Alberta's PEAK Performance Project Shifts from Indie to New Country as Radio Station Rebrands

Published Feb 29, 2016

Since 2014, Calgary's radio dial has included the mainstream indie/alt rock hybrid of the Peak 95.3, but that station is no longer. In a sudden and surprising turn, the FM station was rebranded as a new country channel this morning (February 29).As the Calgary Herald reports, the Peak has been replaced by a new station called Wild 95.3. The channel's new slogan boasts that it's a source for "Calgary's new country." The station is reportedly set to play 10,000 songs in a row before announcing its on-air presenters.While radio stations rebrand all the time, the loss of the Peak in Alberta is more jarring for indie musicians who participated in the PEAK Performance Project.The battle-of-the-bands style contest gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to indie musicians annually, with the Wet Secrets taking the top prize in 2014 and Leeroy Stagger winning last year.According to the Herald, the PEAK Performance Project will continue, but will now focus on rising new country artists rather than indie acts.The Peak radio station in Vancouver appears to be unchanged, although the British Columbia edition of the PEAK Performance Project ended its seven-year run in 2015.