When it comes to Canadian electro chill-pop dynamo Mauve — and pressing play on her newly minted video for “Must Be” — three things to know:
• The Toronto-area artist is at 1.5 million streams across her social platforms
• Her velvety and enveloping voice — and multi-talented songwriting and production skills — took an InterContinental Music Award for “Best of North America” and a Niagara Music Award nom for “Best New Artist”
• Mauve’s premiere album, Palette — where “Must Be” resides — has been featured on hundreds of taste making playlists around the world
“Sometimes love can come to you unexpectedly,” Mauve says of “Must Be.” “I wrote this after thinking back in awe at how suddenly the emotions can come to you…
“It just changes everything from night to day,” she continues. “Suddenly everything you once saw as dull and grey is now beaming and bursting with light, and that’s because this startling feeling of love has popped into your life. This song represents that extra boost in your stride and the never-ending smile you get on your face due to the elated feelings of love.
“And it’s not just talking about love in the relationship sense — it can be the love you get through the birth of a child or through accomplishing something you never thought would be possible. It’s about that innate sense of joy that you feel comes effortlessly to you, which to me is the sign of true love.”
“Must Be” is the newest single off Mauve’s debut EP, Palette.
The extended features the Toronto-based artist’s recently released EP, Palette, have received are lengthy — including, but not limited to, NBC-2, FOX40 News, ABC7 News, CBC Music, 107.3 Virgin Radio, Buzz Music LA, Talk About Pop Music, WFMZ-TV 69, Best Kept Montreal, Tinnitist, KOTV-TV CBS-6, IndieCan Radio on SiriusXM, MediaPro Music, Beat Lounge, Canadian Beats, Cashbox Canada, The Girls at the Rock Show, Daily Herald, 100FM, CHUO FM, and many many more. A frequent live performer, she has taken the stage at events such as YOUTH DAY Global at Yonge-Dundas Square, and the 2020 Toronto Music Expo.
A rich voice in a small frame, Mauve grew up inspired by theatrical performances before turning to her piano; from the age of 14, she has worn her heart on her sleeve as she has learned to play and write her own songs.
“I have always been a lover of all forms of art, because to me there is no limit for what can move and inspire somebody,” she says, on her inspiration behind her recently released album, Palette. “Of course, the musical form of art is what stuck with me the most, but visual arts is another form that can express emotions through colour and shape.”
Influenced by the deep and emotional vocals of Amy Winehouse and Sia, you can feel the vulnerability in Mauve’s lyrics from start to finish across the EP, as they are placed over a catchy, tropical house beat. She gives credit to her home city of Toronto for providing many outlets and opportunities to explore different styles of music through its vibrancy and the diversity of its people.
“I see sound as having the ability to express feelings and connect people through the different colours of tone as well,” she continues. “When creating a song, it is like you are an artist with a paintbrush, combining different colours together and layering them to set a scene for someone else to imagine. It’s like you are painting, but with sounds.
“I feel like this new collection of songs is an embodiment of different emotions and experiences, like the different colours you experience in life.
“I hope to create an expression of music that people can visualize, and evoke different feelings from, just as a painting would. I am not one to create a song that is dull or meaningless to me, so that is why I want all of my work to feature splashes and pops of colours that spark life and creativity to those who are listening.”
“Must Be” and Palette are available now.
