Coast 2 Coast Closeup – Travis Dolter

Travis Dolter was raised on a working farm right in the middle of the Alberta prairies and far from the bustle of the big cities of Eastern Canada, long after the heydays of the Barenaked Ladies, yet somehow the humour and musical influence of the Canadian iconic group has slipped into Dolter’s pure Canadian sound.

Growing up playing in the family band, Travis gained confidence and charisma on stage from a young age. He recalls packing his sleeping bag so he could sleep on stage while the family finished performing! Building on his experience from these performances, Travis has been able to develop an engaging stage presence helping him grow into the rising Country recording artist he is today.

Travis has raced stock cars, is an avid soccer player and Ukrainian Dancer and recently graduated with a Degree in Kinesiology.

Although Travis is just at the beginning of his career, he has already proven to be an artist of note. Placing in the top 3 in the Global Country Star Search, taking home the 2019 NACMAI International Male Vocalist & Entertainer of the year and 1st place in the Country 106.5 Star Search contest. His first ever official music video for LAKE DAY earned a 2nd Ballot nomination with Country Music Alberta for Video of the Year. Travis has opened for Hey Romeo, played festivals including Big Valley Jamboree Songwriter’s & Country Music AB (previously known as ACMA) Horizon Stage, showcased during the CCMA on the Diamonds in the Rough stage, headlined a NASCAR race, and shared his music across Alberta and Saskatchewan during his Rural Nights Tour!

The pandemic of 2020 began just as Travis was set to hit the festival season and prove himself on the stages many talented Alberta artists had gone on before. With the season cancelled, Dolter was not dissuaded and set up a Drive-In show long before it was the “in thing”, attracting 114 cars.

“Travis Dolter’s Drive-in Show was one of the most unique concerts I’ve ever seen. It sounded amazing! In between songs it sounded like a traffic jam in L.A. with all the honking! Kudos to Travis and his band for bringing back some much-needed live entertainment to Camrose!” – A.J. Keller, 840 CFCW  

Clearly a forward thinker, Travis believes in writing not for radio today, but for radio “a year from now”. A formula that has been serving him well. In January he broke into new territory with the release of LAYLA 14. Internationally it has seen adds to over 400 stations, making a presence in places like Australia, UK, and USA and has also been added to 33 Canadian stations. A feat to be proud of given the current state of the music industry. His latest release, BLUE SEAS & PALM TREES, earned itself a spot on the Yangaroo DMDS top 5 most downloaded Country singles in Canada 3 days after release and has adds to over 600 stations.

A young man not afraid of hard work, or the dedication it takes to get ahead in the music business, Dolter knows it takes a lot more than 3 chords and the truth to get noticed. Travis knows it takes hard work, attention to detail and an ability to be creative both on and off the stage. Travis has the gift of a real songwriter, the ability to view everyday situations and places through the lens of a storyteller. The mark of a talented storyteller is the ability to paint a picture with words; words that can emit a range of emotions. Travis has this gift. Whether he is immersing you into a Nashville Bar in “Layla 14”, telling the story of being out on the Lake as in “Lake Day”, taking risks in “Just To Say I Did” or finding the light side of the recent pandemic in “Bottle Depot”. Humour is a large part of Travis and whether he’s entertaining a small group of family, or headlining/producing his first Drive In show while wearing a Captains hat and putting rubber rain hats on his bandmembers, Travis will always find the humour and draw his audience in. Travis knows just the right way to take his audience on a musical journey through the course of a performance.  Through the highs and the lows, balancing emotional songwriting with humor and storytelling, Dolter’s show is not one to be forgotten.

Listen to the interview