Canadian Folk Music Award Nominee 18-Year-Old Fiddler IRISH MILLIE Explores Growing Up in “Wasted”
Following a string of prestigious accolades, 19-year-old fiddler, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Irish Millie continues her remarkable ascent in the Canadian roots scene with the release of her latest single, “WASTED”. This landmark track serves as a centerpiece of her acclaimed EP ‘Between Then and Now’, a project that captures the space between two chapters of life and the quiet realization of how much growth happens in the in-between.
Irish Millie enters this new release on a wave of significant professional success. She is currently a seven-time Canadian Folk Music Award nominee, recently earning two 2026 nods for Young Performer of the Year and Single of the Year for her song “You Were There”. These honors follow 2025 nominations for Folk Music Ontario’s Performing Artist of the Year and two additional CFMA nods for her previous boundary-pushing album, ‘GRACE’.
Written during her first year away from home while moving from Peterborough to Toronto for university, “WASTED” is a tender reflection on the gratitude that comes with growing up and finally understanding the safety of one’s foundation. The song explores the universal emotional distance created by independence and the realization that the people who raised us remain our most constant supporters.
The track finds its power in moments of everyday reflection, using familiar images like laundry and packed boxes to ground the feeling of moving on. Millie sings of the restless desire to walk away and start a new story, only to discover that the voices of those back home are the very keys that help when we feel lost. As the song builds, it captures that heavy moment of being alone and “wasted” on the side of the road, anchored by the comforting, timeless promise that love stays steady even when we feel a world away.
Musically, the single moves into a broader sonic landscape by incorporating piano, synth, and drums, allowing the emotion to build slowly alongside the fiddle. Millie recorded and co-produced the track in Toronto with her professor, Aaron Tsang, who provided a formative studio experience centered on restraint and spatial honesty. This collaboration, which features her father, Murray Shadgett, on guitar, highlights a shift away from strictly traditional boundaries toward a more cinematic and experimental storytelling approach.
Currently studying Music Industry and Technology at the University of Toronto, Millie continues to balance a rigorous academic schedule with a bustling international performance career. She has performed for crowds of over 10,000 and has earned praise from Celtic music royalty Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, who celebrated her “fresh, lively” approach to the genre.
Upcoming Performance Dates:
- January 23, 2026: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre — Peterborough, ON
- February 6, 2026: Brewer’s Pantry — Bowmanville, ON
- February 13, 2026: Hibernate Fundraiser, Port Hope United Church — Port Hope, ON
- March 13, 2026: The Spire — Kingston, ON
- April 9-12, 2026: Canadian Folk Music Awards — Calgary, AB
From a university assignment to a celebrated single, “WASTED” captures the exact moment a young artist recognizes the strength of the hands that held her up, showing that we only truly understand where we’re going once we acknowledge where we came from.
Connect with Irish Millie:
Website
Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok