I first met Basia Bulat when I was attending university in Montreal. A friend of mine introduced me to Basia, who was in town visiting, and we promptly headed off for a night of drinks and some open mic karaoke. I don’t remember much from that night, except that Basia took the stage in front of a rowdy, crowded bar and belted her lungs out to No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs.” My friend turned to me and said, “Basia’s trying to become a singer y’know.” I politely nodded, only half-believing her. After all, it seemed like everyone wanted to become a singer. And while Basia’s voice definitely commanded attention in the room, I wasn’t sure if a simple girl from Mississauga could really become a big recording artist. Turns out I should have never doubted her.

Last month, we met up with Basia in New York City, where she was taking a break from recording her sophomore album. I asked if she remembered our drunken karaoke experience and she laughed. She was still in school back then and her dreams of musical stardom were still years away. But after completing an English degree in university, she began pursuing music full-time. A few choice gigs and chance meetings later, she was signed to Rough Trade records and was soon hitting the road in support of her debut record “Oh, My Darling.” She’s since tour around the world and opened for dozens of big-name bands, but I love that she’s still the same girl with the big voice that I met back in Montreal. Check out some outtakes from our photoshoot with Basia on the Lower East Side and watch for our full interview with her in Issue 6 of Corduroy.

(photos by Peter Ash Lee)

- TC