Alt-Pop Artist Paige Warner Shares Emotive Debut LP Bitter/Sweet feat. the Bold Focus Track “Bitter”
With an evocative voice that captivates her audience, Ontario’s Paige Warner creates alt-pop music with soul-inspired vocal licks layered on catchy hooks of poetic lyrics. Her ultimate drive in life and music is to create moments for people to feel empowered and seen, whether in their sadness and pain, happiness and love, or confusion and uncertainty.
A collection of songs spanning years apart, Warner’s debut LP Bitter/Sweet is themed to women’s empowerment, the aftermath of a breakup (whether bitter, angry, sad, or hopeful), and surviving abuse. “This album has taught me that life is so extraordinarily varied,” she says. “These songs are all from different eras and experiences in my life, yet they come together in this album as one body of work.”
The album’s saucy and defiant focus track, “Bitter,” was produced to crescendo along with the lyrics of the song, growing bolder and more swung.
“The word ‘Bitter’ is usually used in a negative way, but this song is about how being bitter is fun and is sometimes a better alternative to being broken-hearted.”
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi friends! I’m Paige Warner. I’m an alt-pop singer-songwriter from Owen Sound, Ontario, and I just released my debut album Bitter/Sweet!
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
Bitter/Sweet is an ode to female resilience. I’ve been collecting songs for a few years, gathering inspiration from my personal experiences and the experiences of the people close to me. It wasn’t an intentional thought to write an album about female resilience (or really an album at all actually), but as I pieced together each song it became clear that they were all strung together with that one feeling.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you follow a specific method or creative routine?
I typically have a song idea, melody, theme, or lyric pop into my head – usually when I’m driving because I’m a weirdo and drive hours on end in silence – and I just record a quick voice memo to revisit later when I have time to workshop a song (and am safely off the road haha).
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
I am doing a full album release tour (to be announced soon) in November! I also am excited to be part of a songwriter tour with Kylie Fox and Lori Yates in the early fall where I’ll be sharing acoustic versions of these songs. Also, keep an eye out for the “Bitter” music video. I spent yesterday with Chels (@videobychelsea) filming on a beach into the wee hours – can’t wait to share it!
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
I think it’s happening right now! Bitter/Sweet is my debut album, so it feels like a real marker in my journey. My highlights are always the little moments – meeting an 8-year-old fan who danced and sang the whole show, watching finely-aged women bop their heads and smile during songs like “I Don’t Need Boys”, seeing the support and love from my little hometown, the “I feel like you wrote that song about my life” moments and so many more.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
This is possibly the hardest question, as I could list hundreds, but a few artists I’m listening to right now are:
Mia Kelly – Her song “Lone Dog” is everything! “Meaning Well” has also been with me in so many quiet mornings over the past few weeks. Her lyrics are poetic, and yet perfectly describe experiences in a way that makes you feel deeply understood. I met her through a workshop we shared at Summerfolk last year and she’s just as impressive live.
Drew Now – My socials algorithm knows me well and serves me her content regularly! Her songs are stuck in my head all the time. I love a good hook and she really has them!
Kylie Fox – Her songwriting is so creative and vivid and her voice is so identifiably unique. She’s also just an incredible person with a wonderful personality that makes you love her even more! I’m really looking forward to sharing the stage with her on our Gold Dust Women (Songwriter Tour) along with the renowned Lori Yates!