Robert Ott Songwriter Fest Launches Stingray Podcasts

By David Farrell

Jim Vallance, Kim Mitchell, Alan Frew, Marc Jordan, Corb Lund and prominent American songwriter Jeff Trott are to be featured in a new Stingray podcast series entitled Storytellers that is the latest extension to the Penticton, BC’s 97 South Song Sessions festival.

Additionally, the podcast will be accompanied by a 97 South Song Sessions “vibes” channel on Stingray Music that offers an eclectic mix of songs written by have previously performed at the festival or have joined the podcast.

Hosted by Country Countdown broadcaster Paul McGuire, the series debuts on Stingray’s podcast network on May 16, with each 30-minute episode featuring one artist delving into the creation of their hit songs and the art, craft and career as a songwriter.

The series is in part a tease to the 4^th annual 97 South Song Sessions fest that takes place in Penticton, to be staged July 21 through 23 on stages in the BC wine-country heartland’s vineyards (there are more than 300 of them in the area) and soft-seat venues in the city.

This year, 97 South will also be publishing the third edition of Storytellers, a deluxe, four-colour edition book series written by Martin Melhuish featuring anecdotes and career insights from hit songwriters like Paul Rodgers, Tim Nichols, Kim Mitchell, and Jim Vallance– as well as artisans that include a master chef, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, a luthier, a broadcast executive, and a well-known photographer.

The book and the podcasts are extensions of the 97 South Song Sessions festival, so named after the major highway that connects the Okanagan Valley wine region in B.C., and first launched in 2019 by Robert Ott–founder and former Chair of ole Media Management (now named Anthem Entertainment) and his wife, Robin.