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Marlee Scott “Train Wreck” Dance Remix

As a teenager, Bigride Entertainment artist Marlee Scott knew she was born to be a singer. The only problem, she would discover, was that young Marlee was expecting to fulfill that destiny before she was even old enough to drive!

“I remember always wanting to be a singer,” says Marlee. “When I was fourteen years old, every night before I went to bed I would tell myself that I would be a recording artist by the time I turned fifteen. It didn’t happen quite that fast, though!” she laughs.

Born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, the Scott family moved to St. Albert, Alberta, when Marlee was only six years old. It quickly became evident which direction her musical career would take.

“Marlee’s mom had called to schedule flute lessons for her,” remembers one of Marlee’s childhood music teachers. “When it came time for her first lesson I asked her, ‘So, you want to play the flute?’ She smiled at me and pointed to a pink electric guitar that I had in the corner and said, ‘No, I want to play that.’”

Marlee spent her childhood and early teenage years learning guitar and taking vocal lessons, but it turns out that it was a chance car ride with some of her friends that led her back to her affection for Country music.

“Country music has always been a part of me,” Marlee says, “but around the time I was sixteen, I was listening to a lot of Pop music on the radio. I remember riding around in the car with my friends one day, and a song we didn’t like came on the Pop station, so we switched it over to the Country station. Alabama’s ‘Mountain Music’ was playing. We liked the groove, so we left the radio tuned to Country. I guess we just never changed it back!”

Alabama may have brought the teenager back to her roots, but it was songs like Rascal Flatts’ “Prayin’ for Daylight” and Emerson Drive’s “I Should Be Sleeping” that pushed Marlee to try her hand at writing Country material. So, while most of her friends were participating in school activities, Marlee devoted all of her free time to riding her horse, Sidra, and to writing and recording her music.

Marlee’s first album, Souvenir, was released in Canada in 2005. It introduced the young singer to the Country music masses, but more importantly, it generated enough buzz to showcase her songs at various festivals and fairs around the country, garnering invaluable performance experience for the rising artist.

Before recording her follow-up effort, however, Scott moved to Nashville in the summer of 2007. She spent months writing material for the project, which eventually caught the attention of veteran industry executive Gerry Leiske. Leiske was intrigued by Scott’s natural ability as a singer and songwriter, and in 2008 he signed her to a management deal. Under Leiske’s guidance, Marlee released her self-titled sophomore album, establishing a solid foundation for her developing career in the States.

“By the time I recorded my second album, I had grown up a lot,” Marlee reveals. “I had experienced love and heartbreak; I moved to Nashville, away from my family and friends and made a new life for myself in Music City. I was so much more comfortable in the studio at that point, and I think you could hear a new maturity in my music.”

The resulting album earned Marlee a coveted nomination in the Rising Star Award category at the 2010 Canadian Country Music Awards, as well as a 2010 nomination at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. Not one to stand idly by, Marlee capitalized on the momentum of her critically-acclaimed sophomore effort and quickly released the international hit, “Here To Heaven.” The track went Top 20 in Australia and Canada and shot to the top of the charts in Europe. Within months, plans for her first U.S. release began to take shape, bolstered by her new label deal with Leiske’s BigRide Records.

“One of the highlights of my career so far has been signing with Bigride,” Marlee says. “The entire team is behind me and that is such an amazing feeling. I feel like they have invested their time and energy into helping me develop as an artist, and we are all extremely excited about this new project for 2011.”

Produced by David Kalmusky and penned by accomplished songwriter Marcus Hummon, the album’s first single is the shimmering “Beautiful Maybe,” an up-tempo gem with a positive spirit and message that fittingly reflects Marlee’s personality. With “Beautiful Maybe” due out this summer, and the album set for release later this year, Marlee is ready to hit the highways with her new songs.

“I cannot wait to get out on the road and start playing my music for everyone!” she says, beaming. “There are parts of the U.S. that I’ve never been before, and I’m getting ready for my first official radio tour down here. I am so pumped to meet everyone at Country radio!”

Growing up in the community of St. Albert, Alberta, the down-home, small town spirit is alive and well in Marlee Scott. Her fun-loving demeanor, coupled with her accomplished skills as a musician, songwriter and vocalist, have prepared the rising star for a long career in the States… and beyond.

“It’s the storytelling and honesty of Country music that I was always drawn to,” Marlee says. “I hope people hear and identify with that on this album. Lyrically, these songs represent who I am more accurately than anything I’ve ever written before.”

Popularity: 1%

(Nashville, Tenn. – Jan. 9, 2012) Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton topped the list of dance club hits in 2011, according to the Marco Club Connection’s 8th annual ranking of Country dance favorites.

Every December, the Nashville-based company surveys a panel of nearly 250 club owners, DJs and dance instructors from across the country to compile its rankings. Overall votes by the panel determine each song’s placement on the list.

“The added emphasis on dance in the music videos for this year’s top club hits was hugely popular with club DJs and choreographers,” says Club Connection Manager of Venue Marketing, Bobbe Morhiser. “By featuring dancers and dance clubs in the videos, these records leave a lasting connection with fans that dancing and Country music are a natural match.”

The 2011 Marco Club Connection Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits are:

1. Luke Bryan – “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”
2. Blake Shelton – “Footloose”
3. Big & Rich – “Fake ID”
4. Blake Shelton – “Honey Bee”
5. Gloriana – “Wanna Take You Home”
6. Billy Currington – “Love Done Gone”
7. Jason Aldean – “Dirt Road Anthem”
8. Dierks Bentley – “Am I The Only One”
9. The Lacs – “Kickin’ Up Mud”
10. Chris Young – “You”

“We are thrilled that ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me)’ was selected as the No. 1 dance song of the year,” says Capitol/EMI Records Director of Media and Public Relations, Taryn Pray. “This single took Luke Bryan to the next level, and it’s great to have the recognition of the dance club community.”

Peter Strickland, Sr. VP Brand Management & Sales for Warner Music Nashville echoed the excited sentiments of his colleagues at Capitol: “What a great way to start off 2012 finding out Warner Music Nashville has four of the Top 5 dance songs. Congratulations to Big & Rich, Gloriana and Blake Shelton.”

A complete archive of Club Connection’s Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits by year can be viewed at www.MarcoClubConnection.com.

About Marco Club Connection:
A division of secondary radio promotion company, Marco Promotions, Club Connection specializes in marketing dance club singles to nightclubs and dance venues across the country. Club Connection maintains a national database of more than 240 venues and world-renowned dance instructor contacts, reaching more than 200,000 club patrons each weekend. For more information, visit: www.MarcoClubConnection.com.

Popularity: 4%

Popularity: 7%