As championed by Billboard, Canadian goth-pop artist POESY is certainly making waves. Later this summer, she’ll captivate an audience of millions when she performs an original anthem at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Canada Games.
Her latest single, “Multiply”, addresses the rage that so many of us feel at various times in our lives, with its accompanying video focused on the theme of embracing the power that comes with and from being a woman – the power of divine femininity. XS Noize caught up with her to discover how she started out, her upcoming tour plans, and how she feels about the power and influence of social media.
You’re a classically trained singer, songwriter and pianist. Talk me through the musical journey you’ve been on and how you started out. At what age did you first discover your love of music?
I was five when I started playing music. My parents did what most parents do and tried me in a few different extracurriculars, piano being one of them. It turned out that was the one that stuck, and I always gravitated towards music and art. I think I was nine years old when I decided I was going to be a singer someday. It’s the only thing that’s ever brought me joy, the only thing that’s ever made me feel complete, and the way that I know I can give something back. I watched a lot of Disney movies as a kid and grew up thinking you were supposed to sing about everything that happened to you, so I’d be making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and narrating the entire thing and song. I guess I was always a songwriter.
You were discovered after appearing on the Canadian music competition show, The Launch. What made you want to apply for it, and do you have any favourite memories from your time on the show?
I actually didn’t decide to apply for the show and tell one of the producers reached out and told me about the opportunity. They had messaged me and asked me to send an application video, and I had my hesitations as I’ve never really seen myself being on a TV show, but on the night the applications were due, I sent in a video of me playing zombie by the cranberries in my pyjamas. My favourite memory of being on the show, apart from the amazing wardrobe, was being on a big stage in front of a bunch of strangers and knowing it was exactly where I was supposed to be.
The show helped you land a major label record deal with Big Machine Records – perhaps best known for once having Taylor Swift on their books – and you got to collaborate with Stephan Moccio, who has worked with Celine Dion and Avril Lavigne. Looking back on that time, are you still stunned or surprised by how well things worked out for you?
I think we all have a tendency to chalk our successes up to luck, especially as women. I do feel very grateful for the opportunity that I had to be with big machine and be on the show, but like so many other people, it was the product of a decade of work and a decade of figuring out who I was as an artist and what I wanted to say. So, I’m very happy with how they turned out, but I was always aiming for this kind of a story to my life.
Your upcoming album ‘I Exist’ features your latest single “, Multiply.” Is there a story behind the song, and what made you choose to release this track in particular?
“Multiply” is a track about anger, plain and simple. I wrote it when I was dealing with some pretty heavy emotions after I had been hurt by someone very close to me. I think a lot of us have a tendency to be afraid of anger; we don’t want to look at directly in the face. And with “Multiply”, I wanted to do just that and show that there is a power and anger; there is a beauty in anger. I really believe that anger shows you what you want in life or even what you don’t want.
Will you be touring in support of the album? What can fans expect from a POESY live show?
Yes! I will definitely be touring the record. I’m super excited because I feel like I’ve finally found the niche of how I want this Posey show to happen. I grew up as a musical theatre kid, so you can expect a Posey show to be a full performance, a transportation to the world that this record lives in. Expect to feel a lot, expect to love a lot, and expect to have a sucking amazing night.
You also recently had the honour of writing and recording an original anthem for the Canada Games 2022, which you’ll perform at the ceremonies later this summer. What can you tell me about the song, and how did the opportunity come about?
The opportunity came about because I had performed for somebody’s kids who were neighbours of my parents at the time, and they happen to be involved with the games. I was then contacted by the director, who told me her vision, and we worked collaboratively to come up with what kind of atmosphere and vibe we wanted to give these athletes with this track. It was challenging for me as I am not an athlete, and I am not athletic in the slightest, but I feel like musicians and athletes are both trying to forge and uncharted path with their careers, so I just try to really lean into that and the idea that you should never give up.
You’ve been supported by numerous outlets, including Earmilk and Billboard, but do you pay much attention to what journalists say or write about you? What’s the nicest comment you’ve seen shared about you and your music, and how do you deal with any negativity that comes your way?
This is a really great question. As a writer myself, I always pay attention and read everything that’s written about my work. I love hearing what other creative people have to say, do that negative or positive. The nicest comment I’ve seen about me and my music is one that came recently in a Ladygunn article where the rider said that they knew I was curating an experience with my music. But I wasn’t just an artist who plugged in and played songs on stage; I was responsible for the orchestration of a whole world. And as someone who is deeply into fantasy, that made my heart light up. I think I take any criticism as a challenge, and a new lens to view my work through, and something to propel me forward to make the next best thing.
In today’s society, it could be argued that it’s impossible for artists such as yourself to really succeed without social media and being constantly connected to audiences. Would you agree, and how do you feel about the impact the likes of Twitter and Facebook can and do have on artists and their careers?
I would 100% agree with that. I think it’s really interesting to be an artist today because, as I said, I decided I wanted this career when I was nine years old, and when I was nine years old, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok did not exist and was not part of the job. So I think there’s an adjustment period for all of us who didn’t grow up with that technology in figuring out how to engage with it in a way that feels authentic to us. I have a hard time with social media personally, and I’m still trying to find that way to use it that it feels authentic to me, but I follow some really amazing creators who have been able to find that niche, and it’s worked really wonderfully for them. I really believe and hope that the music industry is going in a direction where people can build careers both off and on social media, and the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Finally, aside from your Summer Games performances and promoting the album, are there any other plans you can tease as to what you’ve got coming up for the rest of the year? What are your goals for the next six months?
Yes! “Multiply” is part of an entire record, ‘I Exist’, which will be out in totality by the end of the year. But I am very excited to say that the next record is already underway, and I could not be more proud or more happy with how it’s turning out. It feels really exciting to have another secret up my sleeve.
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