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Let's face it, we are about to step into a time of year that will kick off a lot of feelings, and if you are usually ill at ease with your inner monologue, then we have your perfect companion in the form of Toronto songwriter Lia Pappas-Kemps. We came across Lia from a prior stand out single, “Sad in Toronto,” and were enamored by her close-to-the-bones lyricism and wrap-yourself-on-a-cold-evening melodies. On her freshly released EP Gleam, we still get that raw narration but buttressed by some excellent production from Nathan Ferraro. Her new sound is an elegant evolution, adding a crunchy rock energy to one song, some sad pop energy on another, but all very tender and real. Wanting to know more about this excellent composer, we reached out to find out if she’s still sad in Toronto, and if so, where to hang & more: 

OnesToWatch: Who is Lia Pappas-Kemps?  

Lia Pappas-Kemps: I’m a girl from Toronto who writes music.

What is ‘Gleam’ all about? 

I wrote it from ages 17-19, so it’s about all those tender feelings that come with that time.

Any collaborations or features? Who produced the EP? 

I worked with a few people. Julian Psihogios produced ‘Star’, he’s an amazing drummer and producer based in Toronto. ‘A Thousand Times Over’ I worked on with another sick Toronto-based musician Alex Laurie, and ‘Catch Release’ with a producer named Philip Etherington. And I ended up producing the EP and fleshing out those tracks with Nate Ferraro who I met in Toronto pretty soon before we made the project!

Not saying you sound happy, but how has your sound changed since ‘Sad in Toronto’?  

I’ve definitely become way more convicted in my songwriting, and also my taste. I think I just have a broader well of inspiration to draw from now when it comes to how I want my songs to feel sonically.

You have a strength through vulnerability narrative in your work, does that carry over from your personal life? 

I honestly don’t know. The people I keep close to me are all very vulnerable and most of them don’t write songs. A lot of them make art in some form though, so maybe that’s the through-line. I think for me though, songwriting doesn’t feel very vulnerable all the time. It feels more like I’m just crafting some story of some kind that doesn’t have to be mine necessarily.

Can we expect more of this sound going forward? 

I feel like I’m constantly morphing in what I want to sound like, but I think in some form this is a route that I want to pursue sonically for a while.

Besides this excellent EP what else should we be on the lookout for? 

Live shows!!!

What's inspiring you right now outside of music? 

I’m reading Zadie Smith’s book of essays called ‘Feel Free’ right now and it’s amazing because she is so amazing. I love her so much.

Best place in Toronto to be sad & ok? 

I love listening to music and sitting in Bickford Park, especially this time of year when the leaves are changing.

Musically, who is new but making all the right moves? Who are your current OnesToWatch?

There’s a Toronto-based artist called Rachel Bobbitt who is so sick. I can’t wait for her to release new music, I love her songwriting so much.