Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen (Round Two) with Fionn

No Comments
Fionn Interview Love at First Listen 2025

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

If you are a fan of The Veronicas or The Beaches and have Lola Young and The Last Dinner Party on your playlist, Fionn just might be your next obsession. Since we first introduced you to the Vancouver alt-rock duo (or, as they put it, “your new fave femme-rage girlband”), twin sisters Alanna and Brianne Finn-Morris have kept fans fed with a string of high-energy singles: a song for the girlies who experience sufficient amounts of wrath on the daily (“BLOW”), one for situationships (“Bad at Being Casual”) and another for walking red flags (“Snake Behavior”), and their latest embodying quarter-life crisis core (“Banshee”).

Catching up with Fionn at the first-ever Departure Festival in Toronto, the twin sisters dished on ‘departing’ from their past releases ahead of their upcoming album, writing the battle cry song of their dreams, and crafting their perfect pre-show routine.

Twin sisters performing on a stage with guitars in hand.
Fionn performing at Rivoli in Toronto during Departure Festival 2025. (Photo credit: Angela McLean/Love at First Listen)

As we chat here at Departure Festival, how does it feel to be bringing your new music and fan favourites to first-time and repeat audiences?

Alanna: Any time we get to play in Ontario, it’s so fun, it’s so different, and the audiences have a great buzz to them.

Brianne: Especially during a festival time like this, people are really excited to see different musicians coming in from out of town, so it’s exciting all around.

Our Love at First Listen community met you when we chatted in 2023 following the release of your third album, ‘I Might Start Smoking.’ Fill us in on what you’ve been up to!

Brianne: We’ve been on tour a couple times since then, but most recently we opened for JJ Wilde across Canada, which was a super cool opportunity. We have also been working towards a new album that we think is coming out in the fall.

For your latest singles, how would you say they are a ‘departure’ from your past releases, and how will that sonic evolution keep unveiling itself?

Alanna: I personally went through a bad breakup before writing this record, so I feel like there’s a bit more anger and angst in the next one. We’re rocking it up a bit more.

Brianne: It’s a little bit more ragey, but I also think that there are a lot of similarities to the old records as well so it’s not too far off our path. We’re really proud of it and we’re really excited to put it out.

Your newest single, “Banshee,” is a femme-rock battle cry. What inspired it, and what have been some of your personal F the Patriarchy / battle cry / empowerment songs?

Brianne: I had always wanted to write a song called “Banshee” and then write a melody that sounds like a banshee’s cry. It sort of came to me with my fear of aging that I feel like is really put on women’s shoulders in society, which I kind of came to the conclusion is at the end of the day a fear of death, a fear of lack of control… So, it kind of has themes of all that. And the banshee is like the symbol of death, like that anxiety that’s screaming on your shoulders and that’s making you freeze or just feel really anxious about the future.

Alanna: I’m still trying to come to terms with my own mortality (laughs), but maybe if we sing the song enough, I’ll realize I’m not immortal!

Brianne: I love “Troy” by Sinead O’Connor. … I don’t know if it’s specifically about the patriarchy, but it’s definitely a battle cry sort of song for me.

Alanna: For me, recently I’ve gotten into Amyl and The Sniffers and I can’t think of a specific song that would be my battle cry, but I think [with] that whole new record, anytime I’m feeling angsty about the patriarchy, I’ll throw [it] on and it usually does the trick.

Do you have any pre-show rituals or anything you make sure to keep in your day-of-show routine?

Alanna: I wish we had a cool one. I don’t know.

Brianne: I just try and stay as chill as possible because I think I can get a bit in my head sometimes about all the logistics of everything. … Usually we forget to write our setlist down, so we’re backstage scribbling. Some people show up to the show with a printed out lovely setlist. Ours is usually hand scribbled 10 minutes before.

Alanna: Who has a printer these days? That’s what I’m wondering. [Also,] maybe just coffee, but I feel like … that’s a life thing! If I don’t have a coffee, if I don’t have a good meal before performing, I think that that’s a big thing for me. I hate going on stage hungry.

Do you have a go-to post-show snack?

Alanna: Probably something really bad for me honestly… because usually it’s late when we finish but I do want a snack. So, probably chicken nuggets.

Given that you’re twin sisters writing and recording music and touring together, what’s one thing you’ve learned about each other that you don’t think you would’ve realized pursuing another career path?

Alanna: We spend an obscene amount of time together, so maybe we’ve gotten to know each other better than most twins.

Brianne: I’ve learned that Alanna really hates doing her hair. She complains about it every single time.

Alanna: It’s too annoying. I don’t like having the arm over my head too long. I’m a baby.

If you were putting together your own future festival showcase, with Fionn headlining, who are some fellow artists that you’ve loved at first listen that you’d invite to share the stage?

Alanna: Ooh… I would say Molly Anelle. She’s a Vancouver artist.

Brianne: Madisyn Gifford. She’s also a fellow 604 artist. Vox Rea, too. They’re from Vancouver and also on our label, but they’re sisters as well and they’re amazing. I could keep going on… Tegan and Sara. I love them.

Coming up this summer, you’ve already announced shows in British Columbia and at Riverfest Elora. Where can people find you online to request a show near them, and is there anything you can add about projects in the pipeline?

Brianne: Follow us on Instagram @fionnband. That’s where we put all of our info. We’re just very excited to put out some new music and hopefully we’ll be touring in your city soon because we’d love to see you!

Continue Reading

Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Elyse Saunders

No Comments
Elyse Saunders Interview Love at First Listen 2024

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Meet Elyse Saunders, the next big name in Canadian country music. Since the start of the year, Elyse has climbed up the country charts at home and abroad, signed her first publishing deal, and earned the title of iHeartRadio Future Star. Now, days after we first spoke with Elyse, she’s been named Female Artist of the Year at the 2024 CMAOntario Awards and debuted her new summer single “Dirt” on the show’s main stage. On the playful song, Elyse shuts down the rumour mill and officially declares gossip dead—a message we can surely get behind.

Love at First Listen caught up with Elyse to chat about “Dirt” and get the inside scoop on the Canadian country music community and her newfound Australian audience.

You’re dishing all the dirt on your new single, “Dirt.” How did you get the idea and inspiration for this song, and what message do you want people to take from it?

I wrote this song with my friends Sam Davs and David Madras, and I felt that no matter who you are, where you come from, and whether you’re on the good side or the bad side of the gossip train, we’ve all experienced this situation. If we look in our own backyards, we all have our own dirt to deal with before we judge other people’s dirt. So, I wanted to try to take this topic and make it a bit humorous and share it in a way that was super relatable but not too serious. Coming from a small town, rumours get around pretty quick. If you say something, your neighbour 10 doors down will somehow hear about it. So, it’s based around the small-town feel, but it’s definitely something that happens worldwide. This was so much fun to write—actually very therapeutic in a way.

Do you have any fun behind the scenes stories from filming the music video?

I made it with another friend, Nick Marinac. We did it on this land that is open to the public, so we had to find this window of when people wouldn’t be there and it ended up being a freezing cold, windy day. There was sunshine, but the whole time I’m trying not to look cold, and we were getting kicked out at the end. We went to find another random field and finish up. It was all very random and sporadic, but I feel like the energy of the song really shines through because it was a bit on the whim. Watch for a lot of dirt and overalls in the countryside.

You released this single at the start of CMAOntario Awards weekend where fans were able to get up close and personal with all of their favourite country artists and discover several up-and-comers. How important do you think it is to have celebrations like this for homegrown country artists?

I think it’s so important because it does shed light on what’s going on here in Ontario, and we have so much talent it’s crazy. I’ve been on the other side of the audience as an artist growing in my journey for many years, and the industry really got to see that journey. To now help bring a light to that to country music lovers out there is super cool — and sometimes it’s like the stars of today and the stars of tomorrow. I think it’s really important just to keep building that community and building the country music that we have here in Canada in general because we all know our big U.S. country stars, but we definitely have our own stars here in Canada and Ontario and I think it’s important that we bring those artists out to the audience.

In the spirit of celebrating Canadian country music, can you shout out some of your Canadian country pals who you have loved at first listen?

My friends River Town Saints, Owen Riegling, Robyn Ottolini, Graham Scott Fleming, Kelly Prescott, Andrew Hyatt, and Jason Blaine, who co-wrote my song “Never Have I Ever”… my list could go on. Award shows are always a big reunion.

Events like the CMAOntario Awards are a celebration but they’re also a place where dreams come true. When you think about the dreams you have for yourself, what are the biggest pinch-me moments you’ve had in your career so far and what’s still on your bucket list?

That’s a very good question. Winning Video of the Year last year at the CMAOntario Awards was definitely one of those pinch-me moments because my journey has not been the overnight success. It has been more like 10 years plus in the making. I always kind of envisioned myself being at this place in my career one day, so having these things happen, it’s like, okay, yeah, I’m where I’ve always wanted to be. My younger self is super excited when these moments come together.

Having “Never Have I Ever” become my first single to be supported at Canadian country radio was also amazing. It was No. 27 on the charts, and to be top 30 was always a goal of mine. We then went top 10 in Australia, and I had no idea that was going to happen. It’s cool how these things sometimes happen organically and as a surprise; it feels more like a gift that way. I think that I still have so much more to do and more to come, and I’m going to keep having those pinch-me moments. All artists start at ground zero and then you kind of build your way to this point. So, these moments are good reminders of how far you’ve come.

What does your breakout single “Never Have I Ever” mean or represent to you now, especially as it’s taken on a global life of its own?

It means a lot. I knew it was special the day I wrote it with Jason Blaine in his family home. We wrote it in a couple of hours and it kind of felt like it wrote itself. We did a demo that day and I sent it off to my producer, Dan Swinimer, who knocked the production out of the park. I was so excited, but I had no idea how it was going to resonate with everybody else. So, to know that it’s done what it needs to do as a singer-songwriter and it’s making an impact, it’s connecting to people, and they love it just as much as me is really the goal and the job of what I’m supposed to do as an artist. I hope to continue to be able to do more with my music and more singles.

Have you had a chance to visit your new international friends?

That’s on my bucket list too. I’ve always wanted to see Australia. I’ve done press and calls over Zoom and I keep saying I can’t wait to visit. We’re looking at the top of the new year to hopefully get there and do some shows. I’ll also get to do a radio tour and see people face to face for the first time.

Now that “Dirt” is out in the world, what do you have in store musically for the rest of the year?

I have a bunch of new music in the pipeline ready to go and a bunch of shows as well. If people want to find out where I will be, it’s all on my website. The band and I have been working hard on putting a bunch of new material together with these new songs. I also just signed to my first publishing deal with Arts & Crafts Publishing as a songwriter, so I’ll continue to write for other artists as well and hopefully get my music into the TV and film world too. I’m just doing whatever I can to just keep this thing on the rails, doing what it needs to do, and seeing how far I can take it.

Continue Reading

Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music

Love at First Listen with Fionn

No Comments
Fionn Interview Love at First Listen 2023

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Alanna and Brianne Finn-Morris may be twins, but musically, it’s their opposites that attract. Performing together as Fionn, the fierce duo bring together Alanna’s knack for pop songwriting and Brianne’s folk influences, much to the appeal of tens of thousands of fans and monthly listeners spanning from their native British Columbia to the world. Last month, they released their third album, ‘I Might Start Smoking,’ and now they’re gearing up for a summer of local shows, culminating in a performance at Victoria, BC’s Rifflandia festival amongst the likes of Diplo, Paris Hilton, and Mallrat.

For this Canada Day edition of Love at First Listen, I chatted with Fionn about their growth, having the support of Marianas Trench, and what’s on their playlists this summer.

Your new album, ‘I Might Start Smoking,’ is smoking hot. What was your vision at the start of the creative process, and how did it change as you finalized the record?

Alanna: We started writing with a couple of friends a year and a half ago. Our only vision for the record at that time was that we wanted it to be a little more organic than our previous record, ‘Candid Constellations.’ So, we sat down and wrote maybe 20 songs, put them in one big folder, and went from there.

Brianne: Making the album and choosing the songs was just a fun process with friends. We were also living back in our family home at the time, so most of it was recorded there where we started. 

How have you grown musically since your first album in 2018, and how is that growth reflected in this album?

Alanna: It took a very long time to record our first record because when we did vocal takes, we were still a little stiff and performing for the people in the room rather than focusing on getting the product that we wanted. So, everything just feels a lot more seamless as we’ve gotten older and gained experience.

Brianne: Our sound now, I would say it’s folk pop-rock with a little Celtic twist.

Every season needs a great soundtrack, and there’s a lot of talk that there aren’t many standout “songs of the summer” this year. So, let’s make one of them yours! Which Fionn song is ready to be a summer smash?

Brianne: I think “18” has a lot of energy and it’s a little bubbly and lighthearted. That’d be the one.

Who are some of your musical inspirations?

Alanna: Taylor Swift is a big inspiration, obviously for everybody around our age who writes songs. In a dream world, if we could get Taylor Swift to feature on “18,” that would be really cool. We were really inspired by The Cranberries when making this record, and our song “Hurt Feelings” has a little Cranberries-esque vocal part. We also referenced Caroline Polachek a bit. She has sneaky Celtic melodies in her pop music, which is kind of what we’re going for. 

You recently performed at NXNE in Toronto and SXSW in Austin, Texas, two festivals that are all about showcasing the future of music. What does that recognition mean to you?

Alanna: It’s really exciting and crazy. Because of the pandemic, we didn’t really get to do a lot of traveling or play those kinds of festivals. Nobody did. So, I just feel like the fact that it’s happening now is so surreal and we appreciate it so much. Also, those are such big festivals, and we put a lot of work into this over the past five years.

Brianne: We’ve always wanted to travel and play music — that’s the biggest part of our musical dream. Getting to see that come into fruition has been very rewarding.

One of your earliest supporters in the industry was Josh Ramsay from Marianas Trench. You even feature on his track “You & I.” What has the band’s support meant to you both?

Brianne: It’s definitely meant a lot because we grew up listening to them on the radio and seeing them on the MuchMusic Top 20 countdown after school. I loved and still love Marianas Trench, so this is a really cool boost for sure.

I’m sure you’re still riding the wave of excitement from this album release, but thinking about the future, what’s next? When will fans have a chance to hear this music live?

Brianne: We’ve been so in album release mode, and now we’re in vinyl making mode, and once that’s all done, we’ll be in tour planning mode. We’re dying to tour, and I think that’s probably the next step — getting it planned and doing everything that involves, and then also releasing more singles starting in the fall. We’re still thinking of what we’re going to release next to keep the momentum going.

Since this series is called Love at First Listen, please give us some playlist inspiration and share any songs you’ve had on repeat recently (besides Fionn, of course!).

Brianne: There’s a new band out of the UK called FIZZ and they have a song called “High In Brighton” that I’ve been really vibing with. It was love at first listen.

Alanna: For me, it’s Chappell Roan and her song “Red Wine Supernova.” That was definitely love at first listen.

Continue Reading

Interviews, Take 5

Take 5 with ‘Rudy’s Belly of Bees’ Author Shannon Schaefer

No Comments
Shannon Schaefer Rudy's Belly of Bees Interview

Shy, quiet, timid, reserved—these are just a few of the labels children may be given growing up. For Shannon Schaefer, these labels masked what was really the beginning of her journey living with anxiety. Now fresh out of university, the Guelph-based writer has turned her lived experiences into an educational resource with the release of the illustrated children’s book ‘Rudy’s Belly of Bees,’ which is already helping kids, parents, and teachers around the world. 

Following its November release, Schaefer’s book has been picked up by the likes of Google and Apple Books, Indigo, Walmart, and Amazon, landed on multiple bestsellers lists, and, thanks to its earlier-than-anticipated release, become a welcome Christmas gift for many kids experiencing their own “belly of bees.”

As she continues to reflect on a whirlwind year, I connected with Shannon to get the backstory on her quick transition from journalism graduate to published author and the milestones that have mattered most.

Rudy's Belly of Bees Cover
Cover art for ‘Rudy’s Belly of Bees’ by Shannon Schaefer. “Rudy is me in a lot of ways, but she’s also a lot of other kids. For the actual illustration, my illustrator Becca Marshall got a bunch of baby photos from me and based it off that, except with way curlier hair!” Schaefer shares. (Photo courtesy of Shannon Schaefer)

Tell us about ‘Rudy’s Belly of Bees’ and what inspired you to write it.

We meet the main character, Rudy, on the day of the school relay race, which should be a really fun day, but instead of feeling excited she’s feeling what we call a “belly of bees,” or anxiety. We get to follow Rudy throughout the day as she navigates the new emotions and what they make her act like and feel like, and then also as she starts navigating coping strategies. She’s not overcoming those emotions as if they’re gone forever but learning how to live with them because with anxiety, that is what life can be like. Rudy speaks to and was written from a place of my own experience but also something that I think is so relatable to so many kids.

Referring to anxiety as having a “belly of bees” is a very fitting analogy. Can you share more about how that description came to you?

The way I’ve always explained my anxiety is that I feel like I’m buzzing. Sometimes that’s in ways that make me feel anxious and jittery, but sometimes it’s very internal and my stomach actually feels like it’s rattling. When I thought about that noise and feeling, I started to think about beehives, especially when the queen is in it and they kind of shake. That beehive is exactly what I feel my stomach would look like sometimes. Everyone knows what a bee is, we know the sounds that they make, we know what they do in the hives, so it’s easy to kind of visualize that for children.

What role do you hope ‘Rudy’s Belly of Bees’ plays in the broader conversation about youth mental health?

I feel like we’re getting a lot better, but I think this is a situation where the more people we have presenting different ways of explaining that feeling of a “belly of bees” and different coping strategies, the better. I just definitely wish that something like this was around when I was younger so that there was a character that I could have had to be like, I am like Rudy and I can see how Rudy gets through this and I can mimic that. I am 100 percent a book person and I think we can all find so much safety and so much of ourselves in books sometimes, so I hope for children they can also do that with my book.

We met in journalism school. Did you find that degree helped you with writing and publishing the book, and if so how?

In journalism you have to be very succinct and get your message across quickly and with kids, even though you can elaborate a bit, you actually don’t get that many words either. Most children’s books are originally 700 to 900 words, which when you’re trying to do a full plot, especially describing emotions and introducing coping, it’s not that much to work with! So, I think journalism helped with figuring out, for example, on the first page, what do I need readers to know to understand the rest? I would also say there are similarities in the sources and accountability aspect because I have a minor in psychology, but when my book was getting edited I had a children’s psychologist read it. I thought that, like a journalist, I wouldn’t just go into a community acting like I know everything and start writing about it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_Rgo9pnSy/

This is just the beginning for you and ‘Rudy’s Belly of Bees.’ Is there one milestone in particular that you’re especially proud of ending the year?

I think the best milestones are when I’m able to distribute this resource that I am hoping is exactly what some kids are going to need. I had an individual comment on my Instagram that they read it to their class of 30 kids, and that is beyond how many books you sell or lists that you make. The fact that I can maybe help one or two kids avoid some of the things I didn’t get to avoid is very exciting. I hope for any kid they can better understand the classmate next to them or their friend and be able to say, “Hey, I know about this one technique. Do you want to try this mindful breathing exercise?” The stronger your support system, and the more resources within your support system, the better chances you’re going to have success yourself.

Continue Reading

Interviews, Take 5

Take 5 with Eco Explorer Mario Rigby

No Comments
Mario Rigby Interview

Toronto-based eco explorer Mario Rigby spent the first week of May, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, redefining what it means to seek adventure during his latest physical mission. The Caicos Challenge, a five-day human-powered expedition, took him back home to Turks and Caicos to fulfill his dream of crossing the islands, from one end to the other, by land and water — doing nothing more than running, cycling, kayaking, paddle boarding and swimming. 

By completing the mission, Mario has become the first known person to make such a crossing from Salt Cay to West Caicos — a 250-kilometre spanning feat. And this isn’t his first time making headlines: His original “claim to fame” came in 2018 following his Crossing Africa expedition, a two-year, 12,000-kilometre voyage from Cape Town to Cairo.

As he catches his breath from the Caicos Challenge, I had a chance to Take 5 with Mario and chat about being a “son of the soil,” staying focused, and always persevering.

Your remarkable adventures have taken you all over the map and you show no signs of stopping. What got you into this way of seeing the world?

I am an eco explorer and I focus on expeditions that are in line with covering social and environmental injustices, but at the same time they have to be really adventurous. A tourist goes to places with expectations; you’re going there to view the culture in a way that you would view a painting. A traveller is someone that goes with the flow, sees things for what they are and experiences the culture they’re around. The explorer is the one who unearths new experiences that no one else has seen before and kind of paves a way for humanity to follow, much like other great explorers in the past. Us explorers have an impact and a responsibility.

What I try to do is impact the places I’m at and the social causes I try to raise awareness for, and hopefully that inspires people. I also raise money for charitable organizations that are linked to whatever expedition I’m on. During the Turks and Caicos expedition, I was raising funds for the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund to help underprivileged youth learn how to swim and learn about marine life.

Thinking back to reaching the finish line of the Caicos Challenge, what did it mean to you to finally cross off your goal of completing an expedition where you grew up? 

Ever since I was born, Turks and Caicos has been like my playground. One of my dreams was always to traverse the length of the entire islands. I think the combination of showing that there was an adventurous side to the place, raising money and awareness for marine life conservation and educating the youth, encouraging people to be responsible when they visit and understand the ecosystem of the islands, and at the same time making it fun really underlines the principles that I follow for all my expeditions.

Travelling through Turks and Caicos this way must have been an entirely new experience. What was one of the most breathtaking moments or views during the challenge?

The first one that comes to mind was when I kayaked from Salt Cay to Grand Turk, which no one has ever done before. I had met Chev (Dixon, a professional sea kayaker) — a young kid from New York, also born in the Carribean — on Instagram and asked him to come join me for the crossing. As we were kayaking, there were dozens of dolphins breaching beside us, which was a beautiful sight. But I think the most special thing that I witnessed during the expedition was the community aspect of it; really getting to see people come together and support the expedition, but also being very proud to see that their own people are doing this. They call me the “son of the soil,” so every day where I landed there was fanfare and people with flags and it was incredibly special. 

Given that May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, can you share how you prioritize physical and mental wellbeing during your expeditions?

What I do is really focus on the day-to-day aspects. You have to be wholly focused on what you’re doing, because as soon as you’re distracted it stops you from being able to push to your ultimate limit. I definitely pushed to my ultimate limit on this excursion traversing to East Caicos for 13 hours across sharp rocks over the sea. If you make one tiny mistake, that could be the end of your life right there, or you could be stuck there for a day. With all of these expeditions, I know mental clarity is the most important aspect of these huge, physical challenges. Once you have the mental fortitude to be consistent and to hone in, for everything else on the outside, let that distraction go and focus on the moment. I focus on every step, every breath, every heartbeat.

What message do you hope your challenges send to people who are following along from home or hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Perseverance is so important. Say you have a dream; many people give up before they even start and say, you know what, it’s just a dream, it’s just not realistic. If you dreamt it, it can be realistic just due to the fact that you fathomed the idea. The easiest part is to come up with the idea, but the second part is you have to do the work. Most people are afraid that with the investment they’re putting in, it might not pan out. Well, that’s the risk you have to take. At least half the expeditions I’ve planned didn’t even make it into fruition because it was just too difficult or the technology didn’t exist yet. You just have to do the work to eventually get there, and keep doing the work until it happens. Your doubts are distractions.

Continue Reading