Haley Blais

Last updated
Haley Blais
Haley Blais - 2022.jpg
Blais performing in 2022
Background information
Born (1994-08-25) August 25, 1994 (age 29)
Genres Indie rock
Years active2016-Present
Labels Arts & Crafts Productions, Tiny Kingdom
Website haleyblaismusic.com

Haley Nicole Blais is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Vancouver. [1]

Contents

Blais got her start on Youtube, uploading vlogs, original songs, and covers. She received mainstream success with the release of the single "Small Foreign Faction" in 2018. Since then, she has released two full length LPs and toured throughout North America and Europe. Blais' music has been described as "confessional" [2] "nostalgia-pop" [3] with a particular emphasis on her vocals. [4]

History

Haley Blais grew up in Kelowna, British Columbia. [4] She is a classically trained vocalist and toured in a opera troupe when she was a teenager. [3] After leaving opera and moving to Vancouver, she began recording her own music, releasing the EP Late Bloomer in 2016. [4]

In 2018, off of the success of her EP Let Yourself Go, Blais embarked on her first national tour. [5] She has since toured North America supporting Peach Pit, The Beaches, and The Greeting Committee as well as headlining tours in the UK and Ireland.

In 2020, Blais released her debut full-length album, Below the Salt. [6] The album was acclaimed and described as "multi-layered and lush" [7] and "dreamy," capturing "the essence of growing up." [8]

In 2023, Blais signed with Arts & Crafts Productions, which released her sophomore LP Wisecrack on September 15, 2023. [9] The album was a longlisted nominee for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. [10]

Blais also plays bass and contributes backing vocals to the Vancouver-based band Babe Corner. [4]

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum details
Below the Salt
  • Release date: August 25, 2020
  • Label: Tiny Kingdom
Wisecrack

EPs

Singles

Related Research Articles

Louise Claire Burns is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Formerly a member of the band Lillix, she released her debut album as a solo artist, Mellow Drama, on April 5, 2011, on Light Organ Records. The album was longlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. She is also a member of the group Gold & Youth.

Graham Van Pelt is a Canadian musician currently based on Salt Spring Island. He performed in Montreal based acts Miracle Fortress and Think About Life throughout the 2000s. Since 2018 Van Pelt has been releasing material under his own name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japandroids</span> Canadian rock band

Japandroids are a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, consisting of Brian King and David Prowse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Georgas</span> Canadian musician

Hannah Georgas is a Canadian pop/rock singer-songwriter, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was nominated in the categories of "Best New Artist of the Year" and "Songwriter of the Year" at the 2011 Juno Awards, and again at the 2013 Juno Awards for "Songwriter of the Year" and "Best Alternative Album".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Castle</span> Musical artist

Jennifer Castle is a Canadian singer-songwriter, based in Toronto, Ontario. Born in Toronto, she was raised in Mississauga and Orangeville, and spent time living in London, England, and Vancouver, British Columbia, before returning to Toronto and launching her music career at open mic nights in the city.

Cousins is a Canadian garage rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They have released three albums and toured in Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie Reyez</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1991)

Jessica Reyez is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Her 2016 single "Figures" peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2017 and was certified triple Platinum by Music Canada and Platinum by the RIAA. Her 2017 EP, Kiddo, led to four nominations at the 2018 Juno Awards, winning Breakthrough Artist. Her follow up EP, Being Human in Public, was released in 2018. It won R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Reyez again won the R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, for "Feel it Too" with Tory Lanez and Tainy, at the 2020 Juno Awards, where she was also nominated for Artist of the Year. Reyez has written songs for Calvin Harris, Kehlani, Dua Lipa and Normani, most notably penning the hit "One Kiss", and has collaborated with Eminem on multiple occasions. Her debut album, Before Love Came to Kill Us, was released on March 27, 2020, to widespread critical acclaim, and saw commercial success, entering at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terra Lightfoot</span> Musical artist

Terra Lightfoot is a Canadian musician and singer-songwriter from Hamilton, Ontario who has released four albums with the independent music label Sonic Unyon Recording Company and is distributed by Universal Music Group in Canada and The Orchard outside of Canada. She performs in a folk and roots rock style known for bold vocals and electric guitar riffs.

<i>Il</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Jean-Michel Blais

Il is the debut studio album of French-Canadian pianist and composer Jean-Michel Blais, released in April 2016 by the Arts & Crafts. The album is a set of improvised piano pieces Blais recorded in his bedroom in Montreal with a Zoom microphone. The LP was produced in such a manner where the listener feels immersed in the music by having other sounds outside the piano bleed into the recording, such as breathing, camera shutters, rain, kids playing, and more. The compositions featured on Il also had sheet music released by Arts & Crafts in July 2016. Il garnered critical acclaim, landing on Time magazine's list of the top ten best albums of the year, and also made it to the longlist of the 2016 Polaris Music Prize, though it never made it into the shortlist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Michel Blais</span> Canadian musician (born 1984)

Jean-Michel Blais is a composer and pianist from Quebec, Canada.

<i>Dans ma main</i> 2018 studio album by Jean-Michel Blais

Dans ma main is the sophomore studio album from French-Canadian pianist and composer, Jean-Michel Blais, released on May 11, 2018 via Arts & Crafts. The album differs from the simple and down-to-earth production of his studio debut, Il, in that Blais explores more ethereal and electronic textures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena Deland</span> Musical artist

Helena Deland McCullagh is a Canadian singer-songwriter. To date she has released five EPs: Drawing Room (2016) and From the Series of Songs "Altogether Unaccompanied" Vol. I, II, III & IV (2018) that she has written and composed. Her first full-length album Someone New was released on 15 October 2020. Her second full-length album Goodnight Summerland was released on 13 October 2023. Deland is currently signed to Luminelle Recordings for the world as well as Chivi Chivi for Canada. She has toured consistently since the beginning of her career in Canada, United States and Europe.

Devours is the stage name of Jeff Cancade, a Canadian electronic musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haviah Mighty</span> Canadian rapper (born 1992)

Haviah Mighty is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably Flower City, in 2017. Her first album, 13th Floor, was released in 2019 and won the Polaris Music Prize. After her debut, XXL named her one of the "15 Toronto rappers you should know" and CBC Music called her one of the "New Faces of Canadian Hip Hop".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Stréliski</span> Musical artist

Alexandra Stréliski is a Canadian neo-classical composer and pianist based in Quebec. She has released three albums: Pianoscope (2010), Inscape (2018) and Néo-Romance (2023).

Begonia is the stage name of Alexa Dirks, a Canadian pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is most noted for her 2019 album Fear, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize and shortlisted for the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurence-Anne</span> Canadian pop singer from Quebec

Laurence-Anne Charest Gagné is a Canadian pop singer from Quebec, whose debut album Première apparition was a longlisted nominee for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize.

Raquel Cole is a Canadian country singer and songwriter. She is signed to Sakamoto Music. As an independent artist, she released two extended plays, Personal Truth and The Essence of Me. Outside of her solo career, she is also part of the Nashville-based independent music trio The Woods.

Debby Friday is an electronic musician based in Toronto. Her debut album, Good Luck, released on Sub Pop in 2023, won the Polaris Music Prize.

<i>Wisecrack</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Haley Blais

Wisecrack is an independent folk-pop album by Canadian singer-songwriter Haley Blais, released on 15 September 2023 by Arts & Crafts. Blais began writing songs for the album in early 2020 and completed recording in the summer of 2022. Blais released several singles and music videos in the lead-up to the album.

References

  1. Durdeyn, Stuart. "Five things to know about Below the Salt, by Haley Blais". Vancouver Sun . Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. "Haley Blais - 1883 Magazine". 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  3. 1 2 Mahale, Jenna. "10 things you need to know about Haley Blais, Canada's nostalgia pop queen". Vice . Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wallock, Matt. "'What Would Carole King Do?': Haley Blais on Her Gorgeous Debut Album". American Songwriter . Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  5. Stanley, Laura. "Haley Blais Emerges From Her YouTube Channel for Pop Debut 'Let Yourself Go'". Exclaim! . Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. Taylor-Singh, Heather. "Haley Blais Captures the Essence of Growing Up on 'Below the Salt'". Exclaim!.
  7. Derdeyn, Stuart (August 15, 2020). "Five things to know about Below the Salt, by Haley Blais". The Vancouver Sun.
  8. Taylor-Singh, Heather (August 27, 2020). "Haley Blais Captures the Essence of Growing Up on 'Below the Salt'". Exclaim!.
  9. Richardson-Dupuis, Emilie. "Haley Blais Signs with Arts & Crafts, Shares New Song "Matchmaker"". Exclaim!. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  10. "2024 Polaris Music Prize long list: the Beaches, Tobi, Elisapie, Beverly Glenn-Copeland and more". CBC Music, June 11, 2024.