Just being neighbourly
‘Clothes Off ’ singer Ria Mae is from Halifax and lives in Montreal, but she finds a sense of community in Toronto’s Parkdale Ria Mae is standing in an alley in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, leaning into a gust of wind as it tousles her short shag haircut. “I’m doing Beyoncé,” she jokes of the wind machine-like effect.
A year ago, the singer, who hails from Halifax and now lives in Montreal, wasn’t wearing her pop influences so plainly. But as an under-the-radar indie folk star, she secretly dreamed of the pop stardom that Bey personifies.
“The way I would hear my songs would be in a very pop way,” she says. “I wasn’t consciously going to do something so different. I just got better at taking my ideas and making them sound like what they actually were in my head.”
She threw all of her money into servicing her slinky slow-groove single “Clothes Off” for radio. It was played by one station.
Yet one was enough; a rep for Sony happened to hear the song, kicking off what has been a breakthrough year for Mae, who gives her age as “not in my 20s.” (“Pop music is so ageist,” she says.)
“Clothes Off” hit the Top 10, was certified gold and scored a Juno nomination for Single of the Year.
Her major label debut, a moody album that showcases Mae’s hooky songwriting and crooner vocals with pop-style production by fellow Nova Scotian Classi- fied, will be released on Friday. And later this month, she’ll attend the MMVAs, where she is nominated for Best New Canadian Artist, seven years after she released her first EP.
For her second single, “Gold,” director Alon Isocianu pitched a video treatment that paired her with a female love interest.
“I almost had this feeling like, ‘Ohhh, is that a good look?’ ” she says.
“And I hated that I thought that. If you’re just being yourself sometimes it’s almost like a political statement.”
“The fact that I was thinking about it made me realize that I have to do it.”
Last month, Mae returned to Halifax for a benefit concert to support those impacted by the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta.
“The East Coast, we famously have so many men, especially fathers, go to work out west,” she says.
“There are a lot of single-mom families out east that rely on Fort McMurray. So it’s very much part of our community as well.”
The benefit raised $30,000, which the Red Cross matched for a total $60,000 donation.
It’s part of the community spirit that Mae cherishes about Halifax, a spirit that she recognizes in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood. “Every time someone would take me somewhere (in Toronto), it would be this same couple of blocks,” she says.
“It very much reminds me of Halifax. You go to (Queen St.’s) Bar Fancy and you will know five to 10 people there on a Saturday.”
While in Toronto earlier this week, Mae invited us to tag along on a tour of her favourite Parkdale discoveries. Grand Electric
1330 Queen St. W., GrandElectricToronto.com
“Eat, guys,” Mae says, gesturing to the plates of crispy cauliflower and spicy yam tacos. “You guys should eat.”
Even at Grand Electric, the beloved Parkdale taco shop, she easily shifts into host mode, as if today’s entourage — reporter, photographer, publicist, makeup artist and a longtime friend — are gathered around her kitchen table.
“I’ve been here 50 times,” the aspiring vegan tells us (“Vegetarian is pretty easy, but vegan is a whole other level,” she admits), filling her plate with Kale Cesar Salad. “I came here for my birthday.”
Mae discovered Grand Electric when Sony first flew her to Toronto. “They were like, you’re going to love this place: tacos and hip-hop music,” she says, her lips curling in an Elvis-y half-smile.
The Kale Cesar Salad, she says, “is my favourite salad that I’ve ever had anywhere. It’s so much kale and it’s an avocado-based dressing.
“My dad ran restaurants. So I love consistently amazing stuff, with surprises.” House of Vintage
1239 Queen St. W., Instagram.com/ House Of Vintage Toronto
Elton John’s “Daniel” begins to play as Mae walks into the loft-like space that houses the cheekily curated Toronto vintage boutique.
Among the cowboy boots, ball gowns and vintage graphic Ts, Mae uncovers a camo green and black leather jacket. She pairs it with a denim General Electric trucker hat that’s authentically distressed (cigarette burn and all).
The jacket is tight, and she’s a little unsure of the combination as she moves into position for a photo. But ultimately, Mae decides it’s a cool combo.
Vintage shopping is one of her favourite ways to spend her downtime while on tour. “Me and my drummer (Chuck Bucket), any city we go to, we find the vintage shop and we find the Whole Foods,” she says. “That’s our thing.” Community 54
1275 Queen St. W., Community 54.com
The urban streetwear shop has just opened a women’s outpost on Ossington Ave., but Mae finds the Parkdale original suits her style. “I buy women’s jeans and men’s shirts,” she says.
She’s instantly drawn to a pair of bright red Nike sneakers. “I like how loud they are if you wear all black,” she says.
She says she’s always gravitated toward a boyish style. It’s part of why her album cover shows Mae around age 4, her hair cropped short and her red sweatshirt printed with a wild, Keith Haring-esque print.
She recalls receiving the vinyl and seeing her reflection on the cover. “I was wearing the exact same shirt, but a different colour,” she laughs.
It took years before she felt confident with her personal style.
“I went through a lot of years of just being embarrassed or shy. Once I started to have more self-love, I was proud.”