Country vocalist named top songwriter

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This article was published 30/03/2011 (5612 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg singer/songwriter hit all the right notes at the recent Radio Star Na­tion­al Songwriting Competition.

Heather Longstaffe, a former North Kildonan resident who is now based in Nashville, Tenn., won the national contest on the strength of her country-pop song Waste of Gas.

 The competition, which was held March 9 to 13 as part of Canadian Music Week festivities in Toronto, featured some of the top up-and-coming songwriters from across the country. Twelve regional representatives were selected through a series of radio contests.

Longstaffe, 24, was still having trouble believing she won the contest several days later.

“I’m completely shocked,” she said. “I didn’t expect it at all. I’m ecstatic to win because I’ve never been recognized for songwriting before. It feels special.”

Waste of Gas is based on her own experiences. She was involved in a troubled relationship while still in high school and used to drive around in her car to help her deal with the situation.

It was while she was behind the wheel one time that the inspiration for Waste of Gas came to her. She went home soon after and wrote the tune that night.

Fellow songwriter Phil Deschambault, of the band Ash Koley, worked with Longstaffe for nearly a year. Descham­bault said one of her greatest strengths as a songwriter is her instincts.

“It’s no surprise at all that she won. I would be surprised if she didn’t win,” he said.

The win should provide a significant boost to Longstaffe’s musical career.

A graduate of Miles Macdonell Collegiate, she recently moved to Nashville to pursue a full-time career in music.

“I came to Nashville to be in the scene down here and I’m writing constantly. I am playing a little bit, but I wanted to be part of Nashville and that big machine,” she said via telephone.

“The focus in Nashville is country music, so every day I can wake up and be surrounded by what I love.”

Longstaffe’s mom, Liz Janzen-Drewitt, said that while she’s proud of her daughter’s recent success, it’s difficult having her live so far from home.

“It is bittersweet, but I’ve known for a long time that if she was going to live her dream, it would take her away from here,” Janzen-Drewitt said.

“If she needs to leave to pursue her dream, then I’ll support her in that.”

Music has been a big part of Long­staffe’s life for as long as she can remember. She said a lot of the credit for her success belongs to her parents.

“I’m the luckiest person when it comes to supportive parents,” she said. “They had no idea how to help a child in the music industry growing up, but they did their best.”

Longstaffe plans to release her debut CD in the near future. A release date has not yet been set.

For more information on Longstaffe visit www.heatherlongstaffe.com.

adrian.alleyne@canstarnews.com