out in front and giving it a go. It took some thinking about, but (as the EP release confirms) he decided to go for it. And so here we are.

We talked about the transition from rock and roll to country, and while the genres are different, Kadooh knows what he’s up to. He’s comfortable as country music evolves to include more rock influences. And along with his personal early country music influences informing his personal country music tastes and flavour, he knows there’s a spot for him on the country music landscape.

We chatted about those writing sessions and the songs that ended up on the EP, and we asked if there was any conscious influence artists he grew up with like Garth Brooks, Conway Twitty, Travis Tritt, and more. Kadooh said that any thought or inspiration during the writing would have been subconscious. Hell, he says that they didn’t even sit down with the goal of writing country songs.

Note: As influences go, Kadooh also gives lots of love to the friendship and mentorship of Chad Kroeger. They’ve known each other for more than a decade now, and Kadooh credits the Nickelback frontman with teaching him a lot about the craft of being a musician. Good guy Chad strikes again!

But country songs are what they got. Country songs are what Kadooh recorded. And country songs like Somethin’ To Roll On are being listened to by fans across Canada.

As we talked about his new adventure, playing live came into the conversation. Kadooh understands that during the live show, he’s the guy with his name on it, just like the EP. But, he’s not ready to let go of the importance he puts on the band dynamic. He wants people to see that everyone on stage is putting out big energy. And he hopes that will translate to some big energy from the audience coming back at them.

He knows hat some solo artists are more keen to stand at the front of the stage while the entire band is set back from the spotlight, but that’s not him. He’s the man now, he gets that. But when you see him live, you get all of it.

We also touched on the comparisons not just from his time in State Of Shock and now, but also his time playing hockey and being on stage with a band. We wanted to know if there was a connection or comparison that could be drawn between playing a team sport and playing with a live band. It turns out, there is.

Kadooh told us that, for him, it’s a lot like it was playing hockey. He wants to know that the guitar player is going to hit his mark. He wants to know that the rhythm section is on time and grooving. He compared it to being able to trust that you’d have one winger rushing up the left, and the other winger being ready to take a pass off the boards on the right. When he knows that everyone involved can and will do their jobs, his job gets easier.

Before we got to our round of 5 Quick Questions, we asked Kadooh what’s coming next. And guess what, he’s busy!

With more music already in the works, there’s no time to slow down. There are songs from those previous writing sessions with Jeff Johnson that he wants people to hear. There are demos to cut. And there are live shows to play.

The summer has Rockin’ River Fest and Fort Langley (both in BC) booked. And, while Kadooh couldn’t give us any details, he did tell us that there are whispers of a tour that would see him join another artist or two and head out across the country.

Note: If you already follow Kadooh on social media, you know that he has a good time in his life. We asked about work/life balance, and he told us his over-arching goal for life is not to take it too seriously. He likes to have a good time. He enjoys himself. And, there was this one time he was at a BBQ, and Guy Fieri showed up. Kadooh laughed when we asked about it and told us that he was a great dude all day. He put on a Kadooh t-shirt, made some fish tacos for everyone, and enjoyed some live music from the brand new EP. We love it.

Now, hit play on the video and learn a little about Kadooh that you didn’t know before. Who would he love to duet with? Where’s his wish list vacation spot? And which artist’s album does he think you need to check out?

Big thanks to Kadooh for taking the time to hang out with us while he was in the city. We’re looking forward to seeing him again soon, and catching a live show.

For now, we’ll be listening to his debut EP, and we invite you to do the same. Hit play now and enjoy!

Kadooh EP Tracklist

1. Floor It
2. Broken Records
3. 24 Reasons
4. Wiser Than Me
5. Somethin’ To Roll On
6. Timeless

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Joshua Murray

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