Photo credit: Zoe Akiko

COUNTDOWN TO OTTAWA’S DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL – INTERVIEW WITH EMMA LAMONTAGNE

Jenna Melanson·June 15, 2024

Emma Lamontagne Plays Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival on June 22 at 5:00 pm

Kingston, Ontario-born singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Emma Lamontagne landed a single deal the very first time she performed a bonafide gig in 2016, winning Ottawa Bluesfest’s She’s The One contest and recording “I Don’t Sleep” with songwriter/producer Robyn Dell’Unto.

The teenager at the time went on to achieve close to half-million streams for the song. Just out of high school, she released two more singles, “Love Games” and “The Art of Reality,” and her 2019 debut full-length, Uncomfortable Eye Contact.

Now, with an audio engineering degree under her belt and a new home studio, Emma is back with a sound that she wants: lyric-focused folk-pop.

““I wanted it to feel very intimate and essentially the way how I perform on stage with a guitar and vocals,” she says.”“I wanted it to feel very intimate and essentially the way how I perform on stage with a guitar and vocals,” she says.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi everyone! My name is Emma Lamontagne and I make contemporary lyric-focused pop music. I’m quite an unfiltered writer and performer and have been told by my audience that it feels like I have a camera in their homes. So if you relate to my music, be suspicious ….

Tell us about your most recent release.

I have a new song coming out on June 21st that I am very excited about. It’s my first release in five years! It’s called “Letter” and it’s about that longing for authentic connection in a digital world.

What excites you most about performing at the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival?

Having played the Ice Dragon Boat Festival before, I really love working with the Dragon Boat team. They are all super fun to talk to and I feel honoured that they asked me to play again. What’s a better way to start the summer than a sunset evening concert series at Mooney’s Bay?

How important is it for you to play at festivals like Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, who promote Canadian music exclusively?

Extremely. There’s so much amazing talent in this country and I love seeing it in the spotlight.

How do you engage with a diverse festival audience, which might include people who are hearing your music for the first time?

I will be doing what I do best, making you cry with my songs and making you laugh with my jokes. I make music for people who feel unseen in their emotional experiences, and performing allows me to connect with those people whether they know the songs or not.

Are there any other acts or events at the festival that you’re excited to check out?

I’m quite excited for Luella’s performance. I was also born in Kingston and it’s always a joy to see other artists from there thrive outside the city.