Press Release from O'Reilly International
Nov 23/09

O'Reilly International would like to extend congratulations to Victoria Banks on her recent ASCAP award win, in recognition for "Come On Over" (recorded by Jessica Simpson) as being one of the most performed songs of 2009.

Victoria accepted the award with co-writer Rachel Proctor at the ASCAP Country Music Awards held at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

"It's always a special honor to be recognized at a major award ceremony like this one," says Banks of her win. "Rachel & I really enjoyed writing 'Come On Over' with Jessica, and we couldn't be happier with the overwhelming recognition it's received. Now that I'm out touring myself, I often include this song in my set list. Seeing fans sing along is the greatest reward of all!"

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(Press Release from O'Reilly International)
September, 2009

Victoria Banks headlined the first annual Concert of Hope recently raising 100,000 for the Moose Jaw Health Foundation.

Banks set the tone for the evening with a rousing rendition of Melissa Etheridge's "I Stand For Life". Surrounded on stage by local breast cancer survivors, Banks brought the audience to their feet when she punched her fist in the air and took a stand against breast cancer.

"My family has been profoundly affected by Breast Cancer." Banks reveals, "I have watched three of my loved ones fight through this disease. It's a battle that leaves physical and psychological scars, it tests our faith and challenges our dignity. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to contribute my voice to the fight and to raise funds for this worthy cause."

Filled with music and video testimony, the evening far surpassed the organizers goal of raising $20,000 for the cause.

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I’m not even sure where to begin telling you about the past week.  It’s been a whirlwind! 

 

I spent a few days in Vancouver before Country Music Week began, so I had some time to visit JRFM radio, perform on the Global Morning News, interview for a TV documentary, and even do a little bit of exploring the downtown area.  But once the weekend came along, the serious marathon began!

 

If you watched Sunday night’s CCMA Awards on CBC, you might have seen the short video segment of me performing “The Wheel” acoustically on location in downtown Vancouver.  That was actually filmed on Saturday morning at…gulp…7am!  But after a 4am wakeup call, several cups of chamomile tea, a small curling iron accident (what do you expect at 4am?) and a bunch of makeup to cover up the burn, I was off to the races. 

 

From there, I rushed over to the CCMA Industry brunch just in time for soundcheck, and half an hour later I was performing “This Old Halo” for all of the movers and shakers of the Canadian country music industry.  From there I headed out the backstage door to grab a ride to Fanfest, where I performed acoustically alongside Doc Walker, Jessie Farrell and Steven Lee Oleson for a wonderful crowd of enthusiastic fans.  It was especially fun to be the honourary 4th “Doc” in Doc Walker’s performance of “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, a song that we wrote together which is included on their new record.  Those guys are super talented!

 

But the day wasn’t over yet!  I had a few minutes to interview with CMT, “meet and greet” with the fans and sign some autographs, and then I was whisked off to the SOCAN Songwriters’ Café where I performed alongside Dean Brody, Codie Prevost and Dave Gunning.  It was really cool to hear Dean perform his CCMA-winning single “Brothers”.  I could listen to that guy sing all day!

 

I was getting a little cross-eyed at this point, but I still made it over to the SOCAN dinner at the Shore Club.  SOCAN always knows how to throw a good party, and this was no exception.  Gord Bamford and Dean Brody were there, and so was legendary singer/songwriter Dan Hill…which left me with the song “Sometimes When We Touch” running through my head in an endless loop for the rest of the night.

 

Sunday was a whirlwind of hair curling, makeup, false eyelashes, uncomfortable shoes, rehearsals and nerves…but it was a day I’ll never forget.  I got to visit the CCMA gift lounge – I’m still flabbergasted that anyone would want to give me free stuff, but they did – and I left with some beautiful handmade jewelry, a custom leather wallet, a leather baby bib with a guitar on it (for Lisa Brokop’s baby), fancy underwear, delicious treats, and even a pair of tall black leather boots with 4-inch heels that I wore on the show later that night.  They treated us like absolute royalty.  I felt so blessed!

 

The CCMA Awards were a complete rush.  There was a camera man in my face for most of the night, so any of you who watched the show on CBC could probably see how much fun I was having!  It was such an honour to be nominated in so many categories, and I don’t think the reality of it sank in until I watched the nominees listed on the big screen up over the stage.  I kept leaning over to my boyfriend and saying “Holy Cow! That’s ME up there!”

 

Watching Reba and Martina perform firsthand from front and centre was amazing – they’re such consummate pros - and seeing Johnny Reid sing “Dance With Me” gave me chills.  It was very surreal to see the little song that Johnny, Tia Sillers and I wrote in my living room last fall being performed on national TV to crowds of adoring fans! 

 

After that, I was pulled from my seat and flew through the backstage hallways at a full-on run to get my performance costume on.  I barely had time to catch my breath before I was stepping out on stage with the other Rising Star nominees to close the show with Jann Arden’s song “Good Mother”.  The CCMA band leader was aware that I had lost my Mom 2 weeks earlier, so they had purposefully assigned me a specific line to sing…”I’ve got a good mother…and her voice is what keeps me here”.  It was the perfect tribute to Mom, and I sang it with all my heart.  When I stepped off the stage afterwards, it was all I could do to hold the tears in.

 

But there was no time for getting emotional!  I was rushed off to the red carpet for photos and interviews, spent some time at the CCMA Post Awards Reception, and then I was off to the EMI/Gibson Throwdown where I took the stage right after Terri Clark and performed a few songs, backed up by some of the best musicians in Canada and with the help of One More Girl on background vocals! 

 

I was so tired by the time I went to bed on Sunday night that I could hardly move…but Monday morning I was on a plane again and off to Calgary.  Over the last 2 days I had a great visit with the CCMA-winning Odd Squad on the morning show on Country 105 Radio, filmed an interview for CityTV, crashed Jason Aldean’s performance at the Ranchman and hung out with his band, drove up to Red Deer and had a great lunch with contest-winners courtesy of the wonderful crew at KG Country (congrats to Greg and Tera Lee for your CCMA too!), and now here I am in a hotel room in Edmonton.

 

I’ll keep you posted as the cross-Canada tour continues!

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Press Release from O'Reilly International Entertainment Management
September 10, 2009

Canadian Country Music Week will be a busy one for Canada's hottest new singer/songwriter Victoria Banks.

In addition to hearing her on Vancouver radio and television stations throughout the week, fans can catch Victoria at a variety of events over the weekend.

Saturday morning Victoria will kick off the day at the Fairmont Hotel with a performance at the Industry Brunch and Awards before making her way to Fan Fest where she will be signing autographs following her on stage acoustic performance.  Later that afternoon, inspirations and experiences will be shared as Victoria participates in the Songwriter Café taking place at the Fairmont Hotel.

From dress rehearsals and practices to final performances, there won't be a dull moment on Sunday's schedule. Sunday afternoon, Victoria will have only a moment to relax as she takes in the televised CCMA awards show. With six CCMA nominations to her credit, Victoria will be featured in a special musical vignette, and then will return a short time later to perform a collaborative number with Canadian songstress, Jann Arden.

The 2009 CCMA awards will be televised live on CBC beginning at 8PM Eastern Time with encore airings on CMT.

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Press Release from O'Reilly International Entertainment Management
Sept 9, 2009

On Ramp recording artist Victoria Banks has scored a major hit with Johnny Reid's "Dance With Me". Penned by Banks, Reid, and Tia Sillers, the song has entered the Top 10 with a bullet on this week's Trax Report.

Victoria has been very busy this year - in addition to the release of her debut album "When You Can Fly" which has made her the most nominated female artist for the 2009 CCMAs, she continues to hold a full-time staff songwriter position at Sony/ATV music in Nashville. "Dance With Me" chalks up another songwriting success for Victoria, who also penned the current One More Girl single "When it Ain't Raining", the ASCAP and SOCAN award-winning Sara Evans hit "Saints & Angels" and Jessica Simpson's Billboard record-breaking hit "Come On Over", as well as recordings by American Idol's Kristi Lee Cook, Doc Walker, Lisa Brokop, and more. Victoria's own current single "When You Can Fly" is at Canadian radio now.

For the latest news on Victoria Banks please visit her website www.victoriabanks.net

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I lost my mother last Sunday.  I was in Nashville, my bags packed for a month-long cross-Canada tour, when I got the call from my sister up in Ontario that she was being rushed to the hospital.  One gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, prayer-filled hour later, she was gone.  At age 68, my gentle, lovely mother had lost her battle with bipolar disorder, and her death was a shock and a trauma to my entire family.

 

By nightfall I was on a plane to Toronto, and at midnight I walked through the door of my Aunt’s cottage in Muskoka and collapsed into the arms of my family.  For the next three days, we cried.  We wept out our grief over her lonely and untimely death.  We raged and screamed at the medical system that let her slip through their fingers, denying her care when she needed it most.  We poured out our feelings of guilt for not fighting harder somehow, and for not knowing how to save her.  We held each other and comforted each other and reassured each other.  We talked and talked and talked it through, trying to find a way to accept and understand what had happened.

 

It was the most raw, most cathartic three days of my life.  I have never seen such strength or such pain, and I have never felt such love before.  And I have never seen such healing. 

 

Three days later, my family put me on a plane to BC, with their love and blessings, having postponed my Mom’s memorial service so that I could begin my tour by opening for Johnny Reid at the Prince George CN Centre.  That night my family sat together and prayed for me back in Ontario while I walked out onto a stage alone with my guitar and performed to thousands of people.  I sang my heart out.  I felt naked and fragile and immensely strong at the same time.  I have never felt anything like it.  And after Johnny and I sang “Dance With Me” as a duet, I walked back to my dressing room with the roar of the crowd in the background and tears of gratitude streaming down my face.

 

The next night found me onstage at the Mae Wilson Theatre in Moose Jaw, headlining the Concert of Hope to raise funds for a breast cancer treatment facility at the local hospital.  As I sang, a group of cancer survivors stood silently on stage behind me.  The strength in that room was palpable.  We were trying to raise $20,000.  We raised $100,000. 

 

I flew back to Toronto yesterday for Mom’s funeral.  It was held in a church by the water in a grove of Muskoka pines.  260 of us gathered there to celebrate Mom’s life.  Almost everyone in the congregation was a musician.  We lifted up our voices and sang Bach chorales in four-part harmony.  My cousins played a beautiful cantata on cello, oboe and violin.  My sister sang a beautiful soprano solo.  My broken-hearted dad, who was the love of my mom’s life for 52 years, fought back his tears and read lovely poetry for my Mom.  My uncle sang “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” in a rich bass voice from the back of the church.  I delivered the Eulogy that I had written during the stolen moments on my flights and in my hotel rooms out west.  And I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it, but I sang too – a song I wrote called “The Other Side”, which my Mom had always loved.  I had to sing it with my eyes closed, but I sang it with my heart open.

 

I don’t know how we did it, but somehow we all took that pain and shock, and together, transmuted it into a celebration of Mom’s life.  By the end of the service, we had all laughed together, shared wonderful stories of Mom’s past, and we had helped each other see past Mom’s death to what was really important – her rich, full life that had touched so many people.  It’s what Mom would have wanted, and it’s what her memory deserved from us.

 

I hugged my family goodbye today and now I’m a flight back out west.  I’ll be performing on the Canadian Country Music Awards in Vancouver on Sunday.  I’m nominated for six awards.  Mom was so proud.  She told me she was going to come with me.  She is.

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I’m standing here staring at a big empty suitcase and an even bigger explosion of clothes scattered all over my bedroom.  How exactly do you pack for a month-long tour of Canada?  We’re talking16 flights, 31 hotel nights, a pile of rental cars and 8 provinces worth of on-air radio station visits, TV performances & guest hosting, meet and greets with fans, charity concerts, radio-sponsored concerts, and stadium concerts, with the CCMA awards weekend thrown in for good measure.

 

That is one heck of a suitcase to pack!

 

The trip begins Wednesday, when I fly up to Prince George, BC to open Johnny Reid’s concert at the CN Centre Sept 3rd.  From there I’ll be heading to Moose Jaw, SK for an event with Country 100 FM and to headline the Concert of Hope on Sept 5th at the Mae Wilson Theatre (to raise funds for the cancer ward at the local hospital), and heading over to Regina to catch a Riders game and visit the radio station there.  After that, it’s back to Vancouver for the CCMA festival, where I’m performing at various events.  And I’m one of this year’s most nominated artists for the Sept 13th awards show, which will be broadcast at 4pm PST/7pmEST on CBC TV!  Very exciting.

 

From Vancouver I’ll be working my way all the way across to the east coast.  The details are still being finalized on many of the events (all I can say right now is that there are some VERY exciting things ahead), but I’ll keep the tour details updated at http://www.victoriabanks.net and for any of you who want to come along for the virtual ride, I will stay in touch from the road as much as I can with Facebook & Twitter status updates via Blackberry. 

 

The last time I traveled across Canada, I was eleven years old on a Via Rail train and my nose was permanently buried in a copy of Anne of Green Gables.  This time, I intend to soak in every minute of the trip across my big, beautiful country.  Canada – here I come!

 

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I just celebrated the 11^th anniversary of my first steady paycheck as a staff songwriter.  Somehow or other, for the past 11 years, music has been keeping me fed, clothed and sheltered.  Music has taken me to places I never would have been, introduced me to dear friends I never would have met, and allowed me to spend every day focusing on doing what I love.

But it’s funny how even when you’re doing what you love, you still find a way to get frustrated, disappointed, overwhelmed, insecure, and distracted from what is truly important.  I guess it’s the human condition.  

You can spend your time feeling bitter about the “down” side of it….in a business where, on average, you have to write at least 100 songs in order to get one recorded, you can get very frustrated that song after heartfelt song that you write is collecting dust on a shelf somewhere because the demo recording wasn’t mixed right, or the company you were on staff with doesn’t pitch it, or for one of any other myriad reasons.

You can also spend your time getting distracted by the “up” side of it…when you experience success, you can ride the wave of it like a surfer, soaking in the attention that it brings, checking the charts every day, analyzing the market and trying to come up with a recipe for how to do it again.

But looking back at the “successes” and “failures” in my career over the past 11 years, I can say that I’ve learned something.  If you’re in this business to make money, you’re in it for the wrong reasons.  If you’re in it for the accolades, the attention, and the success, you’re in it for the wrong reasons.  Those things are nice if you can get them, but they’re just the gravy on what is important, and they will never truly satisfy you in the end.

The most important thing is to do it for the music.  Love your music – love every second of it.  You don’t have to have a song on the charts to get high on the rush of adrenaline you get from finding the perfect rhyme to finish out your phrase.  You don’t have to be standing in a spotlight to sing a melody that brings tears to your eyes.  Accolades and success will come and go, but that is the kind of happiness that you can have from the day you’re born until the day you die and every day in between, and no one can take it away from you.  

I’m taking a day off today to cook up a storm and freeze a bunch of food in preparation for the birth of my friend Lisa Brokop’s first baby, which based on the size of her, will be happening any minute now.  (She looks like she swallowed a basketball.)  So while the chili is simmering, this seems like the perfect opportunity to sit down and reflect a bit on all the exciting things that have been going on lately.

If someone had told me last year that I would be the most nominated female country artist in Canada for the 2009 Canadian Country Music Awards, I probably would have had to be checked into the hospital myself.  I’m still in shock!  Since the release of my debut album “When You Can Fly” this spring I’ve been nominated by the CCMA for Female Artist of the Year, Rising Star, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Producer of the Year, and my website even made the Website of the Year category! Some people are probably saying “who the heck is this girl and where did she come from?” – but those of you that have been a part of my journey know that it has been a very long and rocky road that brought me to this place.  So I thank those who voted for me from the bottom of my heart.  This is an incredible honour, and I am humbled by your support.

In addition to the CCMA excitement, my sophomore single “When You Can Fly” is currently climbing the Canadian charts, with a video airing regularly on CMT Canada.  And on the songwriting side of things I’ve also had a couple of songs released by other artists:  Johnny Reid’s “Dance With Me” (written by myself, Johnny, and Tia Sillers) is a big hit right now, and One More Girl’s brand new single “When It Ain’t Raining” (which I wrote with Gretchen Wilson) is also getting a great response from radio.  So thank you, Canadian country radio!

I’m about to head up to Canada at the beginning of September to open for Johnny Reid in Prince George, headline a breast cancer benefit in Moose Jaw, attend the CCMA Awards (live on CBC TV from Vancouver, BC on September 13th with Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Terri Clark, Doc Walker, Johnny Reid and more!), and then I’ll be kicking off a cross-country tour from there.  I’m gonna have to pack one heck of a suitcase for that trip!

So in closing, I’m pretty much over the moon right now.  For over ten years, I’ve been waking up in the morning and doing what I love every day.  Sometimes the disappointments and heartaches added up until they seemed like mountains that were too tall to climb, but the next morning I would wake up and write another song – I just couldn’t help it!  And somehow it has always kept food on my table.  Sometimes it only fed me macaroni and cheese (with tuna in it for special occasions)….but today, the pots in my kitchen are spilling over with beef stew and chicken chili, and my heart is spilling over with gratitude.  I am savouring every moment of it.

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