If you're looking for Canadian female indie musicians, then you've come to the right place: Here is the list of the best female indie singer-songwriters and female-fronted indie bands from America's hat. Canada is and has long been a hotspot of highly creative and successful popular female musicians, as proven by numerous world-famous Canadian female singer-songwriters and female fronted bands. Just to name a few of the best and most famous female singers: Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, K.D. Lang, Nelly Furtado or even Sarah McLachlan.
1. Braids - Evolution
The Canadian singer-songwriter Raphaelle Standell-Preston is involved in several music projects: Braids (band, 2006 - present), Blue Hawaii (music duo, 2010 - present) and her solo projects, including Indiensoci.
2. METRIC - Gimme Sympathy
Emily Haines is the front woman of the 4-piece Canadian band Metric, which she founded together with James Shaw in 1998, initially as a musical duo under the name Mainstream.[1]
Haines can also be heard as a vocalist on several albums by the Canadian band Broken Social Scene.
3. Feist - In Lightning
Feist is a Canadian indie pop and folk singer-songwriter who made it to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100™ in 2007 with her single 1234.[2] Several of her tracks have also been played in scenes of well-known American TV series such as Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl.In a track review article in the online music magazine Pitchfork, the single In Lightning was described as follows: "“In Lightning,” the most striking of the three singles from Feist’s forthcoming album, Multitudes, is wonderfully ramshackle in a way that fits her milieu:...".[3]
4. Austra - Lose It
Katie Stelmanis, the singer of the Canadian band Austra, is a classically trained vocalist.[4] So it's not surprising that Katie's voice in Austra leaves a big impression on many when listening to her songs.
Katie Stelmanis released her debut single Believe Me under her own name in 2009.
Lose It, the second single from Austra's 2011 debut album Feel It Break, is the most popular Austra song to date.
5. Purity Ring - Better Off Alone (Alice Deejay Cover)
Megan James from the Canadian musical duo Purity Ring is a singer and music producer. Purity Ring describe their musical style as "future pop", although this musical label "doesn't mean anything" to them according to Megan James, as she revealed in a Pitchfork interview from 2015: "It just feels comfortable, and that’s nice when you’re defining yourself as an artist, because nothing is going to make sense or feel right. Hopefully it stays without meaning."[5]
In September 2020, Purity Ring released a cover version of the 90s Eurodance classic Better Off Alone by Dutch music project Alice Deejay.
6. Mélissa Laveaux - Needle In The Hay
7. College & Electric Youth - A Real Hero
The Canadian synth-pop duo Electric Duo, which consists of the singer-songwriter Bronwyn Griffin and the producer, songwriter and musician Austin Garrick, released the single A Real Hero together with the French music project College (David Grellier) in 2010. A Real Hero is the main musical theme for the 2011 American film Drive starring Ryan Gosling.
Bronwyn Griffin and Austin Garrick have known each other since their school days (sixth grade). Griffin is Garrick's girlfriend and both are also musical partners.[8]
- Female band member: Bronwyn Griffin
- Song release date: 11 January 2010
- Origin: Toronto, Canada
- Label: Valerie
8. Stars - The Night Starts Here
9. Men I Trust - Billie Toppy
10. The New Pornographers - Challengers
11. U.S. Girls - 4 American Dollars
12. Billianne - Crush
13. The Weather Station - Atlantic
14. Alvvays - Dreams Tonite
15. Crystal Castles - Affection
Margaret Osborn aka Alice Glass released her debut solo album Prey//IV in 2022. She was the frontwoman and singer-songwriter in the Canadian band Crystal Castles for around eight years (2006 to 2014). Crystal Castles released the song Affection as the third single from their third studio album III in 2012.
16. Basia Bulat - Infamous
17. Tegan And Sara - Back In Your Head
18. Grimes - Oblivion
19. Martha And The Muffins - Echo Beach
20. The Beaches - T-Shirt
21. Anemone - Sunshine (Back to the Start)
22. Rah Rah - Prairie Girl
23. Princess Century - Desperate Love
24. YOU SAY PARTY - Laura Palmer's Prom
25. Sook-Yin Lee & Adam Litovitz - Re-Veil
26. FRANKIIE - Funny Feelings
27. TOPS - Petals
28. Hannah Georgas - Evelyn
References
[1] Marchese, D. (2010, July 27). Why They’re Called… Metric. SPIN. https://www.spin.com/2010/07/why-theyre-called-metric/
[2] Billboard Hot 100™. (2024, June 4). Billboard Hot 100™. Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2007-10-13/
[3] Mapes, J. (2023, February 15). Feist: “In Lightning.” Pitchfork. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/feist-in-lightning/
[4] Jones, C. (2009, June 26). Katie Stelmanis: "My parents were like: 'You play too much!'" | DMY. https://dmy.co/features/katie-stelmanis-not-gothy-i-guess-just-dark
[5] Cohen, I. (2015, February 10). Purity Ring. Pitchfork. https://pitchfork.com/features/update/9591-purity-ring/
[6] Wavelength Music Staff. (n.d.). Mélissa Laveaux: The WL Interview – Wavelength Music – Toronto’s Curated Concert series. https://www.wavelengthmusic.ca/zine/melissa-laveaux-the-wl-interview/
[7] Snapes, L. (2018, February 1). Queen Creole: Mélissa Laveaux on telling Haiti’s story through folksong, spirituals and Vodou. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/01/queen-creole-melissa-laveaux-on-telling-haitis-story-through-folksong-spirituals-and-vodou
[8] Morris, A. (2014, October 8). Electric Youth Have No Interest In Reviving the Past. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/electric-youth-interview/