KENASTON - Anyone who enters the music industry as a performer has their work cut out for them if they hope to achieve something monumental A career in the performing arts can be a blast and produce a rotation of fond memories, but for those looking to make it to that 'next level', it's very simple - put in the work and always look forward.
With that in mind, it seems as if the stars may have aligned just right for local singer/songwriter, Ardell Ylioja.
The Kenaston resident, who goes by the stage name of Will Ardell, has been writing music and performing live for years, amassing a sizable fan base that stretches across the province and into other territories. Ardell's talents haven't gone unnoticed, as it was recently announced by Kelowna, B.C.-based LMS Records that it has signed him to their label.
Ylioja says the news was very much appreciated, and he likes knowing that his brand of music may now have the opportunity to reach a bigger audience in another part of the country.
"I view it as I'll take it for what it's worth," he said. "I just enjoy writing my own brand of stories and songs to the best of my ability. If a label is going to help get my music there in such ways to a wider audience, then it's appreciated."
With over 200,000 streams and nearly 15,000 listeners from 78 countries according to Spotify, the music is indeed growing to a wider audience.
Ardell, whose music can be described as outlaw country or Americana, says a lot of his songs come from real life. Evidently, he's not afraid to put some of his own experiences out there in the form of music for people to listen to and perhaps take something out of it, choosing to write music that comes from the soul without a desire to fit a certain mold.
"I often write based on my personal life experiences, or the experiences of people I know," explained Ylioja "I enjoy listening to folks tell their stories, and I use it to inspire me to write. I don't often co-write much for the Top 40 style of country, and since I'm kind of in my own niche, it's a bit of a slower burn, but I have more freedom to tackle subject matters and styles that perhaps wouldn't be there if I was trying to write for radio play."
When the guitar's been put away, the coffee's gone cold and the amps have been powered down, Ardell hopes his music can have a lasting effect on listeners with a message that stays with them.
"I hope the songs I write still have meaning in 20 years," he said "The same that they do today, and can get 'under the armour', so to speak. That’s about the easiest way to describe it."
Ardell's latest song, 'Unrestrained' is the fourth single off his upcoming album entitled, The Truth, which is expected to be released this coming spring.
