Dakota East
Coastal Country gem, Dakota East, is fast becoming one of Australia's hottest new acts. Born in Canada the now Melbourne based artist attributes the roots of her unique style to her upbringing in Canada where she lived in a small island log cabin in the middle of a secluded lake in Ontario's shield country. Speaking of her musical immersion of artists such as Shania Twain, John Denver and Bonnie Raitt, East remembers "There was always Country, Folk and Blues music playing around the cabin and it was the perfect soundtrack to that picturesque landscape and my magical childhood".
Her debut single, "Runaway," with its shimmering electric guitars and atmospheric pedal steel, took the airwaves by storm amassing over 400,000 streams and earning spots on official Spotify and Apple Music playlists. Since then, she has built a strong presence on the live circuit, captivating audiences with her powerhouse vocals and genre-blending sound. Dakota has shared stages with industry heavyweights such as Shannon Noll, Travis Collins, Jon Stevens, and Joe Camilleri, and delivered standout performances at major festivals including Deniliquin Ute Muster, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, and St Kilda Music Festival.
Dakota was named a Top 10 Finalist in the prestigious Tamworth Toyota Star Maker Competition, leading to a performance on Toyota Park’s Main Stage in front of over 3,000 fans. Shortly after, she released her latest single, "Moving On," which climbed to #8 on the Countrytown Hot 50 Radio Charts, further cementing her place in Australia’s country music scene.
A career-defining moment came in early 2025 when Dakota was invited to open for US country superstar Randy Houser at his sold-out show at Melbourne’s iconic Corner Hotel.
With an unstoppable momentum heading into the new year, Dakota will again mix with some US country stars, including Chase Rice and Oliver Anthony as part of the lineup for Meatstock Festival at Bendigo Showgrounds as well as performing at Tailgate Festival and Citybound.
With the mission of staying true to the raw musical emotion of her original influences but also forging ahead into the evolving landscape of country music, Dakota East emerges as a stand out talent and is poised for big things.
