Sykamore coming home for Arts on 817 concert

By Christine Foshaug Times Contributor

When Jordan Ostrom was a college student playing in various bands around Calgary, life as a singer/songwriter in Nashville seemed out of the realm of possibility.
But now she’s living her dream as recording artist Sykamore, and she’ll be performing on Oct. 19 at the Strathmore United Church as part of the Arts on 817 concert series.
From the age of 12, Sykamore knew she wanted to be a musician. Growing up on her family’s ranch in Carseland, she sang in her church choir and also learned to play the guitar and piano.
“My parents met as rodeo athletes and my rural upbringing gave me an appreciation for country music,” she said. “But I also draw on classic rock, pop and hip-hop.”
In 2014, Sykamore won the ATB All-Albertan Song Writing Contest with ‘Heaven in the Pines,’ a song she wrote and recorded two days before the contest deadline. “That was huge for me,” she said. “I was young when I wrote that song, and it really was a springboard for me. I got a lot of media coverage – I was on Breakfast TV and the radio – and it made people aware of my presence on the Calgary music scene. As a songwriter, it was a great opportunity to sing about my home. I love where I came from and I’m proud to be from Alberta.”
More success followed a year later when Sykamore was one of six finalists for the 2015 CCMA Discovery Program. She was flown to Toronto as part of the artist development program, where she networked with publishers, agents and label heads, gaining valuable first-hand experience and knowledge about the country music industry. At that year’s CCMA’s in Halifax, she was nominated for a Discovery Award.
Her road to Nashville happened by accident. While in Halifax for the awards, she followed Thomas Rhett, one of that year’s American acts, on Twitter. That connection led to a connection with Rhett’s father, songwriter Rhett Akins, who checked out Sykamore’s YouTube channel and offered to help her.
Two years later, Sykamore signed with Akins’ new publishing company, Home Team Publishing. “Having Rhett search me out was a catalyst to get me to Nashville and definitely improved my chances to elevate my career,” said Sykamore. In April 2019, she signed with Broken Bow Records and hopes to release her new album in early 2020.
Other career highlights include a second-place finish in the 2016 Project Wild artist development program, having her song ‘I Can Make You Happy’ featured in season 8 of Heartland, opening for Josh Ritter, and singing onstage at the Saddledome with The Dungarees.
Tickets for Sykamore’s Oct. 19 show can be purchased online at smoreuc.com, or by phone at 403-901-2797.