Kal Hourd

Musician pens song about breast cancer

Jeff Dedekker
Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post

Thursday, December 18th 2008

It takes a lot of hard work to be a success in the music industry, but it doesn't hurt to have a little good fortune along the way.

That's something Saskatoon's Kal Hourd learned with the emergence of the song When Pink Is Just A Colour Again.

Hourd wrote the song last spring in Nashville with Brent Baxter. Although he had no plans to add it to his upcoming debut album, that changed when a YouTube video of the song took on a life of its own.

Since being added to YouTube on Oct. 5, the video has been viewed more than 11,000 times, with the ensuing wave of publicity raising Hourd's profile.

From the comments left on YouTube, it's obvious Hourd's personal message of hope and courage has connected with people worldwide.

"As much as I'd love to say this was all totally planned, the artistic side did take over and it just happened," Hourd said recently. "I didn't have any big plans for the song. I thought it would be something I would show my friends and family that was near and dear to me. But seeing and hearing from people that it means something to them and touches them, I just can't believe that it's happening."

Hourd and Baxter assumed a female singer would ultimately do the song. They put Hourd's version on YouTube only because it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"It meant a lot to me and it meant a lot to my family. We just threw it up there for people to check out and it turns out people don't mind hearing my voice on it."

The song is an anthem of hope that encourages people to continue to fight breast cancer. It is also quite obvious Hourd is speaking from personal experience.

"I have two aunts who have gone through it, one aunt who beat it and one who lost the battle," he said. "It's one of those things where I've seen how it's affected my family and I still see to this day how it affects my cousins after losing their mom. You feel for them and wish there was something you could do. Other than supporting them and helping raise money to find a cure, there isn't much you can do. But as a songwriter, this is something I was able to offer."

The song inspired the Regina Pats to hold a pink jersey night this fall, auctioning the game-worn jerseys to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research and Recovery fund (R2R). Hourd's song and video were played that night and he dropped the puck for the ceremonial face-off.

"That was awesome -- to stand there while they were playing the song in the Brandt Centre was quite a moment. It's definitely one of the highlights of my year, for sure. A lot of my family was there to see it. That was a really cool moment and an honour to be part of."

The response to When Pink Is Just A Colour Again resulted in Hourd adding the song to his debut album, Haven't Even Met Yet. Hourd, who recently signed with manager Randy Stark, started recording songs for the disc in May and finished up at the end of September. Stark, a former Warner Music employee who also represents Jason Blaine, has been negotiating with a couple of record labels on distribution of the album.

Hourd hopes to have a deal in place that would allow for the first single to be released to radio early in the new year, with the album available to the public later in the winter.

© The Regina LeaderPost, 2008

- The Regina Leader Post

A message of hope
Musician pens song about breast cancer

Jeff Dedekker
Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

It takes a lot of hard work to be a success in the music industry, but it doesn't hurt to have a little good fortune along the way.

That's something Saskatoon's Kal Hourd learned with the emergence of the song When Pink Is Just A Colour Again.

Hourd wrote the song last spring in Nashville with Brent Baxter. Although he had no plans to add it to his upcoming debut album, that changed when a YouTube video of the song took on a life of its own.

Since being added to YouTube on Oct. 5, the video has been viewed more than 11,000 times, with the ensuing wave of publicity raising Hourd's profile.

From the comments left on YouTube, it's obvious Hourd's personal message of hope and courage has connected with people worldwide.

"As much as I'd love to say this was all totally planned, the artistic side did take over and it just happened," Hourd said recently. "I didn't have any big plans for the song. I thought it would be something I would show my friends and family that was near and dear to me. But seeing and hearing from people that it means something to them and touches them, I just can't believe that it's happening."

Hourd and Baxter assumed a female singer would ultimately do the song. They put Hourd's version on YouTube only because it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"It meant a lot to me and it meant a lot to my family. We just threw it up there for people to check out and it turns out people don't mind hearing my voice on it."

The song is an anthem of hope that encourages people to continue to fight breast cancer. It is also quite obvious Hourd is speaking from personal experience.

"I have two aunts who have gone through it, one aunt who beat it and one who lost the battle," he said. "It's one of those things where I've seen how it's affected my family and I still see to this day how it affects my cousins after losing their mom. You feel for them and wish there was something you could do. Other than supporting them and helping raise money to find a cure, there isn't much you can do. But as a songwriter, this is something I was able to offer."

The song inspired the Regina Pats to hold a pink jersey night this fall, auctioning the game-worn jerseys to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research and Recovery fund (R2R). Hourd's song and video were played that night and he dropped the puck for the ceremonial face-off.

"That was awesome -- to stand there while they were playing the song in the Brandt Centre was quite a moment. It's definitely one of the highlights of my year, for sure. A lot of my family was there to see it. That was a really cool moment and an honour to be part of."

The response to When Pink Is Just A Colour Again resulted in Hourd adding the song to his debut album, Haven't Even Met Yet. Hourd, who recently signed with manager Randy Stark, started recording songs for the disc in May and finished up at the end of September. Stark, a former Warner Music employee who also represents Jason Blaine, has been negotiating with a couple of record labels on distribution of the album.

Hourd hopes to have a deal in place that would allow for the first single to be released to radio early in the new year, with the album available to the public later in the winter.

Meanwhile, the "Pink" video is available online. Visit www.thestarphoenix.com.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008

- The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)

Kal Hourd is finding out that chasing a dream is hard work.

The Saskatoon-based country artist is putting the finishing touches on his debut album without the support and guidance of a record label. Following his dream into uncharted territory was just the cost of doing business for Hourd.

"For me this is trial and error," said Hourd, who is scheduled to perform tonight through Saturday at the Pump Roadhouse. "I think this is the way to go and I feel good about this but I don't know for sure. That's a difficult position to be in when it's your time and your money. But with that being said, it is my time and my money and I'm more passionate for those reasons."

Hourd, who was nominated this year as the Saskatchewan Country Music Association's male vocalist-of-the-year, was scheduled to be in Nashville earlier this week to lay vocal tracks for the album. If all goes according to plan, the yet-to-be-named album will be pressed and ready for sale at the end of July.

Without the support of a label, Hourd has been forced to find some unique methods to fund the project. One of the more interesting strategies he is using is allowing people and businesses to sponsor individual songs and the album itself.

The cost to sponsor the album is $500 and in return Hourd will supply a "thank you" in the album notes, 10 copies of the CD and a private acoustic performance. Sponsoring one of the 12 songs on the album costs $1,000 with the sponsor receiving a "thank you" in the album credits, the family name/company logo beside the sponsored song title, 25 copies of the CD and a private acoustic performance.

Hourd admits when he started playing music he didn't envision himself being so involved in the business aspect of the industry.

"No, heavens no," said Hourd, the 2007 SCMA Rising Star Award winner. "It's always been just me and my guitar and not so much on the business side of things. But once you get a little more involved, then you get more people in your corner. Some of those suggestions and ideas start to come out, like looking for investors.

"I have one song in particular, 'When Pink Is Just A Colour Again.' I wrote it with Brent Baxter, who wrote 'Monday Morning Church' for Alan Jackson. I had somebody come up to me one day after I played it at a songwriter's cafe and said that if there was any way they could help, whether it was buying CDs or selling T-shirts or whatever, they were more than willing to help. They were really excited about it. I thought maybe we could get some support in this fashion."

Hourd has high hopes for the album. He'd like to earn radio airplay in Canada's major markets and be able to tour in support of the disc. He'd also like to see it lead to a full-time music career. It's currently a part-time gig for him with Hourd working full-time at DirectWest.

Yet as much as he'd like to fulfil his dream, Hourd isn't about to gamble everything on it.

"That's just it -- I've got a family to support and the last thing I'd do is put at risk what I have to give to my family," explained Hourd. "This is something I need to do. I just can't say I can't do it. It's just something that I need to do and am going to do and will figure it out one way or another. I'm not going to put my family at risk or make them suffer because of a dream that I have. So you have to try and think outside the box to try and come up with new ways to make it happen."

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

- The Leader-Post

Things just keep getting better for Kal Hourd.

The Saskatchewan born-and-raised singer, songwriter and musician is back this weekend in one of his favourite venues, the Pump Roadhouse in Regina.

"The Pump is an A-circuit club," says Hourd. "I've played there several times, but this is my first three-night gig, and the first time I've headlined there. The Pump has a tremendous crowd -- it's going to be a great show."

Joining Kal on stage will be his longtime friends and bandmates, including Pat Allington on the fiddle. Allington was the original fiddle player for touring band Emerson Drive before settling into family life in Regina.

"We've got a full band -- drums, bass, guitar, fiddle," Hourd says.

"The quality of musicians in Saskatchewan is incredible," he goes on, "When Randy Travis tours Canada, for instance, his keyboard player is from Regina."

Hourd then lists numerous talented artists from around the province who are counted on to support the big names that come through town.

"Having this much talent around the province comes back to music being real deep in our roots," Hourd hypothesizes.

"Any artist from small-town Saskatchewan grows up singing in the church choir," he pauses and laughs. "Quite honestly, there isn't much else to do!"

On Dec. 29th, the emerging talent will be making a trip back home to Stockholm, Sask., to play at the Esterhazy Motor Hotel. It will be Hourd's first trip home to play in 15 years and a far cry from the stage of the Craven Country Jamboree where he played this summer. Hourd is treating it as a warm-up to his recording trip to Nashville in January.

The goal for his post-Christmas show in Esterhazy is to bring in a big enough crowd that the hotel managers can take a well deserved New Year's Eve break.

"The response has been unbelievable so far," says Hourd.

It seems a great reward for a hard-working country singer. Hourd can be found on stage several weekends a month, when he's not travelling the province with his day job as an account representative for the DirectWest phone book.

"I've got a career that supports my country music habit," he grins. "I usually play a couple of weekends a month -- sometimes I play acoustic, with just me and my guitar on stage, and sometimes I'm on with another artist."

Things are definitely picking up for the country singer, with a series of lucky breaks assisting his hard work and elevating his country music aspirations.

"I've always been involved in music, and I've been doing this seriously for 10 years now. My start came at age 16," he chuckles. "We snuck into the Big Valley Jamboree but they took our beer from us at the gate. We had nothing but our sleeping bags and some sunflower seeds -- and my guitar. We went from campsite to campsite entertaining people, playing songs for beer.

Once I got a taste for it -- performing, that is -- I started to think I should take it more seriously."

From singing for smuggled beers at Craven to being the 2007 Saskatchewan Country Music Awards Rising Star winner, Hourd has come a long way. He got a big boost in 2001, winning a contest held by radio station Country 100. The contest winner received a new kitchen set, new countertops and -- the real prize for Kal -- an evening's entertainment provided by Saskatchewan music staple Brad Johner.

Johner spent time with the growing Hourd family that evening and has been an inspiration to Hourd ever since.

"That was the defining moment when I realized I needed to record an album. I've had some great experiences since then including the SCMAs in April. Brad had just finished winning his own awards, and was presenting the Rising Star award -- and I won. Having him present that award to me was very cool," says Hourd.

So what's next for the SCMA 2007 Rising Star recipient?

"I'm in the process of recording and I've got people pitching me songs from across Canada and the States. I leave for Nashville in January, and I hope to come back with a handful of great songs," Hourd goes on. "I'm working with Ryan Anderson of Red Door Recording in Saskatoon. He engineered the last two Nickelback albums, and he's worked with many other big names in the industry. I'm his first country product so I hope I can deliver for him."

Despite being a province full of talented musicians and artists, it's not every day that people will be able to go to the 2007 CCMA's Country Club of the Year and enjoy the 2007 SCMA Rising Star award winner. Hourd expects the atmosphere for his first headlining gig at the Pump to be quite an experience and a great way to warm up for his trip to Nashville and his shot at country music stardom.

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007 - Regina Leader-Post

I received a Facebook message from Kal Hourd this afternoon, asking me to visit his MySpace page and check out a song he recently recorded. Called "When Pink Is A Color Again," the song focuses on the fight to end breast cancer.
Kal co-wrote the song with Brent Baxter, a Nashville songwriter, and both men should be so proud of their efforts. I'm not ashamed to say that the song brought me to tears -- it's powerful, it's beautiful, it's special.
On his MySpace page Kal says -- "When Pink Is Just A Color" is a song of hope, a song of courage, and our way...our contribution to help find a cure.
Anyone who has had their life touched by cancer will undoubtedly be touched by this song. It's tune is soulful, the lyrics are tender and Kal sings it beautifully. If this song is what we can expect from Kal's upcoming album, Haven't Even Met Yet, then we're all in for a treat.
Click here to go to Kal's MySpace page. It contains an audio player in the top right corner and you can hear "When Pink Is A Color" by selecting it from the menu. - Regina Leader-Post - Musings At The Ploughboy Mansion blog