Canadian First Nations songstress Madisyn Whajne releases debut album ‘Save Our Hearts’

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Madisyn Whajne presents her debut long-play ‘Save Our Hearts’, an invigorating and bittersweet offering, demonstrating resilience and survival in the face of pain and heartbreak.

Whajne (pronounced Wayne) has spent most of her life searching: for her purpose, for her family, for herself. Taken from her parents as a toddler during the infamous Sixties Scoop, in which the Canadian government forcibly rehoused tens of thousands of native children, Whajne grew up without knowing her real name, to say nothing of her heritage. Her life has been shaped by a hunger for truth and understanding, a yearning that lies at the core of her artistry.

Whajne’s debut was recorded live to tape with engineers Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, The Barr Brothers) and Shae Brossard (Bahamas, The Dears) at Montreal’s famed Hotel2Tango Studio.

Inspired by bands like the Go Go’s and The Vaccines, Whajne’s music blends elements of such artists as Alvvays, Snail Mail, Rilo Kiley and Real Estate. On this debut LP, we find straight driving guitars and semi-gritty punk rock drums, topped off with vocals radiating a sunny surfer pop vibe… a little sultry with some attitude.

“Save Our Hearts was written over two years, after a long period of writer’s block and depression. It was a time in my life that I felt really lost, quite broken and very alone. Writing was the means by which I found a way back to myself. There was solace in the time alone, writing in the studio. I could pour myself into a song and the world would disappear. I would bring each song to James and I remember the nervousness and excitement … it was in those moments I felt whole again,” says Madisyn Whajne.
“This record is really a personal journey through a time of darkness, heartache and finding myself again. Whether the songs came out fun and playful, dark and edgy, or sad, there is a common theme that runs throughout the record. At a time when I had lost almost all faith, there was a glimmer of hope and the record embodies that. Ultimately, it took me out of the darkness and into the light. My own light.”

This album follows a string of upbeat, energetically-positive singles, including ‘One Shot’ (with b-side / video single ‘Dagger’ and alt b-side ‘Killing Desire’), as well as standalone singles ‘Sweet Talk’ and ‘Summer Love’.

Whajne’s band includes longtime friends – producer Jay McBride on bass, James Gray (of Soft Set) on guitar, and her husband Bobby Bulat (of Basia Bulat) on drums. While Whajne rarely wears her emotions and details her life journey in explicit narrative terms, her story is written between the lines as she navigates love and trust, reunion and rejection, faith and fate.

“It has been a lifelong dream to record an album and put it out into the world. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my band and I am so grateful for that. And although I never dreamed it would be released during a worldwide pandemic, I hope it touches people in a way that inspires them to share their gifts with the world,” says Whajne.

As of December 11, the ‘Save Our Hearts’ LP will be released everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and also directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

TRACK LIST
1. Summer Love
2. Killing Desire
3. One Shot
4. So In Love
5. Sweet Talk
6. Dagger
7. Don’t Walk Away
8. When Morning Comes
9. Never Give In
10. Fire
11. Save My Heart

Madisyn Whajne: B3 Organ, Electric Guitar, Lead Vocals & Back Up Vocals
James Gray: Electric Guitar & Back Up Vocals
Jay McBride: Bass, Acoustic Guitar & Back Up Vocals
Brittany Clarke: Back Up Vocals
Bobby Bulat: Drums and Auxiliary Percussion
Produced by Madisyn Whajne & Jay McBride
Recorded and Engineered by Howard Bilerman & Shae Brossard at Hotel2Tango in Montreal
Additional recording by Jay McBride at E5 Studio in Mississauga
Mixed by Shae B
rossard at Hotel2Tango
Mastered by Harris Newman at Gray Market Mastering in Montreal
All songs written by Madisyn Whajne & James Gray and published by Madisyn Whajne

FOR FANS OF: The Primitives, Alvvays, Best Coast, Fazerdaze, Mitski, Japanese Breakfast
FCC clean, except ‘Killing Desire’ (but the radio edit is clean)
100% Cancon compliant
Photos by Jen Squires