advertisement
FYI

James Barker Band: Never Be The Same

As part of its Spotify Single sessions, the gold-selling award-winning Canadian country group takes a song from an unlikely source, pop hitmaker Camila Cabello, and adds its own spin that includes a compelling video.

James Barker Band: Never Be The Same

By Kerry Doole

James Barker Band  - “Never Be The Same” (UMC): Pop hitmaker Camila Cabello may seem an unlikely source of a cover song for a top Canadian country act, but, in a smart move, The James Barker Band has done just that.


The group recently tackled Cabello’s massive 2017 hit, “Never Be The Same,” recording the cover at Toronto studio Revolution Recording, the first-ever Spotify Single session to be recorded in Canada and released globally.

A video for the track features World of Dance contestants Luka & Jenalyn, and the well-executed dance moves are integrated with performance footage that offers a nicely-paced depiction of the power of an addictive love affair. Sample lyric: "And I'm a sucker for the way that you move, babe And I could try to run, but it would be useless."

advertisement

In a label press release, lead singer James Barker explains the band’s connection: “We landed on this song because it is just a plain and simple HIT. The chorus melody just sounds like a smash. That melody would have been a hit no matter the genre or generation; it made our job pretty easy!”

Formed five years ago, The CCMA-winning James Barker Band has earned over 50M streams for its material, including four gold-certified singles. 

The group plays Gold Horse Casino in Lloydminster on Jan. 19 and has summer shows lined up.

Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Publicity: Allison Phillips, UMC

advertisement
Arkells
Courtesy Photo

Arkells

Music

Looking Ahead: A Release Calendar of New & Upcoming Canadian Albums In 2026

A regularly updating list of new and upcoming albums from Canadian artists. Keep checking back as artists announce new releases.

Canadian artists have moved into 2026 with some big releases on the horizon.

Some have begun their album cycles, others have confirmed release dates and some have just teased that their records will be out this year. It has been a growing industry trend for major name artists to put out new music with little or even no advance notice, so coming out with a definitive and iron-clad release schedule is an ongoing process. That's why we will now be updating this calendar throughout the year. Check back each week to see the new additions.

keep readingShow less
advertisement