Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical Direction?
A) Sure! I’m a roots-rock artist from Cape Breton Island, NS Canada. I lived an entirely different life before pursuing music as a career. I was raised on rock and roll by two music-loving parents, but in a small town where I had never seen anyone successfully pursue the arts. I joined the school band at age 9 and got my first guitar at 16. I always deeply loved music and dance, but I believed my ticket to freedom and independence was a degree in math or science so I went to engineering school. I eventually found myself burnt out and unfulfilled and that’s when I picked up my guitar again. A few years later I left my job as a process engineer and never looked back.
Q: Your new single “Unstoppable” has such a bold energy to it, what was the moment that sparked its creation, and what does this song mean to you personally?
A) I remember getting into the shower and this lyrical melody coming into my head: “baby, we could be…” When I sat down with my guitar to see if I could make something of it, the word Unstoppable kept coming to mind. I had the chorus for a long time before I got the verses right. I knew I was digging for this feeling of potential but I needed the chorus to land. It wasn’t until I nailed that pre-chorus that I felt it click and the song has come to mean more to me over time. It’s a love song, but I found myself singing it to my inner 16-year old. I became my most unstoppable self when I started listening to her.
Q: With the Unstoppable Canadian tour now underway, how does it feel to take these songs across the country, especially knowing how much you’ve grown since your debut album?
A) I have so much more confidence in my writing and performing now. I am so ready to show Canada what I’ve been building out here on the east coast but I am also thrilled to share this upleveled version of me with my early audience. I’ve been doing the work, inside and out, to truly know myself and it shows in this project.
Q: Working with ECMA-winning producer Jamie Foulds must’ve brought a unique dynamic to “Unstoppable.” How did that collaboration shape the sound or direction of the track, and the album to come?
A) Jamie and I definitely have a sound together. I came to him with these bluesy vocal lines and this R&B-inspired groove, while he had this really cool 80’s synthesizer in the studio when we were recording. We leaned into synth layers instead of our usual B3 organ, and aimed for a fresh pop-rock take on a retro-feeling song. Jamie really shaped the pre-chorus which we both feel is one of the most magical, mystical, gooey moments on the entire record, and when the chorus hits, it absolutely feels unstoppable. Throw on those big rock guitars and it’s our signature sound!
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A) Fierce
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording the single?
A) Unstoppable actually had multiple iterations. It started as a track that felt like it could have lived on Joy State of Mind but we knew we were heading in a fresher direction on this record. I also just knew it was the first single but we struggled a bit to get the groove feeling right. I needed it to feel “cooler”. It lived as a demo for about 6 months before recording studio bass and drums and it was the day I heard Ed Woodsworth play bass on the track that I knew we had it.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A) My ultimate message is that you are Unstoppable. You can be or do whatever or whoever you want to be, at any age, from any situation. It won’t come easy, but I promise there is nothing more rewarding than living as your most aligned, authentic self. I’ve always said my goal as an artist is to make the kind of music that makes people feel the way my favorite artists have made me feel, and it’s about more than just the music. It’s the stories behind the songs. I believe my purpose in life is to be an example of successfully pursuing your passion against the odds.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A) Stevie Nicks. No question!
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A) Be consistent, persistent, and do not forget your why. There is no such thing as an overnight success. When it gets hard I remind myself that I am doing this because I love to create and share music. And I can’t die knowing I never tried.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A) You will always feel too old to start something new, and when you look back, you will always feel you were too young. Start now.
