The Reklaws talk CCMA Awards, their fans and finding success on TikTok
CBC
They're just a couple of hometown kids.
You know the ones — they're born and raised on summer days. The ones that every small town song is written about.
That's right, we're talking about The Reklaws.
The wildly successful brother-sister country duo from North Dumfries, Ont., Jenna and Stuart Walker.
And, yes, Reklaw is Walker spelled backwards. But don't let that fool you, because there is nothing backwards about the pair's trajectory in recent years.
In 2013, they were nominated for the Canadian Country Music Association's discovery artist award. Now, the multi-platinum and gold selling duo is the most nominated artist at this year's CCMA Awards, leading the pack with six nods, including entertainer of the year and group/duo of the year.
On top of that, they have two contenders for single of year — Can't Help Myself with Dean Brody and Where I'm From — both of which were released during a pandemic that largely eliminated live shows.
"We were just starting to wonder if people still like the records," Stuart said in a recent interview with CBC KW The Morning Edition. "So this is a really nice reminder and an honour to us."
And partnering with Dean Brody was something the Reklaws felt would resonate with their fan base, Jenna said.
"We've learned so much from our fans and from performing live that ... our brains go right to what it will be like on stage," she said.
Clearly, the pandemic hasn't slowed the Reklaws down. They even found new ways to reach fans through social media.
TikTok became an unlikely ally in launching The Reklaws into new record-breaking territory. The pair went viral earlier this year with their hit What The Truck.
It's a song Stuart says "was supposed to be like an experiment sort of joke. Obviously, the song is completely just written with puns, but it somehow slaps."
So much so that it became a viral sensation, which lines up with the other two awards the Reklaws are up for: fan choice and interactive artist of the year.
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