This month’s On the Horizon artist is Jordan McIntosh!   The latest set of pipes poised to overtake the world of country music, this Ottawa-based teen heartthrob is clearly an apple in fate's eye.

Not that he's about to let fate make all the decisions.  "I always idolized my older sister. When she started singing, I thought, ‘Well, I'm going to start singing now too,'" he reflects cheerfully. "That progressed into what it is today and I have to thank her. If she never started singing, I wouldn't have either."

"I obviously had a dream of this growing. That started to become a reality over the past year. That might seem quick but I've been working at this for about seven or eight years," he reveals. "There was always that hope but I keep an open mind and stay grounded. There's a one-in-a-million chance that you'll make a career of your ability. It keeps you focused."

Initially cutting his chops on the likes of Carrie Underwood and Mariah Carey before blossoming into a more mature range, he now credits the likes of Luke Bryan, Johnny Reid, Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean as inspiration.  "These are people who really took the time to build their career," McIntosh beams. "It's inspiring to see what they've done and strive to attain the capabilities, successes and talent they have. But most importantly though, they have a great support system behind them;  terrific people helping them. That's something I definitely have. I couldn't do any of this without my family. We've been through a lot together and they keep my feet planted firmly. They're on this journey with me so if I'm going places, they're coming with me."

To that extent, as his music is added to national radio stations daily and showcase performances grow in popularity, many people find themselves easily relating to McIntosh. Still, despite notoriety, requests for him to sing anthems at sporting events and more, the teen stays steadfastly grounded. He wears multiple hats from son and brother to charity event supporter, student and up-and-coming chanteur.

"It's difficult to balance everything," he admits. "I've had to eliminate some things from my life to pursue this but everyone is so supportive. From family to my teachers, they're behind me with this. They afford me time to work on my music and improve in this career without sacrificing something as important as school." Regardless, with so many aspects fuelling his song and spirit, McIntosh is constantly rife with fresh ideas.

"My music offers a male perspective on what someone like Taylor Swift might write about," he concludes. "This is something for the guys. A lot of male country artists tend to prefer singing about where they're from, parties and the work day. Girls are the ones singing about relationships and the problems within them. I bring the male perspective to this kind of music. It's great if women appreciate that but I also hope that it's helpful for men in the audience as well.”

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:

Born and raised in the small town of Carleton Place located just outside of Ottawa, from an early age Jordan demonstrated a passion and talent for singing and performing.  Inspired by his older sister Melissa, he began entering talent competitions.  One of his most notable wins came in 2010 when, motivated by his success in local talent searches, Jordan decided to enter an American talent competition held at Walt Disney World in Florida.  With his performance of Miley Cyrus’s song “The Climb” Jordan was able to beat out the other contestants to claim first place.  He repeated his success the following year, winning the very same competition for a second time.

In 2011, after entering the Kiwanis Idol competition, a local area talent show, Jordan caught the attention of local music executives with his rendition of the song Amazed by Lonestar.

Check out Jordan’s YouTube account at youtube.com/thejordanmcintosh for live performances and new material.  You can also follow Jordan on Twitter at @jordanmcintosh or visit his website at www.jordanmcintosh.ca to keep up to date with performance dates and all the latest news!

To be an Artist Featured contact the CCMA.