When you first listen to Desiree Dawson, you will not want to stop. Her positive energy in combination with the strum of her ukulele and beautiful voice will leave you inspired.
The B.C. singer won Searchlight last year and has since been working on her debut album, Wild Heart, set to be released Feb. 24. The title track is the first single off of the album. In the song, Dawson sings about letting go of fears and having your "heart run free."
"As I put my own longing to the table, I realized I was not alone in this feeling," says Dawson in an email. "Everyone around me is yearning for community, for love, for connection in some way or another. Everyone has a different way of describing it, but what it comes down to is getting back to our selves. Our wild hearts. "
The track is currently available on Spotify and iTunes. Listen to it below.
Submissions for Searchlight 2017 officially open Jan. 17, with the deadline for entry being Feb. 7. Learn more information about the contest here.
More to explore:
Get ready for Searchlight 2017, our hunt for Canada's next big act
Desirée Dawson: 5 things you need to know about the 2016 Searchlight winner