Exclusive Photos: Bastian Baker Takes Us on the Road for Shania Twain’s ‘NOW Tour’

Shania Twain’s return to the stage was unexpected for both her and her fans, as she’d previously announced her retirement from the road back with 2015’s Rock This Country Tour. But the singer got busy with work, creating NOW, her first album in 15 years. The music from that project inspired the Canada native to embark on a massive “NOW World Tour,” which took off to critical acclaim.

As the best-selling female country star of all time Twain could have chosen anyone to open the shows as she circumnavigated the globe. Her final decision landed on Switzerland native and singer/songwriter Bastian Baker who is ready to release his U.S. debut.

“I’ve met so many incredible people and been so many neat places while on tour with Shania,” Baker told Sounds Like Nashville. “She’s a living legend and I’m so thankful for the experience she’s given me. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from her is that an artist doesn’t need to pick a particular lane when it comes to music. After all, music is the universal language.”

Baker comes from a tremendous background, having played professional hockey for a time and speaks five languages fluently. He’s been a singer in his native country for several years and is ready to join the country scene in the U.S.

As he gears up for the October 26 release of his new project, Baker is dishing out some of the tracks ahead of time, including the song “Blame It On Me,” which he co-wrote with Caroline Marquard.

“‘Blame It On Me’ is my first release into the country world, representing all the inspiration and influence I’ve gained from Nashville,” he explained. “We were discussing different tensions in relationships while writing one day and we really liked all the metaphors we came up with in the song.”

His appreciation for Music City flows throughout the 14 songs featured on Bastian Baker. As an outsider and non-native, Baker hopes to one day join the fabric of everything Nashville has to offer. And he plans to do it by being himself.

“Nashville is one of my favorite cities. It holds such a special place in my heart and I can only hope to find my place in it. My new album is self-titled for a reason – it holds all the inspirations I’ve gained throughout my career and life lessons I’ve learned along the way.”

To celebrate the release of “Blame It On Me” and his opening spot on Shania Twain’s “NOW Tour,” Sounds Like Nashville has an exclusive photo gallery featuring images from his time on the road. Check out the pictures below and listen to his new song “Blame It On Me” now.

Fans can pre-order Bastian Baker’s self-titled album now.