If you’re feeling a bit glum with the grey skies and chilly fall weather, then Canadian country artist Paige Rutledge’s latest single, “Sunshine Sunday” is just the tune you need to get your spirits up again! Best described as a fun-going, slice of the warm summer sun, the upbeat single will have you reminiscing about all the good memories shared amongst friends this past summer.
Recently, I spoke with Rutledge about her latest single, songwriting in Nashville and her upcoming live performances.
Kyla Pearson: You recently released your upbeat pop-country single, “Sunshine Sunday”, which you co-wrote with Mariyah Stokes and Rich Cloke. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the song and the recording/songwriting process?
Paige Rutledge: This was the first write that Mariya, Rich and I had altogether. I had written with both Rich and Mariya previously and knew that putting those two in a room together was going to result in a fun, catchy song. I remember the day that we were writing, I was looking out my window and it was a rainy April day and we didn’t have much of an idea what to write about so we just started throwing some ideas out from our phones and Mariya had this really cool idea/lyric that sparked Sunshine Sunday. I love my cottage (which is why I wrote “Take Me Back to Tiki” haha) and I started sharing some stories about my friends up North and we took those stories and worked to capture the feeling of spending the day with your friends in the sun.
I immediately sent the song to my cousin/producer, Alex DiMauro, as soon as our write was over and we got to work on it pretty much immediately after that. A lot of the recording and production was done up North at our cottage just like my previous releases. I felt this was the most important aspect to capturing the energy on Sunshine Sunday during the recording process. The laugh at the beginning was spontaneous with our younger cousin, Keira, telling a story as Alex was taking a voice memo of the guitar part. We listened back to that after and felt that it was something fun and organic to add to Sunshine Sunday.
Kyla Pearson: What do you hope to achieve with this new single?
Paige Rutledge: I hope this song brings a smile to your face when you listen! That is definitely what it did and still does for all of us when we were writing and recording it. When Sunshine Sunday was written in April, the world was in a dark place and we wanted to spark some happiness and give listeners that summer, happy feeling all year long.
Kyla Pearson: What in your opinion, is the ideal way to listen to and experience this song?
Paige Rutledge: Sitting in the backyard, lots of friends around, with a redneck margarita and your bare feet in a dollar store pool 😉
Kyla Pearson: Many of your songs all have an upbeat melody and/or positive twist to them. Why do you think it’s important they have this element and how does it tie into the message you want to share as an artist?
Paige Rutledge: I always want my songs to be a reflection of who I am and for anybody that knows me, knows that I always try to have a smile on my face and I am full of energy. I’ve always used music as a way to express who I am and how I feel and Sunshine Sunday is representative of my personality and my story.
Kyla Pearson: You recently took a trip down to Nashville. What was that experience like, being back in music city for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit? Did you have the opportunity to connect with new artists & songwriters? Do you think you’ll be releasing any of the songs you wrote during your stay there in the near future?
Paige Rutledge: Woo Nashville! Yes, I was gone for a few weeks writing and meeting new people and it was such a great experience. I truly did not know what to expect with the pandemic going on but I just tried to make the most out of the entire experience and took opportunities to talk and write with people that I met. I connected with SO many new artists and songwriters and left the trip with some really exciting new songs that I cannot wait to share!! There will definitely be a release coming in 2022 from this trip and it is one of my favourite songs that I’ve written!
Kyla Pearson: What is one venue or show you’re looking to perform at and share “Sunshine Sunday” with your fans? What live shows do you have coming up that fans can catch?
Paige Rutledge: I have been super fortunate to be very busy with shows since live music has been back so I can be caught anywhere performing right now. I am really excited to be playing a show in Guelph at Royal City Studios on Saturday, November 13th with Jessica Sole and Half Decent, and share a ton of new music. My website is up to date with all of my shows for the rest of 2021 and then I can’t wait to get back at it in 2022 with a whole bunch of new shows.
Kyla Pearson: What is one goal you hope to achieve with your music before the end of the year? Do you plan on releasing new music other than “Sunshine Sunday”?
Paige Rutledge: Sunshine Sunday is my last single of 2021 but we have already started everything for 2022 and a ton of new music planned that I cannot wait to share.
Kyla Pearson: Lastly, what is one thing fans may not know about you?
Paige Rutledge: I used to compete in Figure Skating! I learnt to skate when I was 2 and was competing by the time I was 7 and really is a huge part of my life. I spent many, many days a week in the rink growing up. When a big competition is on (Canadians, Worlds, Olympics, etc.) you can catch me watching skating all day on TV- I love it so much!
Listen to Sunshine Sunday now:
Stay up to Date With Paige Rutledge:
Instagram: @paigerutledge
Twitter: @paigerrutledge
Facebook: Facebook.com/paigerutledgemusic
Website: www.paigerutledge.com
Apple Music: Paige Rutledge
Spotify: Paige Rutledge
Works Cited
Rutledge, Paige. Interview. Conducted by Kyla Pearson, Oct. 16 2021.
Unknown.“Featured: Paige Rutledge”. Photo courtesy of Paige Rutledge. Accessed Nov 6 2021.
Unknown.“Official cover art for Paige Rutledge’s latest single, ‘Sunshine Sunday’”. Photo courtesy of Paige Rutledge. Accessed Nov 6 2021.
