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Drop the upbeat: Salmon Arm Secondary grad to launch single featuring Afroman

Kyle Fortch planning TikTok campaign for song Dance All Night.
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Recording artist and former Shuswap resident Kyle Fortch is stoked for the launch of his new single, Dance All Night. (Contributed)

Kyle Fortch has transformed his once forgotten beat into a song he hopes buoys listeners.

The recording artist and former Shuswap resident is stoked for February 12 when his latest song, Dance All Night is set to drop via an aggressive TikTok campaign. Joining Fortch on the song are JOSEPH, and Grammy nominated and platinum selling artist Afroman (Joseph Foreman).

”I think this song is a really happy song that people are going to enjoy in this current time in the world,” said Fortch, who is currently residing in Calgary. “People can’t exactly go out and dance to it right now, and it’s just kind of an uplifting mood thing.”

Fortch describes the single as having an upbeat 50’s dance vibe. He had the idea for the beat about three years ago, and rediscovered it after starting up a TikTok presence early on during the pandemic.

“So I wrote the hook and I called my aunt immediately and I said, ‘Hey, do these dances make sense, are these from the 50s?’ And immediately she replied, ‘How old do you think I am?’”

Later, Fortch was able to bring JOSEPH on board, followed by Afroman, known for hits Colt 45, Crazy Rap and Because I Got High.

“I commented on a post (on Instagram), he messaged me and then we started texting back and forth and we worked out a deal and it was done,” said Fortch. “It’s funny because he talks exactly like how he raps in those songs. He forgot to text me back one time and when he did text me, it was, ‘Oh, sorry, I meant to text you back but then I got high.’ It was amazing.”

Fortch said he started writing music when he was nine. He recorded his first single, a rap song, when he was in Grade 11 at Salmon Arm Secondary. It wasn’t exactly well received among his peers.

“I got made fun of a lot when that song came out,” laughed Fortch, admitting there are things about the song he would do differently now. However, the song still earned him bragging rights after it was played on Eminem’s radio channel Shade 45.

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Fortch’s mom, artist Sherry Damm, lives in the house he grew up in in Sorrento.

Along with his early love for music, Fortch was also into sports. He played hockey for a stint in Salmon Arm and also enjoyed a brief career in MMA fighting. Though he stopped playing hockey, he still loves the game and worked as a scout for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks during the 2019-20 season.

Currently, Fortch is focused on the release of Dance All Night, which he hopes will get a large push via TikTok.

“As soon as it launches we’re using macro influencers on TikTok – influencers that have anywhere from 750,000 to 3.5 million followers,” Fortch explained. “Each influencer is going to post based around a trend with the song in the background. We’re going to hope it catches on.”

The song will also be available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer.

“I really believe in the song – It’s catchy,” said Fortch. “We just need to get it in front of people.”

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Recording artist and former Shuswap resident Kyle Fortch is stoked for the launch of his new single, Dance All Night. (Contributed)