pajuaar

Local musician Myshel Pajuaar, seen here at the 2010 Living Sky Idol competition (Photo: Ryan Switzer)

The Next Big Thing is Swift Current's first Living Sky Idol.

Myshel Pajuaar and the Midnight Roses won The Next Big Thing 2012 singing competition based out of Regina.

Pajuaar says bandmate Eliza Doyle had to convince her to enter the contest: "I wasn't too sure if we should, because I didn't know if we'd be able to get anywhere with it. The last night before we could submit a video, we did just a quick video of one of my songs, and submitted it just for the heck of it, and we got picked for the top 10, which is crazy.

"We kind of see ourselves as not really mainstream country, we're kind of more bluegrass, and we were kind of concerned that either it would benefit us or it hurt us, because the other contestants were more mainstream country," Pajuaar added. "We were super excited when we learned that's why they picked us because we were different."

Pajuaar and her group won a $10,000 cheque, with $5000 to be used for music, a spot at the Craven Country Music Jamboree in July, and they will open for country music star Kellie Pickler in August.

Video of Myshel Pajuaar and the Midnight Roses' performance at the Next Big Thing 2012 Competition in Regina:

 

Shandra Ward talked with Myshel Pajuaar: