First we were googling how to develop a widely-distributable vaccine, then it was round two of impeachment research - and now we’re down a TikTok spiral being told how to manipulate the stock market. Is anyone else feeling a little tired of trying to stay on top of all the nonsense? What we all need is some sunny music to dance (or cry) to - and Montreal’s pop sweetheart Claire Ridgely has just the remedy, and we are obsessed.

With a voice fit for summer, she’s been a force in the Montreal indie scene for a while. After graduating from the 2020 SOCAN Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship and receiving a FACTOR Artist Development grant, over the past year, Ridgely has gained a lot of recognition for her warm, close-to-home songwriting sensibility. Her voice garnered significant attention from features on pop singles by Robotaki, Pat Lok, and Said the Sky - and familiar labels like Majestic Casual and Kitsune Musique. If you listened to the Canadian R&B duo, adhoc, you may also remember their song together called “the heat”. We fondly remember her rooftop performances for the iconic Montreal event series called Bliss.

Now it's really Claire’s time to shine - after dropping four singles over the past year, she’s releasing her first solo EP called Flowers for a Friend. Featuring contributions from Clay and Friends, wordsbyjuni, and Oscar Luis, the album is a collection of comfy and intimate songs reminiscent of a BFF sharing secrets with you at a sleepover. It’s well-produced pop with a story - Ridgely’s lyrics recount personal narratives that aren’t always as bubbly as the beat, but that makes them all the more alluring. On a cold and snowy January day, Flowers for a Friend is a reminder that the warm days of summer will return, curfew will eventually end, and we’ll be breaking hearts and soaking up the sun at Jarry pool once more. 

Dive into the summertime-dream music video for “Island” below:

Follow Claire Ridgely on Instagram

Listen to Flowers for a Friend on Soundcloud or Spotify