Since bursting onto the scene in 2022, Canadian soul artist Queen M has captivated listeners with singles like “Colour of Her Skin” and “High Road,” delivering songs that are refreshingly direct and deeply rooted in her life experience. Now, she’s ready to bring her sound into sharp focus with the highly anticipated seven-song collection, Introducing Queen M.
Blending vintage R&B with powerful, reggae-inflected grooves—a vibrant nod to her Jamaican heritage—Queen M is an artist who, much like her forebears Sharon Jones and Bettye LaVette, holds absolutely nothing back. She credits her collaborative partnership with producer Craig Smith (of ONTARIANS), who first heard her singing covers in their shared home base of Collingwood, Ontario, for unlocking her voice as a songwriter.
“It certainly saves a lot on therapy when you can put your feelings into your own song,” Queen M shares.
From the joyous celebration of new love in “Full Body Smile” to the empowering ode to working mothers in “Roots & Rocks,” and the touching tribute to friendship in “Hold Her While You Can,” this collection is a testament to the power of putting real life into rhythm. We sit down with Queen M to discuss her creative evolution, her unique blend of soul and reggae, and how her honest approach is keeping the flame of vintage soul music burning bright.
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Marcia Hubbs and I’m the lead singer of the band Queen M. We are neo-soul mixed with vintage Motown and reggae influences.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
Introducing Queen M is our first album. It is all original material and for the most part tells my story. Its vibe speaks to my Jamaican heritage and its tone is a reflection of my journey after leaving a 40-year relationship. To me, it speaks to healing and empowerment.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process?
When guitarist/producer Craig Smith and I started writing songs together, I was a complete newbie that had never even written a poem before. Lucky for me, Craig is an experienced and incredible songwriter. He told me to write down ideas and thoughts about what I knew. I followed his advice and made sure I had pen and paper or my computer around at all times.
Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
Once I had my thoughts down, Craig and I would take a bottle of wine and our notebooks out to his back deck and start creating. He would take my scribbles and ideas and help me format them into an actual song. Most times he’d create music and a melody the same day and we’d start recording then and there. Many takes, tweaks, changes and recordings later, a song that we could both be proud of was created.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release?
We are having an album release party on Sunday, Nov. 23 from 2-5pm at The Harbour Fishbar in Collingwood. We are adding a charitable element and raising funds for Common Thread Thrift Store, which is a non-profit that directly funds our local women’s shelter called My Friend’s House. Using music to do some good fills my soul.
Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We currently have three music videos out there for some of the singles we released. We’ll catch our breath first and then perhaps add another one. We are setting up shows for 2026, which is exciting.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
I think having our first single, “Colour of Her Skin”, which is my mother’s story of experiencing racism in Canada, played on CBC Radio was a huge turning point. Later, interviews followed and just last week CBC did a full interview on our album and made us Spotlight artist of the week. Nothing like waking up to texts from friends all over Ontario telling you they’re listening to your songs on CBC.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
I just attended the album release party for Jolie Anastasia’s first album called Guiding Light. This gorgeous album was also produced by Craig Smith, my band mate and song writing partner. Jolie is also Craig’s daughter, proving the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. What a talented family!