Victoria Canal

Back in 2023, I tried to get tickets to see Hozier but sadly, the bots got to them first (IYKYK). So although I didn’t get to see him or one of his openers, singer-songwriter Victoria Canal (she/her), on that tour, I was still introduced to her music—a mix of Phoebe Bridgers and Billie Eilish, if you will. Now, her debut album Slowly, It Dawns is finally out and so distinctly her.

“My album was heavily inspired by my summer touring with Hozier,” she recalls. “His show was dynamic and his songwriting was just rock solid, not to mention the vocal performances. He went from huge rock anthems to intimate solo moments and the crowd was there for every second. Seeing that show night after night empowered me to fully explore every side of myself, shameless about the variety of genres I listen to and love. Also, being friends with Jon Hopkins and the way that he leans fully into both the DJ and the ambient thing. My album is a lot like that—an experimentation in leaning into my pop side and my folky, singer-songwriter side. I actually made half of it in London and half in LA—the former with Eg White to bring out the manic pop and the latter with Kevin Farzad, my cozy bestie who makes music that sounds like a warm hug.”

As if new music wasn’t enough, I also asked Victoria for a curated playlist that reflected the season of life she was in. “I’m definitely in an introverted, wintery mood,” she says. “I’m in the season of blankets, hot chocolate by the fireplace, manifestation journaling, and somber stares into space. I’d most accurately describe this as my default setting, even though I definitely had a brat year leading up to this, which was out of character for me (and oh so very fun).”