Erika Kulnys Unveils Double A-Side Single “Montreal” / “Streets of Montreal” – A Cross-Border, Cross-Genre Masterpiece
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Erika Kulnys is back with a powerful new double A-side single, “Montreal” / “Streets of Montreal,” an evocative exploration of longing, loss, and the memories that tether us to places and people. With deep lyrical storytelling and lush instrumentation spanning three countries—Canada, Cuba, and the U.S.—this release cements Kulnys’ place as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary folk.
From Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Havana, Cuba, Kulnys has spent her career blending the personal with the political, the intimate with the universal. Compared to Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, and Joni Mitchell, her music has resonated on a global scale, with past accolades including a Top Ten placement on the Canada/US Folk Charts, a Canadian Voice of Women for Peace Award, and multiple songwriting honours.
Her latest work continues that trajectory. Recorded with the renowned Cuban pianist Alejandro Falcón, “Montreal” was born in a fleeting moment at Folk Alliance International in Montreal, written spontaneously on a hallway piano alongside Lilli Lewis. Later, the song—and its companion piece, “Streets of Montreal”—came to life in Havana, Cuba, at Estudio Ojala, an iconic space founded by Kulnys’ songwriting idol Silvio Rodríguez. These tracks are a sonic and emotional journey through nostalgia, belonging, and heartbreak.
Adding further depth to the project, cello and vocal harmonies were layered in at Signature Sounds in Connecticut, thanks to Catherine Bent and Kala Farnham. The result is a mesmerizing three-country collaboration that underscores the unifying power of music.
Both “Montreal” and “Streets of Montreal” paint vivid pictures of a city wrapped in memory.
“Montreal” is a sweeping, cinematic ballad infused with longing. The lyrics capture the transient nature of time and relationships:
“I know you’re coming for me, my snow angel on Rue Saint-Denis… Montréal, when will you fall?”
Kulnys’ voice soars over delicate piano and strings, evoking the cold beauty of winter and the warmth of a past love.
“Streets of Montreal,” in contrast, is a bittersweet breakup song that reminisces on youthful love and missed chances. With lines like “Riding swings in the park, laughing in the car, holding hands in the dark, wishing on a star,” the song taps into the universal experience of looking back at a love that could have been.
Together, these tracks are a love letter to Montreal, to the relationships that define us, and to the resilience of the heart.
Working with Alejandro Falcón in Cuba brought a new dimension to Kulnys’ compositions, as his sensitive piano playing weaves seamlessly into the emotional fabric of the songs. The project was also engineered by Olimpia Calderón Arias, marking a meaningful collaboration with a fellow female artist in a traditionally male-dominated space.
Kulnys, who has performed at major festivals like Canadian Music Week, Indie Week, Kingsville Folk Festival, and Copenhagen Pride, is known for her fearless storytelling and social activism through music. This release further establishes her as a boundary-pushing artist whose work is as poetic as it is powerful.