Blog

I haven’t blogged much lately. Sorry about that. It’s just that I’ve been really busy doing the work. When people ask me what kind of work I do, I always tell them that I have the best job in the … Continue reading →

It’s been a while since I posted a diary entry. Forgive me. It’s been a crazy summer so far, and it’s only getting crazier! Every week from Monday to Thursday, I co-write songs and produce and sing demos for pitching … Continue reading →

They say that the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry, is the Mother Church of Country Music. That may be the case, but the Mother Church of Songwriting is Nashville’s Bluebird Café. Much like the songwriters who frequent … Continue reading →

My new album, “Never Be The Same”, will be released to stores across Canada this Tuesday, April 26th!! Like my first CD, “When You Can Fly”, this record is self-produced – believe me, you don’t have to do much producing … Continue reading →

I had the incredible experience of acting on film for the first time last week.  I played a supporting role in a Christmas movie shot up in Langley, BC with a wonderful cast and crew that took me under their … Continue reading →

I can’t even begin to explain the generosity that I’ve witnessed as part of the national cast of the 35th annual Telemiracle – a telethon for special needs here in Saskatchewan. I can tell you that a six-year-old girl collected … Continue reading →

We’ve had some “snow days” here in Nashville this winter (Canadians, insert scornful laugh here), so it’s been a good time to be indoors avoiding the 2 inches of snow that shut the city down.  So what have I been … Continue reading →

I saw something today that really got me thinking.  We spend a lot of time, especially in the music business, talking about success.  But what is success, really?  It’s completely subjective. Last week I had surgery to remove a tumour … Continue reading →

I wish for deep snow that’s packed down enough for sledding on but makes for a soft landing when you fall off at the bottom of the hill and lie there laughing. I wish for Christmas carols sung in four-part … Continue reading →

I grew up listening to Reba McEntire CDs.  I memorized every lyric, sang along with every line, and tried like heck to yodel out every single string of notes that rolls of those one-of-a-kind vocal cords of hers.  There’s nobody … Continue reading →

I have been trying to write a diary entry about this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards, but I don’t know how to put it into words.  I really don’t. After being last year’s most nominated female artist and walking away … Continue reading →

I’m sitting on the window seat in my room at a 100-year old Inn in the heart of the Smoky Mountains as I write this.  Last night I played a show here in Balsam, North Carolina…tomorrow I’m in Flat Rock, … Continue reading →

I was reminded yet again this week of why I love Nashville so much. Sure, I’ve had my frustrations with this city…I have ridden the music business rollercoaster long enough to have had my heart broken by this place quite … Continue reading →

By request, I’m posting the lyrics to the “City of Dreams”, the song that I wrote and recorded this week in support of the Red Cross after Nashville was hit by devastating flooding. You can watch the video at this … Continue reading →

I’ve been playing some arena shows in western Canada lately as a solo acoustic act, opening for Randy Travis on his “Around the Bend” tour.  Being a solo opener can be a bit hectic, but it’s pretty amazing.  Here’s how … Continue reading →

I arrived in Regina, Saskatchewan last weekend with no idea what I was getting into.  I knew I was there to perform a few songs on a telethon, but that’s about it. Folks from Saskatchewan know Telemiracle well – it’s … Continue reading →

Last year was the best year of my life.  It was also the worst. A lot of amazing things happened.  The launch of my debut record made me the most nominated female artist at the Canadian Country Music Awards, taking … Continue reading →

I have a special keepsake from back in the days before I moved to Nashville.  I call it my “wish book”.  It’s just a dog-eared little green pocket-sized binder, but hundreds of hours of work went into that book. I … Continue reading →

In the last 4 1/2 weeks of this cross-Canada radio tour, I have… Been interviewed on air at 21 radio stations Played 36 performances Filmed 9 TV shows Visited 8 provinces Taken 15 flights Ridden in 31 taxis/shuttles Stayed in … Continue reading →

I’m not even sure where to begin telling you about the past week.  It’s been a whirlwind! I spent a few days in Vancouver before Country Music Week began, so I had some time to visit JRFM radio, perform on … Continue reading →

I lost my mother last Sunday.  I was in Nashville, my bags packed for a month-long cross-Canada tour, when I got the call from my sister up in Ontario that she was being rushed to the hospital.  One gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, … Continue reading →

I’m standing here staring at a big empty suitcase and an even bigger explosion of clothes scattered all over my bedroom.  How exactly do you pack for a month-long tour of Canada?  We’re talking16 flights, 31 hotel nights, a pile … Continue reading →

I just celebrated the 11th anniversary of my first steady paycheck as a staff songwriter.  Somehow or other, for the past 11 years, music has been keeping me fed, clothed and sheltered.  Music has taken me to places I never … Continue reading →

I’m taking a day off today to cook up a storm and freeze a bunch of food in preparation for the birth of my friend Lisa Brokop’s first baby, which based on the size of her, will be happening any … Continue reading →

I saw this quiz on Facebook and it seemed like the perfect challenge for a songwriter to try.  So I’ve answered these questions with the titles of songs I’ve written that have been recorded and released (either by myself or … Continue reading →

My new single “When You Can Fly” is a song that has definitely been the source of some heartache for me! A week after I wrote the song, Reba McEntire’s record label flipped out over it. I got a phone … Continue reading →

I Googled my album” When You Can Fly” yesterday and then I burst into tears.  Page after page of results were links to  free “file-sharing” sites.  Links to music piracy sites.  Links allowing people to steal the music. As a … Continue reading →

I feel like such a globetrotter!  I’ve been from one side of the continent to the other in the past several weeks, but definitely the highlight of my travels was last weekend’s visit to Merritt, B.C. to perform at the … Continue reading →

When I think about last week’s trip to southern Ontario, I remember it in a series of moments.  Surreal moments, peaceful moments, joyful moments and terrifying ones.  Here are a few of them… Moment #1: Standing on a rooftop in … Continue reading →

Wow!  It’s finally here!  Tomorrow (Tuesday April 14th) is the day that my official debut CD “When You Can Fly” will be in stores all across Canada. Through all the years of slogging it out in the music business, I … Continue reading →

A couple of days ago, Sony/ATV publishing (where I work as a staff songwriter here in Nashville) threw a “Listening Party” for my “When You Can Fly” CD, which is pending release to stores across Canada on April 14th.  It … Continue reading →

I’m sitting here on the couch at my sister’s house in Toronto right now, completely wiped out.  My feet hurt, my eyes are heavy, I’ve put about 500 miles on the rental car and 500 more on my guitar in … Continue reading →

My cell phone rang Wednesday morning, and my heart just about jumped out of my chest when I picked it up.  My cousin Barb was shouting on the other end of the line “It’s your song!  They’re playing your song … Continue reading →

It’s 2:30am and I’m rubbing my red eyes. They feel square from staring at the computer screen in my home studio, doing the slow, painstaking work of editing background vocals. I’ve been up since 7am yesterday, and tomorrow will be … Continue reading →

Hi everybody! My website has been closed for re-construction for a few months, so I haven’t been keeping up with my blog entries as much as I’d like to. But I’m very excited to have it back up and running!  … Continue reading →

‘REMEMBER THAT’ LYRICS: (Sung by Jessica Simpson, Written by Victoria Banks & Rachel Proctor) Remember how he told you you were stupid How he couldn’t even look at you anymore Remember how he told you you were crazy How he … Continue reading →

Wow!!!!! I just checked iTunes this morning and the Jessica Simpson record is the #1 record in North America!!!! And my song “Remember That” is the #1 most downloaded song on the record, with a huge popularity rating – even … Continue reading →

I’m on the plane right now heading home from the Canadian Country Music Awards in Winnipeg – and what an incredible weekend it was. Since my last diary entry less than 2 days ago, I’ve performed at three very different … Continue reading →

What a week!  I’ve been back to the Fallsview Casino to see Jessica perform my songs and visit with her backstage, I’ve been in Toronto filming a CMT show about my experience writing for Jessica’s record, and now for the … Continue reading →

I’ve spent the past week feeling like Cinderella with the perfectly-fitting glass slipper on my foot!  I was invited to be one of six songwriters participating in the ASCAP/SOCAN International Songwriting Retreat at the Fallsview Resort in Niagara Falls…and what … Continue reading →

The tabloids are bursting this week with controversy over Jessica Simpson’s comments in a recent Elle Magazine cover story in which she discusses the song “Remember That”, written by myself and Rachel Proctor.  The song reaches out to women who … Continue reading →

I can’t believe the response that Jessica Simpson has been getting with “Come On Over”!  Rachel Proctor and I wrote the song with Jessica, and it was released by Columbia Nashville as Jessica’s first country radio single at the end … Continue reading →

My phone rang last night, and when I picked it up, I heard the voice of my good friend and co-writer Rachel Proctor on the other end. “Have you heard?” she said. “Heard what?” I said, bewildered. “We got the … Continue reading →

I went through a pretty rough divorce a few years ago.  You can probably tell that from my music.  Writing has been a big part of the healing for me in processing all that heartache…it became a place to put … Continue reading →

The past two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of activity for me!  It all started last Tuesday with the first official “Dog Days of Summer” benefit concert at the Rutledge here in Nashville.  Rachel Proctor, Bruce Wallace and I … Continue reading →

I just got back from a terrific week in Ireland, where I performed at the 4th annual Belfast Songwriters’ Festival.  I had the opportunity to play a couple of acoustic shows with Don Schlitz and Pat Alger, who are some … Continue reading →

This diary entry isn’t about the music business…but I think it’s an interesting story that explains a little bit about where the music came from in my life, so I’ll include it here on my site. My friend Tia Sillers … Continue reading →

I was in a pretty bad car accident today. I was hit head-on by a (drunk?) driver who was driving the wrong direction down my side of a very busy street in downtown Nashville. Then, the guy drove around me, … Continue reading →

I’ve been having a blast in the studio recently working on a new CD.  It’s intended for national distribution in Canada. With the help of engineer and mixer extraordinaire Eric Legg, I put together a one-day intensive recording session last … Continue reading →

Well, it’s official! I am now a staff songwriter at Sony/ATV Nashville. It’s an especially exciting time for this to be happening, because this deal was set in motion by my friend and fellow Nashville songwriter Tony Lane (he was … Continue reading →

Rachel Proctor and I co-wrote with Jessica Simpson for the first time today. We had a great time, despite the fact that Rachel had lost her voice and I was hobbling around with a bum knee (I’ll tell you more … Continue reading →

Here’s a funny little story about what it’s like to be a professional songwriter… The other day, my friend Lisa McCallum emailed me through MySpace and said, “Hey, I saw Sara Evans being interviewed on GAC about her Greatest Hits … Continue reading →

Until recently, it was a huge struggle for me to be creative. That might be a strange thing to hear, coming from a professional songwriter, but most writers, artists, and musicians have experienced the feeling of being creatively blocked. Every … Continue reading →

I am so blessed, in so many ways. It’s a bit overwhelming just thinking about it. Every morning when I wake up, I take a few minutes to list, out loud, the things in my life that I’m grateful for. … Continue reading →

6:59 pm last night…musicians and stage crew were running willy-nilly all over the place…I was fighting my way through the crowd to find my spot on the stage next to Pam Tillis…the techs were plugging my guitar in and setting … Continue reading →

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in my home studio. I affectionately call it “The Rock Room”. The name is both symbolic and literal – yes, I do rock pretty hard in there sometimes (which my next door … Continue reading →

“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere!” That was me, 24 hours ago, singing to myself at the top of my lungs as I ate the chocolate off my pillow in a posh 45th floor hotel room … Continue reading →

I have to admit – I’m hooked on “Nashville Star” this year. I’ve never really watched the show before, but this time around it’s different, because I know four out of the six remaining contestants! Josh Stevens is a friend … Continue reading →

2007 started out with a bang for my friend and cowriter Mary Sue Englund – literally! She suffered a really bad fall on the way out the door to pick me up at the airport, and broke four of the … Continue reading →

I got to experience another music road trip this weekend! Rachel Proctor invited me to join her and Casey Kessel for a performance at Swallow at the Hollow, a restaurant/bar in Roswell, Georgia, on the outskirts of Atlanta which has … Continue reading →

What a great surprise – I just found out that my song “Midnight at a Red Light” has won Second Prize overall and First Prize in the Country Category of the 2006 USA Songwriting Competition. I came home dead-tired yesterday … Continue reading →

I spent the past weekend participating in the Frank Brown Songwriters’ Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. My good friends and cowriters Lisa Brokop, Tania Hancheroff and I decided to take the time out of our crazy schedules to enjoy the … Continue reading →

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but I always seem to write a lot of songs in the fall. This year is no exception, especially since I’m cowriting full-time now. Cowriting really is something that … Continue reading →

When I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology and Anthropology, each of the graduates in my class spent a moment during the ceremony shaking hands with the Dean of the Faculty, receiving their degree … Continue reading →

A STAFF SONGWRITER…? What the heck is that? I’ve been asked that question many times, because Nashville is one of the only places on earth that you will find this rare breed of musician. As you may have noticed if … Continue reading →