Maura Whitman
Canadian singer/songwriter Maura Whitman unveils her new single “Roulette”.
Co-written with Dylan Guthro, Jodi Guthro and produced by Corey LeRue, “Roulette” is a pop record about being lost in love.
“While being young and captivated by someone, in hopes of them being the one – you’re willing to risk it all. You discover that putting your heart on the line does not guarantee a positive outcome, much like a game of roulette. At the same time, you find yourself caught up in the thrill of risk-taking for love,” says Whitman.
The 18 year old artist is introducing her unique musical signature through this promising new single.
“Roulette” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Chelle Wootten Photography
Introduce yourself - where are you from?
I’m an 18 year old singer-songwriter from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
What's your story?
I grew up in a household where music was always playing, especially jazz music. Accompanied by my Dad and brother we played together in church and many coffee houses. I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t a part of my life. I’ve lost track of how many portable CD players and iPods that I have gone through over the years.
Could you describe us your childhood a little bit? Any favourite memories?
Along with music, sports were a big part of my life. I was a competitive skier, basketball player and cyclist. It was always a blast travelling with my family to compete each weekend all over Nova Scotia and Quebec especially during the summer for mountain biking. My older brother was also involved in the same sports so it was great learning from him and being able to look up to him and experience that together. One of my favourite memories was earning a spot on Nova Scotia’s Canada Games cycling Team in 2017 and getting the chance to travel to Winnipeg along with other athletes to represent Nova Scotia on a national level. Through that experience I not only grew as an athlete but as a person and competing in the games allowed me to push myself in other aspects of my life.
Do you remember your early musical memories?
At the young age of 4, I began performing in church with my Dad and brother as a family band.
I sang, while my dad played the acoustic guitar and my brother played the bass guitar. As I was still learning to read at that age, my mom used to make lyric sheets that had pictures of things like animals in a stable to prompt me so that I would remember what words to sing.
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a lot of jazz music such as Dave Bruebeck, Paul Desmond and Wes Montgomery.
Do you remember a specific moment in your life where music made a huge difference?
The past 3 years I have had the honour of performing at Halifax’s annual Ovarian Cancer Lady Ball which is an incredible fundraising event in support of Ovarian Cancer Canada. This year was very special as I performed alongside Breagh Mackinnon of Port Cities at the end of the evening when the survivors of this disease graced the stage with their beauty and bravery after the fashion show. We performed “Glorious” by Macklemore which is an uplifting song that describes the power in overcoming hardship and becoming stronger from it. It was such an inspiring moment to watch these brave women walk the stage and I will never forget it. I realized the power that music has to make a change and in particular raise awareness for this deadly female disease that many women face all over the world.
What was your first experience in the industry?
After discovering my passion for songwriting at the age of 12, I released my first single in 2015 and started getting involved in the music community in Nova Scotia and creating relationships with other local songwriters, musicians and other members on the Music NS scene.
What gave you the confidence to become an artist and release your original music?
I realized how much of an impact artists that I listen to have had on my life not only musically by gaining inspiration from them for writing my own music but even more so emotionally through listening to the message of their songs and recognizing the power that music has to bring people together.
"Roulette" is your new single. What's the story behind this song?
Being lost in love is like playing a game of Roulette, while being young and captivated by someone, in hopes of them being the one - you’re willing to risk it all. You discover that putting your heart on the line does not guarantee a positive outcome, much like a game of roulette. At the same time, you find yourself caught up in the thrill of risk-taking for love.
You worked with Dylan Guthro, Jodi Guthro and Corey LeRue on this single, could you describe us the songwriting/production process?
We wrote “Roulette” throughout a couple of sessions together at Corey’s studio, Dreaming Out Loud Records. The first session we worked with Dylan’s concept of comparing love to a game of Roulette and from there we worked with an instrumental sample that Corey and Dylan had created. It was great working with Jodi as she is also a singer-songwriter who writes a lot of music in the pop genre. Corey’s production really brought the message of the song to life along with the lyrics that we all pieced together. It was such a blast working with them on this song and they are such talented and fun group of people.
When did you realize "Roulette" had to be a single?
I’ve been working on finding my pop sound that I want to put out into the world for awhile now and I felt that “Roulette” really captured that vibe with lyrics that have a more mature message since my first releases. I feel like “Roulette” showcases the direction I want to go with my music.
What do you like the most about this song?
I love that “Roulette” gives off an edgy vibe which is a side that I have been yet to show through my music especially with the electric guitar riff that is prominent throughout the song.
What can you tell us about the artwork for "Roulette"?
The photo on the single cover was taken by Chelle Wootten who is an incredible photographer and friend that I have worked with since I started releasing my music. Nicole Ariana, who is a singer-songwriter that I met through writing pieced together the edgy artwork. I feel like the black and white art along with the font and textured background really showcases the edgy vibe of the song.
What do you want to achieve with this single?
I want to debut my more mature pop sound and connect with people through the message of the song.
What does music make you feel?
Music is an outlet for me to translate my personal experiences and emotions into the form of a song at the same time it is also gives me a chance to be creative and imagine myself experiencing things and what it would be like, through songwriting. Music also gives me a sense of relaxation and is my happy place where I feel like there are no limitations on what I want to create. The feeling I get when performing is such a rush and it takes me to another space where I become focused on being present in that song in that moment on stage. It is powerful when other people are able to relate to the message in a song or interpret it in their own way from something that they have experienced in their life. I always find it so incredible when people are able to connect with you emotionally through music and I think that that is a very powerful thing and a big reason why I love music and songwriting.
As an artist, what are the biggest challenges?
I think some of the biggest challenges as an artist are finding your sound and figuring out what type of music you want to create and also it can sometimes be challenging to keep up with how fast music seems to evolve.
What are the things you are the most proud of?
Graduating from high school with honours in IB is something that I put a lot of time and effort into achieving. Also, getting the chance to attend the Gordie Sampson Song camp was so incredible as it was an opportunity to cowrite with such talented songwriters in a beautiful setting and I have grown so much as a songwriter and artist from that experience.
What message would you give to women around the world?
That we as women should never limit ourselves in any aspect of life as we are capable of achieving anything that we wish to.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If we all were more open-minded and kind which are two qualities that I really believe allow the opportunity for greater human connection.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
I have learned to really appreciate those who have supported me in every aspect of my life especially my passion for music. I have learned that it is important to stay positive and keep working towards your goals because it is really rewarding to see the outcome despite having to face obstacles along the way. I have also learned the power of music and that it has the ability to bring people together.
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