By Wendy Rose
It was a blurb from a review by CHMR that grabbed me: “My god, that is so relentlessly depressing,” it begins. “Her tone, the space. I’m truthfully in awe. That’s next level.”
“Relentlessly depressing” – As a huge fan of sad songs (in general), I had to learn more about Claire Porter and her “technically” debut record, Time Alone.
The Newfoundland-born singer-songwriter doesn’t really have a hometown – she grew up in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Conception Bay South, the Laurentides, Montreal, St. John’s, Marystown, and Halifax. This semi-nomadic upbringing and experience in other cultures and places heavily influenced her character, and in turn, her songwriting.
“I think that it taught me the versatility of movement, how to make new friends, and how to watch for what we all have in common,” Claire says. With plenty of real-world experience and educated opinions, she started performing at protests and rallies, playing traditional songs and old protest songs. This politically motivated platform helped Claire develop her own voice and inspired her to write songs that would “say something that people could resonate with decades from now.”
Her new record, Time Alone, takes an emotional stance, not a political one.
“I write songs that linger in uncomfortable spaces. I talk about feelings like loneliness, so anyone hearing it will know that they’re not alone in feeling lonely sometimes. The most important part of songwriting to me is connecting with the listener. I want to write about small joys and dark humour so that other people will connect to me.”
Often performing as a solo artist since she began writing music in 2010, Claire started The Stouts in 2012. The Stouts are comprised of an ever-changing lineup of musicians, with the current iteration featuring Xander Pierson, Joe Tucker, Kieran Dooley, and Liam Peacock.
“If I am playing solo, I perform for intimacy. I arrange my songs and sets so they accommodate solo performances, the Stouts are there to expand, moving us from intimacy to intensity,” she explains.
Time Alone is both intimate and intense. Claire started working on the record in 2019, after moving back to NL from Montreal. The COVID-19 pandemic soon presented a slew of creative and collaborative challenges for artists in 2020.
“I wanted to get out and meet musicians, but the government said no, so it was truly an adventure in learning recording engineering and not just arranging but writing my own solos. It was a lot of, “Well, I’ve never done this, but I guess I’m going to have to figure it out… The biggest thing that I learned is that I can put my mind to anything.”
She wrote and recorded tracks at home, performing all guitar, all piano, and all vocals, and did her own recording engineering in her home studio. Claire’s Montreal-based friends Brandon Goodwin and Neil Robinson remotely recorded drums and bass for some tracks. The record was later mixed by Michelle Lacour and mastered by Stephen Lilly.
“Working so independently was a very transformative experience for me,” Claire expresses. “While I had a lot of experience playing rhythm, I didn’t have a lot of experience soloing, so creating songs from the ground up was a big learning opportunity for me. I am very proud of [the record], not just because of the end product, but also because of the process.”
Though Claire has released a lot of music over the years, she views Time Alone as her debut – “because it is the first time I understood how to get people to pay attention to what it is you’re releasing,” she explains.
“It’s hard to capture people’s attention nowadays, and it is as important to spend time creating something meaningful that audiences will enjoy as it is to invite people to share in what you have created.”
And Time Alone has been making a meaningful impact, even earning a MusicNL nomination for Alternative Artist of the Year in 2024.
The record opens with “Apartment #4,” a song about the artist’s own personal experience with the ongoing housing crisis in Canada.
“Jupiter Jones” offers a sultry, smooth jazz feel, which continues in “Coffee in Connecticut.”
Soft piano starts us off on “Rains in December.” This soft ballad puts Claire’s impressive vocal capability and storytelling skills in the driver’s seat.
The title track is pensive but playful, with Claire repeating, “My nerves are shot, my heart might stop” between verses, giving a subtle nod to local vernacular.
In “Preservatives,” the lyrics make reference to food conservation methods in the most poetic way possible. It’s a gorgeous alt-folk piece, both sweet and salty.
The album’s final track is straight up sensual and sexy. Its title of “Thirsty” perhaps implies the mental state you might be in after listening to this song and this album as a whole.
Local venue owner Bill Haynes described Claire’s music as having “the prowess and punch of Judy Garland mixed with the lyrical grit of Tom Waits” – one helluva accolade.
“It’s such a compliment when someone listening pays attention and has a reaction. And it truly is a great description. Tony Ploughman at Fred’s Records said that my music is reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry or a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack,” she continues.
Claire recently celebrated the vinyl release of Time Alone with an in-store performance at Fred’s Records late last year. The show had a great turnout, with one attendee giving an especially touching thanks: “One of the audience members told me … that she thinks that what I’m doing is important, because I talk about hard things like loneliness, and truly that’s the whole point. I want to create a community in music.”
Claire has been working on building that community across eastern Canada, having performed in Ottawa, Sherbrooke, Montreal, Stratford, Toronto, and Waterloo this past fall.
In 2026, Claire’s planning on heading back into the studio to record more demos, with the “next album mapped out in my head,” she teases. She is also working on a Newfoundland and Nova Scotia tour for the spring.
“I have more exciting things that are just too delicate and new to be talking about in print, so really, this is where I ask everybody to follow me online,” she finishes with a laugh.
Next time you have some time alone, take Time Alone for a spin, and keep an eye on Claire’s website and social media platforms to find out when and where you can catch Claire Porter – perhaps even accompanied by her Stouts.
