The Moment I Knew I Wanted to Make Music: Grizzly Coast

by - October 31, 2024


I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I knew I wanted to make music, but I remember being influenced by Avril Lavigne’s Let Go album back in grade school.

I thought she was the coolest - she had that tomboy vibe that resonated with me, and I wanted to be like her. I would imagine myself getting “discovered” like she was at a concert. I still believed in being discovered! Canadian Idol also probably had a bigger influence than you might imagine.

It wasn’t until middle school that I started writing songs - songs that, looking back, are hilarious. I wrote a song called “100 Miles to Nowhere” because “that’s where I wanted to go”. The drama! Middle school is hard.

Then, at 20, I rekindled my love of writing.

I didn’t think being a professional musician was a realistic option for me - more like a distant dream - but I felt the pull to write again. I would watch local musicians perform at small gigs, feeling that it was an unattainable world. Also funny, in hindsight. But then I started asking myself, “Why them and not me?” That shift in perspective made all the difference.

Instead of letting self-doubt hold me back, I embraced an audacious approach. I dove into the local music scene, studying the bands and how they maneuvered through the industry. My first significant step came when I played an open mic in Roncy, or Roncesvalles Village, in Toronto. You don’t even have to be booked for those, but it felt like a huge deal to me. I was so nervous!

After that, I played at a ladies’ first night at Junction City Music Hall, which was a milestone. My first official show. A year and a half later, I got a backing band, and everything changed. The rest is history.

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