Justine Giles takes Another Chance to heal, grow, and rediscover herself—one powerful song at a time
Justine Giles is back with her heartfelt new EP, Another Chance, released on October 25, 2024. After moving from Toronto to Calgary in 2019, Justine turned unexpected delays into a period of growth, shaping the deeply personal tracks on this EP. Recorded with producer Mark Troyer, Another Chance explores themes of healing, empowerment, and self-discovery through songs like “Save Myself” and “A New Adventure.”
We caught up with Justine to discuss her creative process, inspirations, and what this new chapter means for her music and journey.
First off, what have you been up to since we last talked?
A ton of live shows – still primarily in Calgary but I started touring outside of the city this year and played cool festivals like WayneStock (which took place in a 111-year-old saloon). When I’m not playing shows, writing, or recording, I’m working a lot with youth and grade school students at the National Music Centre, creating new language arts and music programs. It feels really full circle to be able to give back in this way and see the impacts of the arts; I feel that it’s important and fulfilling work to encourage the next generation.
The title of your new EP, Another Chance, feels very symbolic. Can you tell us what this title represents for you and how it reflects your journey over the past few years?
For me, Another Chance is really about taking countless leaps of faith and believing in myself again. This is primarily based on the journey of moving across the country and starting over again with zero guarantees that anything was going to work out. That was the first big risk I took on myself, and from there other risks came like working with a new producer, session players, meeting new artist friends and collaborators, opening up to the idea of love again, too. All of these things were vulnerable and didn’t happen overnight. It felt really important for me to rebuild my trust and confidence in not just other people – but also with myself. Essentially I had lost a lot of faith, hope, and trust on a lot of levels and had to rebuild these things over the past few years.
You’ve mentioned that your move to Calgary was a fresh start, but the pandemic forced you to pause. How did that period of reflection shape the music on Another Chance?
As hard and traumatic as the pandemic was collectively (in various ways) it honestly felt like a blessing to me on some level because it gifted me the time to slow down, and return to songwriting and collaborating after a few years away from creating. I was perfectly positioned to rebuild right before the pandemic hit (having moved to Calgary a few months before), so I was ready to invest time into myself be that musically or otherwise. The beautiful thing about coming out of that period was to recognize that I wasn’t the only one rebuilding. When things started opening up again, it seemed that everybody was on the same playing field and was itching to perform live and connect in the community again.
Artists like Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, and Tenille Townes have inspired you recently. How have they influenced your approach to songwriting or performance?
I think there’s a through-line of strength between these artists, whether it’s lyrically or just how they navigate the industry. It’s admirable to see these women finding their place in the world, sharing their unique stories and gifts while simultaneously inspiring others to follow their dreams. Each of these women has been in situations where they were told to be quiet, not to share their opinions, or to censor themselves to some capacity but they have each continued to fight against that messaging and to remain true to their artistry. This is something I and many others have witnessed for generations now, and as frustrating as it can be to see this type of thing still happening, it’s admirable to witness people staying true to themselves.
In terms of live performances, how do you bring the intimate, emotional quality of Another Chance to the stage? Are there any songs you’re particularly excited to share with fans live, and why?
I always try to weave in storytelling at my live shows, as a songwriter, it’s something I really enjoy. All of my songs are written from the heart and I think that translates emotionally whether I’m conscious of it or not. But I will say that every show and every audience is different, so I do try to read the room but you just never know what somebody in the crowd needs to hear that day. It could be a silly story, it could be a deep vulnerable sharing about loss.. I think one of the best things about live music is that it gives us a space to feel our emotions, no matter what we’re feeling that day.
Looking ahead, how do you see your music continuing to evolve? Are there any new directions or themes you’re excited to explore in your future projects?
I’ve been reflecting and sitting on some topics that feel important for me to write about that I have yet to share with the world. Things like my relationship with my body, being a multifaceted being with so many different parts inside that sometimes clash. I’ve focused a lot of my work previously on matters of heart, healing from toxic relationships, grief of loved ones, etc. But I would really like to tap into and share about other things I have dealt with in my life in hopes that it can inspire other people. I’ve seen a large increase of young girls in attendance at shows, so that is on my mind a lot as well – how can I serve and support the young girls of today, the next generation? What does my own inner child need to hear, and also how can we continue the women-supporting-women movement in an industry (and society) that is constantly trying to pin us against each other? I’d like to contribute more to uplifting and empowering both myself and others.