4 days ago
‘I didn't know I wanted to be the bagpipe girl, but here I am': P.E.I.'s Alli Walker reinvents country music
You can take the girl out of the Maritimes, but you can't take the Maritimes out of the girl — just ask Prince Edward Island's Ali Walker.
The rising country artist, now based in Nashville, is leaning into what makes her different: a love of traditional Celtic music and a set of electric bagpipes.
'I honestly really fell in love with bagpiping because there's the College of Piping in Summerside, and my mom happened to work there,' said Walker in an interview with CTV's Katie Kelly. 'So I was kind of surrounded by it.'
That early connection to her roots would end up shaping her future. A few years ago, she worked the pipes into a tune called Whiskey's Gone — the song that became her most popular.
'I didn't know I wanted to be the bagpipe girl,' said Walker. 'But here I am — the bagpipe country music girl. And I love it because it's so fun and so different.'
That difference helped her land a dream moment: performing alongside her childhood idol, Shania Twain in St. John's last year at the Churchill Park Music Festival.
'I recorded a video of me playing my electric bagpipes to Any Man of Mine, and my manager sent it to her team,' said Walker. 'Shania loved it… and they were like, 'Yeah, she wants you to come on stage.' It was in front of tens of thousands of people.'
That viral moment capped off a breakout year for the singer-songwriter, who relocated to Nashville from Toronto 12 months ago and quickly built a team that now includes a record label, publishing deal, and agents.
'The team has grown exponentially, which is crazy and exciting,' said Walker. 'But also difficult to handle all in one year.'
Still, she's managed to stay creative. Her latest single, I Saw the Devil, continues her genre-blending streak — fusing rock, country, and of course, the bagpipes.
'It's honestly everything I've been wanting to move towards,' said Walker. 'A little bit more rock, a little bit of country, and a little bit of bagpipes.'
Now touring across Canada, the U.S., Europe, the U.K., and Australia, Walker brings a little piece of home with her wherever she goes.
'I'm so proud to be from the Maritimes,' said Walker. 'So to have everyone's support is incredible.'
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