Safia Nolin was born in Québec in 1992 and showed a keen interest in music from an early age: when she was barely two years old, she would improvise “unplugged” poolside concerts on her plastic toy guitar, to the delight of all onlookers. At 17, determined to fulfil her dream of becoming a musician, Safia sat down with a used guitar her brother had given her and taught herself to play.

Inspired by her immediate surroundings, society, and human nature, Safia writes about her own experience. Inspiring and genuine, her heartfelt lyrics invite us to enter her world. Her influences range from folk rock to indie rock. Her first original composition, “Igloo” (2012)—inspired by her Québec neighbourhood, Limoilou—won the SOCAN Best Song award at the 44th annual Festival international de la chanson de Granby. Following that triumphant experience, she began recording in studio with fellow artists Philippe Brault, Rick Haworth, José Major, Audrey Michèle Simard and Guido Del Fabbro.

Exploring every avenue open to her, Safia Nolin creates music imprinted with a spontaneity that she values highly and that has become a kind of trademark. “I write about whatever comes into my head, no matter what my mood,” says the 23-year-old singer-songwriter. “Because I never had any formal music training, a lot of it is sheer intuition, but it’s important to me that my music, my songs have the ring of truth about them.”