1. “Won’t Make It” is described as ‘a side of Robin Cisek you haven’t seen yet’. What new artistic

direction or emotional space were you exploring with this release?

I think I have to tell a bit of a story to share my artistic direction with this song. I remember a time when I rented a Pussycat Dolls dance DVD from the library just for a fun home workout, and the music and movement made me feel confident and strong. I would say most people don’t feel that way all the time, worrying about how they look and how the world perceives them. It might be kind of funny to some people, but I think this kind of music plays a huge role in manifesting confidence and self-love. I haven’t created a song that celebrates confidence in this way, and I wanted to capture that feeling in my music. I also think it’s unique to my other songs because it’s an edgier hyperpop song with choppier vocals and a heavy focus on driving bass and drums. It leans more toward Tate McRae, and I would say my other songs are more similar to BANKS and Halsey.

2. Your music often blends electro‐pop, dark‐pop, and atmospheric elements. How does “Won’t Make

It” fit into or expand on the sonic identity you’ve built across projects like Tempered and Delicate

Minds?

Sonically, “Won’t Make It” is edgier and punchier than a lot of my other songs, and it’s a new direction that I

always wanted to explore! I think this song has expanded my sonic identity, but I also think people have heard a little bit of edge from me before. The first time anyone heard me dabble in something a little edgier was in “Lines” on the “Delicate Minds” EP. I continued to explore this vibe through my 2025 album, “Tempered.” I produced a song called “Rumor” and “Play Dirty” and fell more in love with an edgier pop sound. I think “Won’t Make It” embodies that edge that I fell in love with and pushes the envelope even further. My listeners will also hear a lot of my atmospheric vocal elements in the chorus and in the ad-libs near the end of the song. My focus is still on clear, strong vocals and storytelling through my lyrics, but I’m always curious to try something

new with my music.

3. You’ve spoken openly about how your Métis heritage and personal challenges have shaped your

songwriting. What themes or experiences influenced the creation of “Won’t Make It”?

I come from a long line of strong, powerful and confident women from both sides of my family who have

shaped my worldview and shown me to be proud and unashamed of who I am. It has had a huge impact on

how I write my lyrics. In Métis culture, the women are incredibly tough and strong and often pillars in the

community and their own households. We wrote the song from the perspective that women can be in charge,

and I wanted all listeners to feel safe and in control of the situation when they listen. My writing team wanted to put consent and empowerment of the individual first in our lyrics. I have never felt ashamed of who I am and how I present myself to the world, and I would love to see more people of all diverse identities celebrating their sexuality and feeling confident in all aspects of who they are.

Something I’ve also learned from my Metis community is that if you want something, you work hard and you

go get it; Make your ancestors, community and family proud. It is an attitude I have seen so much in my Metis

community, and I hope to be a good representative of that mindset. I don’t really do anything halfway, and I try to create a world around each of my songs through content, music videos and energy. “Won’t Make it” is no exception.

4. Your work is known for introspective lyrics and emotional storytelling. What message or feeling did

you most want listeners to take away from “Won’t Make It”?

The main goal for “Won’t Make it” is to inspire self-love and make listeners feel empowered, confident and in

control. A lot of my music has that focus, but I would say this song definitely has a more adult subject matter. If my song inspires certain emotions (or action) with a special person, then mission accomplished!

5. You’ve developed a strong reputation for self‐production, especially on your album Tempered. What

was your creative process like behind “Won’t Make It,” and did you produce or co‐produce this track

as well?

This summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to be part of the Prairie Pop Song camp where I was teamed up with many incredible artists, producers and songwriters right here in Edmonton. This is where “Won’t Make it” was born, and I was so excited to take the song and run with it. This song was collaboratively written by Mike Schlosser, Esther Forseth and me. We all had an equal contribution to creating the song and smashed it out of the park in one afternoon session. It was a partnership that just clicked and made it so easy to record the vocals and create my little world around the release.

6. Your music has received international radio play and recognition, including awards like ‘Best

Emerging Artist’ at the Indigenous Superstars Music Awards. How does “Won’t Make It” reflect your

growth since those milestones?

I feel that each step I take in music has opened new doors for me. I feel incredibly lucky to get to pursue a

career in music. There can be a lot of ups and downs, but it blows my mind the amount of support and love I

have received throughout my career. I got news today that “Won’t Make it” has reached another big

accomplishment on the radio, and it’s only been out in the world for 2 weeks, so I’m pretty pumped about that! However, I think most importantly, every song I release challenges my creativity with making and releasing music, and I think I’ve become a better artist because of that. I have a much better understanding of who I am and what I want to create next, and I’m more open to taking risks creatively. It’s also an important part of being a creative to work with other people and learn and share, and this new song was a great opportunity to do that.“Won’t Make it” is my first release since “Tempered,” and if my music keeps reaching milestones, that means I get to keep creating and doing this full-time.

7. Edmonton has been a major part of your artistic journey. How did the local music community or your environment influence the sound or story behind “Won’t Make It”?

My environment has had a huge impact on my music career. I have lived in the Edmonton area my whole life,

and my career is based in Edmonton. It’s really incredible how many successful and talented artists have made their way through the Edmonton Music scene, and “Won’t Make It” wouldn’t be here without that community. A product of a song camp right here on my home turf, I get the opportunity to work with so many cool people and don’t need to travel to get the kind of result I’m after. I think there's some incredible music coming out of Edmonton, and the artists are huge inspirations for me.