When did you know you wanted to start making music and ultimately make it your full-time job?

I grew up singing and writing songs from as early as I can remember. In my mind, I always wanted to grow up and be a singer and a performer but I didn’t believe that it was possible; I didn’t personally know a single person who lived in Saskatoon that made that a reality. In highschool I started posting covers on Instagram and Twitter and when I was getting positive feedback from people, not just in my hometown but all around the corners of the internet, I decided to see how far I could push it and see if I could make my dreams a reality. I think when I was 23-ish I started to actually take it seriously. I started to pitch things to labels, got a manager and all that jazz.

What do you love about what you do?

I love singing, I love storytelling, and I love being surrounded with musicians that are so talented; it feels like I’m watching magic happen right in front of me. I love the community that music creates, I love the opportunity to travel and meet people with such different life stories, and ultimately I really love standing on a stage and feeling like I’m doing the only thing I've ever imagined myself doing.

In your musical journey so far, what’s been your biggest point of pride?

I would say it is a split for this year, a top three if you will, and I can’t decide which one feels the best. Firstly, this year I opened for one of my favourite artists ever: Matt Corby in Toronto. That was really special and I couldn’t believe it was happening. Second point of pride was being nominated for my first Juno Award this year which felt really crazy and surreal too. The third and final moment was a headlining show that I played in Saskatoon in November 2023. It was my first time selling out a show in Saskatoon and everyone that came sang every single word. The crowd was so full of energy and sweetness, they bought so much merch, and at the end of the night the venue staff told me that out of all of the shows they’ve hosted in that venue the people that were at my show were the nicest and most respectful to the space. It felt really cool and special to have so many sweet people in the room acting in a really supportive and kind way and I will never forget that show for the rest of my life. I definitely cried on stage like 3 times.

How has technology and social media impacted your career?

Social media has contributed to the success of a lot of my career. I was signed to my label because a producer at CBC saw me singing on Instagram and reached out to have me sing at the 2020 Juno’s, which obviously got canceled due to COVID-19, but I kept in contact with her and she put me in touch with my label when I was finishing an EP and looking for labels. Since then, I’ve been able to connect with so many different people across social media and I’ve gotten a lot of my opening slot offers because of my TikTok or Instagram posts that other artists have seen and then passed along.

I have a love-hate relationship with TikTok specifically. I really enjoy making content for it but it feels overwhelming at times. I felt like I was just getting the hang of TikTok/life balance and then my music was removed off of the platform when UMG removed their music and any music they distribute off of the app. So, I feel like I’m back at square one for content and figuring out what works for me and what I enjoy.

There is also a really big part of me that wants to throw my phone in the ocean and never open another app again but that’s not realistic with this job so I’m carrying on bravely!

What are your goals moving forward?

My main goal that I’m working on right now is to put out an album that I’m proud of. I’ve known that it’s my next step for a while and it feels really daunting and I felt for a long time that I didn’t know what to say or what I wanted it to sound like. But I’m slowly starting to get an idea and I really want to make sure that whatever I put out next I’m really proud of.

How has music allowed you to connect with others?

Music has allowed me to connect with so many cool people. Getting messages from people from different walks of life that connect with my music because they’ve lived a similar experience makes the world feel really small and connected to me. Getting to play with and know so many incredible musicians is really special. Touring and playing festivals with other musicians feels like you bond at a faster speed than normal. Meeting other artists that are pushing and trying really hard in this weird unstable music economy has felt nice and really important to know that there are a lot of other people with similar struggles as you and that you’re not alone in all of the struggle.