CJ Wiley’s So Brand New — “…reflects on the idea that no one is ever just one thing; we are all fluid, constantly adapting through various stages of life.”
Toronto artist, alternative music. Which venues host the best new alternative music artists in Toronto?
The Opera House was probably my favourite venue to play in TO. I love the Rivoli, Burdock Brewery has amazing sound, Velvet Underground is really nice, and The Great Hall is amazing too. My dream is to play Massey Hall.
Raw Americana with slacker rock. Which other artists’ songs would top a genre playlist of music like yours?
Courtney Barnett, Boy Golden, Waxahatchee, Sheryl Crow.
Founder of Big Gay Night Toronto, an event series creating safe spaces for self-expression and providing emerging queer artists with performance opportunities. How can artists take part in the event?
First step is to show up! These events are full of queer joy and collaboration. All the folks I’ve had perform at Big Gay Night are people I’ve met in the community! Come to a show, say hello, let’s be friends!
On your 2024 year-end list was “everything w my incredible band.” How did the band come together?
I’ve had a few iterations of the CJ Wiley band, I’ve made sure that everyone I involve in my project are people I want to spend time with. People I want to grow with and be friends with. Kate, my bassist, has played every single CJ Wiley show since I started in 2022. Nick I’ve known the longest through the Toronto music scene! Maddy + Luke are the newest additions, they have their own incredible band Robinson Kirby. They are all world class musicians and wonderful people.
For this year you hope to have “more laughs.” What are some things that bring out the laughter in your life?
My friends make me laugh and bring me joy. If you’re not laughing, what’s the point!
A year after releasing “No One Like U,” co-written with Charlotte Cornfield. “This song is about the nostalgia of teenage years. Playful friendships, the expansiveness of queer love and how romance can show up in platonic relationships, going through ups and downs with friends just as you would with lovers.” What are some resources you’d recommend for teens to safely explore their feelings?
I’d say, what I wish I had done is rely on your peers, talk to your friends, open up more to the people closest to you, and rely on our community. Remember, trust is earned. Listen to your intuition.
“Don’t Die Charlie,” “… is about my decade-long battle with addiction and the grief I still carry for the friends I lost along the way. It holds vivid memories, taking me back to high school when everything felt so chaotic, though I didn’t fully realize how dark things really were at the time. There’s a sense of guilt that comes with surviving, knowing how easily it could’ve been me who didn’t make it out. Writing this song helped me make sense of it all. It’s for anyone who’s lost someone and still feels their presence.” Can you share a fan story of how your music has helped them through their difficult times?
When I was out in BC last summer, I played “Don’t Die Charlie” at Tiny Lights Festival. When my set was over this woman came up to me, she was crying. She didn’t say anything, just showed me the tattoo on her arm that said, “For Charlie” Then she told me the story of her nephew who had been battling addiction. It felt like fate meeting that person.
A silly music video for “Get Paid.” The song takes“a tongue-in-cheek look at how expensive it is to be alive, reflecting my frustration with the relentless grind of life. It captures the feeling of being stuck in a society we’re sick of, enduring it for the sake of our loved ones, while knowing full well that we all deserve something much more meaningful.” What inspired the song?
I was watching my partner at the time work constantly, always on the road, they were always exhausted and burnt out. I asked them to slow down a bit and they said, “I can’t, I’m doing this for us, for our future”. It’s a sad reality, missing time with loved ones for the sake of their future.
The new album, So Brand New, produced by Boy Golden and mixed by Grammy winner Mark Lawson, reflects on the idea that no one is ever just one thing; we are all fluid, constantly adapting through various stages of life. Which stage has been the most challenging for you to date?
I would say from 17–21 were the darkest years of my life, I was at the mercy of my addiction with no hope for living past 25. Then I’d say when the pandemic hit and I started going to therapy weekly. That was when I started digging everything up, all my trauma. It was such a difficult and anxious time, I had all these realization about why I am the way I am. I’m glad I did it and I’m glad it’s over. I’ve come out the other side more myself than ever.
Our Music Festival TO, March 7th, you’ll be playing the whole album, backed up by your full band. On March 15th, you are back at The Great Hall, Toronto, for Shania Twink. Which lesser known Shania Twain song is a favorite to play and why?
“I’m Holding On To Love” is one of my all time favs! It’s what I sing for my sound check in any band I’m in!
The Big Gay Tour. Starts in April in Guelph, ON, goes overseas to the United Kingdom, and ends back in Canada in June. This is your first time taking the show on the road — how did you select the venues?
Shania Twink had done a small tour on ON last fall and I really enjoyed the venues we played so I stuck with those. And I have some friends in Montreal who helped connect me there. As for London, I got connected to venues by London Queer Line Dance, as line dancing will be apart of most of the CJ Wiley shows this tour.
What’s ahead after the tour?
After the tour, there’s more CJ Wiley shows and Shania Twink shows all summer! Recording more music, I’d love to do more collabs with queer artists from around the world. I’m also writing another musical for my concert series Big Gay Night!
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