Atlantic Canada’s rising star Elyse Aeryn channels raw emotion and fearless storytelling into her sophomore album Everybody Loves You.
Music Nova Scotia’s 2024 Entertainer of the Year Elyse Aeryn has released her sophomore album, Everybody Loves You. Known for her soulful vocals, roots-rock edge, and pop sensibility, Aeryn has quickly emerged as one of Atlantic Canada’s most exciting rising artists.
The album carries deep personal meaning for the Halifax-based artist. While preparing to promote the record in the fall of 2025, Aeryn was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that forced her to pause and reflect, giving the songs an even greater sense of perspective and purpose.
Following the success of her debut album Joy State of Mind, which earned an East Coast Music Award and Music Nova Scotia’s Country Recording of the Year, Aeryn continues to build momentum with a record that showcases both vulnerability and resilience. We caught up with Elyse to discuss the inspiration behind Everybody Loves You and the journey that brought the album to life.
First off, what have you been up to since we last spoke?
We last spoke just before the “Unstoppable” Tour, which was a whirlwind of a summer! It was my first tour outside the Maritimes and that first single kicked this album off with a bang. I was getting ready to hit the road again to support the album release in the fall when the motorcycle crash put a halt on everything until about now!
You’ve released your album, Everybody Loves You…, which you’ve described as your most raw and authentic work to date. Looking back at the creative process now, what is the main message or feeling you hope listeners take away from this collection of songs?
I hope that listeners can find their own permission to be fully alive. A big part of the creative process was questioning purpose, impact, and legacy. I’ve come to realize that none of us know how or when we might leave our impact, so we’ve got to live out our most authentic lives while we can!
You mentioned “romanticizing death” during the writing process as a way to give yourself permission to be raw. Now that you’ve had a literal “brush with mortality,” how has your relationship with these specific songs changed?
These songs mean more to me than ever. I can hear the lust for life in my voice in lyrics like “I’m dying to be living on the edge” and in my plea for meaning in “27 Club”. I’m hearing the overarching themes in moments I wasn’t even aware of when writing. After the accident, the outreach from listeners showed me that my work actually has been connecting with people more than I knew. That connection has always been the ultimate goal!
Coming off the success of Joy State of Mind, which leaned into country-rock, this album is described as having a “roots-rock edge and pop sensibility.” How did you navigate evolving your sound while keeping your “day one” fans in mind?
I believe I’ve always had a core sound that was uniquely me, so we were very intentional in the studio about ensuring every moment sounded like Elyse. I had the pleasure of working with the same co-producer and studio musicians as ‘Joy State of Mind’ so we’ve been through a lot creatively together. We stayed true to my classic influences but often reached for more modern elements to make it feel fresh.
Being named Music Nova Scotia’s Entertainer of the Year is a massive achievement. How does it feel to represent the Atlantic Canadian scene as you prepare for in-person interviews in Toronto and a national release?
Thank you! It’s an honour because I am so proud of where I come from, and I have so much support here. It feels like a piece of every achievement belongs to these people.
Your single “Unstoppable” was a major anthem for Sportsnet. When you write, do you envision those “stadium” moments, or do the songs usually start in a much more intimate, personal place?
I typically write from a very personal place, but always envision performing live in stadium moments. However, I never imagined something like hearing my song soundtracking a national sports moment on TV!
Last, if Everybody Loves You… was the soundtrack to a movie, what genre would that movie be?
I had to think about this because it’s gotta be hype, but it’s also gotta have substance. Action-Drama!