New track from Calgary singer/songwriter follows “Past Life” as her second single of 2025
After sharing the single “Past Life” this summer, Justine Giles returns today with “Parts Of Me,” another song that compellingly displays her evolution as a songwriter following her 2024 EP Another Chance. “Parts Of Me” is a confessional ballad in the Joni Mitchell tradition, supported by a subtle, atmospheric arrangement, featuring pianist Sarah Houston and overseen by producer Mark Troyer, all of which reveals more secrets of how Justine’s next release is coming together.
She says of “Parts Of Me,”
“It marks a new chapter for me, on a lot of levels. I’ve always used writing music as a way to process hardships, heartache and grief of various kinds, but there are a lot of things that make me who I am today that I haven’t ever explored through music before. In this song I talk about my relationship to myself, my inner critic, inner child, inner parent—a lot of these things can often conflict within my own body and mind, and I’m finally giving them all a voice and a place at the table to co-exist.”
Another Chance represented a milestone for Justine, collecting the singles she’d recorded after moving from Toronto to Calgary in 2019 where she was immediately embraced. In 2024, she was named Calgary’s Solo Artist of the Year as part of the YYC Music Awards, and has been nominated again in 2025. Another Chance also received strong local radio support from CJSW, which helped it reach the Earshot National Folk and Roots Top 10. More recently, Justine was named to the Artist In Residence program at Folk On The Rocks in Yellowknife, where she will mentor emerging local singer/songwriters.
Justine’s belief in the power of music to heal is at the core of “Parts Of Me” and the song is sure to keep her in the conversation about Canada’s most promising singer/songwriters with its multi-layered arrangement and emotional vocal performance. Funded in part by Calgary Arts Development, the support has allowed Justine and Mark Troyer to craft a new sound rooted in cinematic dynamics, which accentuates the emotional tug of war within her new songs.
“We’re trying to take the listener on a journey in terms of production,” Justine says. “This approach may not fit into a ‘traditional radio format,’ but it follows in the footsteps of singer-songwriters that are currently sharing longer tunes that tell a story, like Madi Diaz and Lizzy McAlpine. And as always, my ‘90s Lilith Fair influences are present.”
Female empowerment has always been the foundation of Justine’s work. Originally from Sudbury, Ontario, she self-released her debut album Shine in 2014, and within a few years was named the Northern Ontario regional winner of CBC’s annual Searchlight competition. Moving to Toronto, she participated in Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) program, while performing often in some of city’s prestigious venues, and being invited to appear on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show.
With Another Chance providing Giles with some national exposure through support from CBC Radio, Tinnitist, Canadian Beats, Roots Music Canada and other outlets, she is ready to take the next step up the ladder to international status, one song at a time.