A country music star who hails from Maple Ridge is out with a new single.
Tim and Faith is a new single by Madeline Merlo and it was released on Sept. 14.
“My first real love song,” said Merlo online about her new song that is available in the New in Country Playlist on Apple Music.
Merlo was raised in Maple Ridge, and she said, spent her childhood riding horses, surrounded by the beauty of the ocean, woods, mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers. A setting, she described, as having contributed to her musical influences of Motown, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, in addition to the strong female voices of the country music genre. She noted she enjoyed listening to artists like Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, and Faith Hill.
According to her online biography, she signed her first record deal when she was only 18-years-old and took home the Canadian Country Music Association’s Rising Star Award in 2015.
In 2020 she won the season two premiere episode of the NBC songwriting reality television series called Songland with her song Champagne Night for country music group Lady A.
In 2021 she took home the Canadian Country Music Association Award for Songwriter of the Year.
“Growing up, I never won any competitions,” said the award-winning singer/songwriter on her website.
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“I was always cast in the chorus, so when I won Songland, I was floored! But I think that has a lot to do with my work ethic. It wasn’t all on a platter for me. I’ve always had that spirit of something to prove. Even when things are going great, I still have that fire – I always have,” she said.
Most recently, following the release of her debut four-track EP called Slide, Merlo released the single Same Car, via BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records accompanied by an official music video.
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“Tim + Faith.” is described on her website as “infused with the warm feeling of everlasting love, the melodious ode pays homage to 90s Country music and the devoted marriage between country music icons, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill”.
Merlo thanked everyone who had a part in the song online, singling out Stephony Smith, “who let us sample the original”, her co-writers, “all the musicians and my amazing team”.
“I hope you love it,” she said to fans.