Your music blends classic pop songwriting with contemporary indie folk and chamber‑leaning arrangements. How did you arrive at this hybrid sound, and which influences shaped it most strongly?

I think I arrived accidentally at this kind of sound! I’ve always been dangerously in love with old records and hunting for them, so I can’t help but sound a little like what I’ve always listened to in that regard. I am also inspired by contemporary music which I think comes through on this album even more than on my two previous releases. You might hear more indie rock/contemporary-roots/modern Americana influences on “Songs From the Goodbye Garden.” Some of my favourite artists that come to mind at the moment: The Shirelles, Nick Drake, Ella Fitzgerald, Solomon Burke, Blossom Dearie, Buck Meek, Brittany Howard, Neil Young, Faith Healer.

You’ve been compared to artists like Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich. How do you feel about those comparisons, and do you consciously draw from that era of songwriting?

I am so honored to be compared to artists like them - holy moly. It’s really not deserved, but I’ll take it! I almost never try to sound like anyone. Sometimes I’ll go very consciously for a style like on “In a Little While” (that song was me trying to write a British Invasion thing purely for the fun of it). “Over the Hardest Part” is totally an attempt at Motown, but I don’t feel guilty about that because it literally came to me in a dream – the whole song. So I can’t take credit for a song’s weaknesses or strengths if I didn’t consciously write it… maybe? On the other hand, I would defy anyone to pigeonhole a song like “Marjorie,” “The Way You Smile,” or “A Matter of Time.” Those songs are pretty purely personal, and I did not for a moment try to emulate any artist or aesthetic on those.

Your debut album Be Alright! reached #1 on CKUA’s Top 30 and gained national attention. How did that early success influence your creative direction moving forward?

Reaching #1 with “Be Alright!” and #2 with this latest album on CKUA’s chart has nothing to do with my creative approach but it means the world to me. I have always loved CKUA, and to be accepted by them is an invaluable boost to my sense of self-worth as a creative person. CKUA has connected me with many listeners who I would otherwise be invisible to. It’s a huge help. I think they are the gold standard of curation and presentation.

Record collecting has been a big part of your musical identity. How does your love of old records shape your writing, arranging, or production choices today?

I think I probably blabbed enough about that above : )

You’ve performed at major folk festivals and shared stages with artists like Frazey Ford and Mariel Buckley. What have those live experiences taught you about connecting with an audience? How does it compare to smaller shows such as at The Aviary or The Dream Café?

That’s a good question. I really do think I always approach performing in the same way - regardless of an audience’s size or the prestige of the event. But I get to learn from being side-stage during the main act’s show. I clearly remember being mesmerized by Frazey Ford’s freedom and openness while watching her set and I felt very accepted by her audience which was so special. Sometimes people are ready to listen to you and sometimes they just aren’t in that mindset. The hardest shows are small bars where people just want to catch up with friends and are a few drinks in. That can be really discouraging. The easiest shows are when people have come specifically to listen. When I get to share a bill with a more established artist, they’ve done most of the work for me as far as winning over an audience goes.

You recently released Songs From The Goodbye Garden.  What themes or stories were you most interested in exploring on this new album?

After compiling the songs I wanted to record for this album, the title came to me sort of subconsciously. I wanted it be poetic and kind of sad-boy romantic. It wan’t until I wrote out the lyrics and chords for the band that I realized how prevalent the themes of loss, change, and forgiveness were. I think it’s an album about moving on from youth and leaving your past behind you. It’s also about diving into sensitivity and vulnerability. Ideally that’s part of growing up - being less concerned with showing your softness.

You’ve released a joint album with Dana Wylie. What draws you to collaboration, and how does co‑writing or co‑singing change your creative process?

It’s always a great honour to collaborate with another artist. I’m always surprised when someone I admire is open to it. I have only released two co-written songs and in both cases I felt a lot of freedom in making them. I enjoy the feeling of trusting my ideas with someone else. Trust in collaboration is a beautiful thing. That feeling comes up when you sing with somebody, too. Singing with Dana Wylie on our country album “The Day Had to Come” was just the greatest gift. I know that sounds corny but it’s true. She can approach a melody with great musical intelligence, strength, and sensitivity. The first time we sang “Secret Subway Conversations” in studio was live and I believe it is the take you can hear on the release. You can hear the joy in that. We trusted each- other to hold up the song and it really paid off. On the new album, I brought a half-baked song that I had tried to finish ten years ago to Cassia Hardy, and in one co-writing session she finished it with some powerful lyrics and great chord changes. That was a great feeling, especially since “Strangest Thing” had been kind of scratching at my brain for a decade! Working alone is obviously very private. When you work with somebody

in-person, it gives you a bit of a sense of urgency and maybe even a little more trust in your own instincts, cause you gotta say something, you know? There’s a little less room for self-censoring; I think that’s a good thing.