London, ON/Vancouver, BC Singer-Songwriter Samantha Hooey Returns With “Red Skies” and EP, Silver
Canadian singer-songwriter Samantha Hooey has emerged from a twelve-year recording hiatus with a luminous, introspective new EP titled Silver, led by the radiant single “Red Skies.” A study in restraint, reverence, and resilience, Silver is a collection of five soul-stirring songs that feel both timeless and startlingly present. With textures as gentle as moonlight and lyrics carved from deep personal renewal, the EP is Hooey’s most intimate and focused work to date.
“Red Skies” opens the project like a quiet meteor streaking across the morning—its lyrics evoke the image of birds lifting before a storm, revealing a truth that’s been waiting to be named: “Always thought that I was scared of dying / turns out I was just afraid to live.” That single line, repeated throughout the song, encapsulates the raw emotional clarity Hooey brings to her craft.
“These songs came out of a healing process,” Hooey shares. “I hope they resonate with those seeking a reminder of their own resilience.”
Rooted in the acoustic landscape of her Vancouver home—and written on the same guitar she’s had since her teens—Hooey’s songs on Silver honour cycles of nature and emotion: growth, rest, release, renewal. The project conjures quiet Northern Ontario nights under the Perseids meteor shower and Georgian Bay’s dusky hues, with every track inviting the listener inward.
Produced with care and intuition by Jeff Zipp, Silver benefits from a sonic palette that’s lush yet uncluttered. Hooey is joined by a tight-knit group of collaborators, including Yamil Chain-Haddad (bass), Darryl Havers (organ), Geoff Hicks (drums), and Scott Smith (guitar/pedal steel). Each player offers restraint and warmth, giving space for Hooey’s voice to rise and glow like the full moon she sings of in “Red Skies.”
There’s a natural elegance to her delivery, one that recalls early Sarah Harmer or Gillian Welch, while planting its feet firmly in the present. In “Red Skies,” she sings of the dual pull of light and darkness, of fear of vanishing and choosing to stay: “It was a wild force like a white horse / pulling the stars down to me.” The language is mystical but rooted in real, lived experience.
Born in London, ON, and now based in Vancouver, BC, Hooey’s deep Canadian roots hum beneath each melody. Her sense of time and space feels organic, even meditative, offering solace for anyone needing stillness in a noisy world. “Silver isn’t about arrival,” she says. “It’s about the journey back to connection.”
With “Red Skies” now available across all platforms and the full EP arriving with quiet force, Samantha Hooey reintroduces herself not as a newcomer but as a deeply felt presence returning home. The songs don’t shout—but they stay with you long after the last note.
Hi Samantha! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Hello! I’m a singer/songwriter based out of Vancouver, BC. The genre of my music leans into the Americana/Alt-Country vibe. My focus has always been on honest, heartfelt lyrics, and my hope has always been to create a feeling of connection with those listening.
After a 12-year hiatus, what was the moment—or feeling—that told you it was time to create Silver?
Music was always there percolating in the background, and I knew I would come back to it in a more meaningful way when it was time.
When the chaos of the pandemic started to dissipate, I felt a huge weight being lifted. Along with that came seeing live shows again and the beautiful music that was happening in the Vancouver scene. It really inspired me to re-engage. With that being said, special shout out to Marin Patenaude and the absolute magic she shares. Her album Sight Unseen definitely added a spark to my spirit.
“Red Skies” opens with a powerful line: “Always thought that I was scared of dying / turns out I was just afraid to live.” When did that lyric first come to you, and what does it mean in your life today?
I knew I wanted to write something that captured the change in perspective that comes along with personal growth. The line wrote itself, and when it came out, I realized that it really cut to the core of what I had experienced for many years. When we go through difficult chapters in life, it’s easy to become wired to fear or expect the worst-case scenario. After doing a lot of deep inner work, I began to see the flip side, and was able to make movement forward in life. That line (and really the record in its entirety) is a reflection and celebration of that progress.
There’s a vivid naturalism throughout Silver, from meteor showers to full moons. How does your connection to Canadian landscapes influence the way you write and sing?
Nature and the cosmos have always felt like a sigh of relief. Their vastness provides so much perspective, but also acts as a reminder of how we are all connected. This has always given me breathing room in my busy mind. It allows space for true reflection and provides a sense of freedom for all my thoughts and feelings to come to the surface. These are points I keep in mind while singing, to help keep me feeling grounded and unrestricted, so that it hopefully all flows out as intended.
Now that Silver is out in the world, how do you see this new chapter of your artistry unfolding—and what does coming back to music on your own terms feel like?
It feels like coming back to an old relationship, but as a much healthier and grounded person. I really just want everything to unfold in its own natural way. More than anything, I’m just grateful that these songs were finally brought to light.
Connect with Samantha Hooey:
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