Courtesy Scarlett Butler YouTube

By Lisa Parent

From songwriting to the spotlight, Scarlett Butler will take Esplanade stage

Oct 25, 2023 | 4:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – On Thursday, Calgary band Scarlett Butler will make their way to Medicine Hat for a show at the Esplanade Theatre.

Over the past decade, married couple Troy Kokol and Joni Delaurier have crafted more than 300 songs. They’ve written for notable country artists like Tenille Townes and Brett Kissel.

One of their early hits, “Pickup Truck,” sang by Shane Yellowbird, was listed as the #6 all-time song on Canadian country radio by Billboard. This earned Kokol and Delaurier nominations for Canadian Country Music Song and Songwriters of the Year.

Delaurier says when artists use their songs, they add their own unique interpretation, often resulting in the creation of something special.

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She jokes, “I think songs are our babies and so whenever we have an artist record one of our songs, it’s like, ‘hey, don’t give our baby an ugly haircut.”

In recent years, Kokol and Delaurier started performing their own music, unleashing the band, “Scarlett Butler.” Initially, the couple found the transition challenging to adapt to.

“We have to brush our hair a lot more,” laughs Delaurier. “And put on lipstick once in a while.”

Scarlett Butler recently completed the Fire Keepers song circle tour, playing in Indigenous communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They performed alongside fellow musicians Don Amero, Ethan Lyric and Dale Mac.

This tour held significance for Kokol, an Indigenous artist who was nominated for Male Artist of the Year at the Indigenous Music Awards in 2018.

“That whole musical endeavor was really about me discovering and learning more about the culture,” explains Kokol. “When we’re out in these communities, what are they going through? And what are some of their hardships? Because I really wasn’t exposed to that.”

This Thursday at Medicine Hat’s Esplanade, Scarlett Butler promises an intimate concert featuring a blend of country, folk and americana music.

“It’s really more about sharing songs and stories,” Kokol says. “We’re really looking forward to it because I think that for us, that’s a very comfortable place to be.”

Delaurier adds, “We’ve been through Medicine Hat numerous times, but we’re super excited, this will be the first time that we come and play.”

Tickets for the concert are still available.