Bio

Nominated for 2024 YYC Solo Artist of the Year, Dean Lauderdale is a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and performer. His music is a perfect combination of folk, rock, and pop, and his first full-length album, “Life Lessons,” is a testament to Lauderdale’s skill, taking on the roles of songwriter, producer, performer, and audio engineer.

Dean released his three-song EP, *Where is the Light*, in August 2025. The project highlights introspective lyricism and showcasing his skills as a storyteller and producer, marking continued growth in his creative identity.
Dean was one of ten vocalists selected to perform at the 2024 Mid-Autumn Star Event, hosted by the National Music Centre, where he was awarded 1st Place. He has also performed at vibrant venues such as the King Eddy, the Window of the West Stage at the Calgary Stampede, and Olympic Plaza.
Beyond his solo work, Dean is a teacher, collaborator, and music director of an 11-piece a cappella ensemble, *ONCUE,* with the Youth Singers of Calgary. He has also composed original scores for Alberta Dance Theatre, most recently for *Interstellar Cinderella*.

Where is the Light - EP (2025) Project

After being awarded 1st Place at the Mid-Autumn Star Event hosted by the National Music Centre, I received an eight-hour recording session to record my own material. I used that opportunity to lay the foundation for my three-song EP, “Where is the Light,” released in August 2025.

Building on those sessions with a live band, I completed additional overdubs from my home studio and independently mixed the project. This process marked significant growth in both my production skills and creativity as I oversaw the project from initial tracking through to final mix.

Transforming a performance award into a fully realized independent release made this year a defining and forward-moving chapter in my career.

Life Lessons (2023) Project

“A few years back, I made the conscious decision to make a full-length album. I had already recorded a handful of songs I had written in the past, but I wanted to make something that was the best work I could possibly do.

I found that going back and reviving half-finished songs was a lot tougher than starting from scratch, now that I have my own process of writing, recording, arranging, and mixing. Over the past year, especially, I had been mainly tracking instruments, but also arranging the songs to how I wanted them to sound, then I moved on to the final mixing stage. I definitely learned many Life Lessons from this process, which happens to be the name of the album.

The first single from Life Lessons, entitled “Hudson Valley” was released on June 30th, 2023 on all streaming platforms. Life Lessons later released in September 2023 and was widely received. The music on this album feels a lot like a giant melting pot of my own influences, but if I had to describe it, I would say my music blends modern folk, country, pop, and rock, with influences such as Mumford & Sons, Vance Joy, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Coldplay, and Colin Hay.”