Unmistakable confidence and a powerful voice—that is what Hayley Wallis brings to the artistic table. 

Through personal, emotional music, the Indigenous singer-songwriter melds many good things together: pop, R&B, folk, hope for better days, and vulnerability. 

“I think having any type of emotion portrayed through music is really important,” she says. “It needs to be authentic.”

Wallis is part of the Kitasoo/Xais’xais Nation, originally from Klemtu: a small, isolated island in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. Singing for her family and community from a young age sparked her desire to pursue her artistic aspirations outside of her hometown, so Wallis moved to Vancouver in 2018, looking for a balance between work life and family life.

“I’d love to represent perseverance: being a mother of two and working full-time, and being able to pursue music as an Indigenous woman,” she says. “And hopefully inspire other people to pursue what they love.”

In 2022, she released her debut single “Coffee Cup”. The song touches on themes of strength in the face of hardship, and the nuances of struggling with one’s mental health.

“Coffee Cup” shows her openness with lyrics such as, “Why can’t I get up to remove the coffee cup/That’s been sitting up/On my dresser every single day and night,” and, “I wear a smile on my face so that nobody knows/That I’m falling apart on the inside/Can’t sleep at night.” 

Still, the song maintains a sense of optimism: “So let’s take that drink/Put it in the kitchen sink/Wipe the makeup off your face/Girl, it’s gonna be okay.” It reached number one on NCI’s Indigenous Music Countdown and was added to SiriusXM’s Indigiverse & Poplandia regular rotation. Wallis’ newest single, “Solo”, is her first song in a year. Showing off her vocal range over a calming yet addicting beat, she sings about finding peace in having a life of her own.

That life took courage to build. And while entering the music industry was intimidating for her at first, she has always felt welcome.

“It’s one of the most beautiful and inclusive communities to be a part of,” she says of the Indigenous music scene. “Seeing the feedback and the love that the people have for one another has been really lovely. It is so beautiful, uplifting, and supportive.”

Wallis has an exciting performance schedule over the next few months, with a free show at Esquimalt’s Bullen Park on June 29 as part of Victoria’s TD JazzFest, and another at the Indigenous festival ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) in September at the Chan Centre. In between, she’s playing at the iconic Vancouver Folk Music Festival at Jericho Beach in July.

At the end of the day, her main objective with each show is to connect with her audience—to move them in some way.

“I’m hoping that there’s someone in the audience that can grasp onto a lyric or a melody,” she says, “that hits them in a place that makes them feel something.” 

Hayley Wallis performs at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival at Jericho Beach Park on July 19 and at ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on September 14.