The days are getting shorter; the evening skies are growing darker. It’s the perfect time to get excited for Jade LeMac’s EP It’s Always at Night. LeMac’s music, which straddles the line between heartfelt acoustic ballads and polished pop tracks, has been on our radar for a while: her tender love song “Constellations” went viral last year, and she’s garnered over a million TikTok followers with her down-to-earth posts about songwriting and the WLW experience. Yet the past few months have introduced her to a whole new legion of fans. The rising star recently joined superstar Maren Morris on her cross-country Dreamsicle tour; she also performed at Lollapalooza, even playing a set at Role Model’s afterparty (which featured a special guest appearance from Olivia Rodrigo). With new singles “Running Home” and “Sleeping with the Lights On” already going strong, she’s set up to reach even greater heights. 

I had the opportunity to catch up with LeMac in her Hollywood hotel a mere two days after her final show with Morris. We talked about everything from feeling especially emotional after sunset to fighting stage fright to encountering a baby alligator.

You just wrapped up your North American tour with Maren Morris. Tell me all about it.

It was my biggest tour so far, and it was honestly such an amazing experience. I was able to learn so much, and Maren and her band and team were so welcoming. 

90% of the tour was going to cities I didn’t even know existed. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time in most of them, but I did get to stay in Wilmington, North Carolina for a while. There were alligators at our venue, because it was outside in this swampy river area. I was so not expecting that, I’m Canadian, so I don’t see alligators often. I saw a baby alligator named Skippy; he was kind of cute. I also got two tattoos while I was there: a hummingbird and the word “gentle” on my hand, to remind me to always be gentle and kind. 

Maren’s fans were so sweet. I watched her set a few nights, and every time I went out [into the audience], someone was like, “You were amazing.” They only had nice things to say, which was so heartwarming.

What’s the most valuable lesson about performance or artistry that you picked up from Maren on the road?

She’s so confident onstage and in her storytelling. She’s such a great songwriter and a great vocalist, of course. I have really bad stage fright; confidence and stage presence are things that I’m working on. So watching her set, I was always thinking, “Ok, how can I incorporate this into my performance?”

The past few months have been wild for you: you also played a set at Lollapallooza. How was performing to a crowd at a major festival different from other shows that you’ve done?

Performing at a festival like that is crazy because you’re going in knowing that a lot of people aren’t there for you, especially if you’re a smaller artist with an earlier time slot. You have to try to win these people over and make it a great experience. It’s always exciting because the environment is like no other, especially at Lollapalooza. Being in that space, you’re already so hyped up, so it’s easier to bring that energy onstage. And the crowd is always hyped, too. How could you not be hyped at Lolla?

Your EP It’s Always At Night drops on November 7. What significance does nighttime hold for you? 

The reason I call this EP It’s Always at Night is because I feel very in touch with my emotions as soon as the sun goes down. When I’m by myself at night, I feel my emotions more strongly. I used to think this only happened with bad emotions like sadness or heartbreak, but as the years went by, I realized it happens with excitement and happiness as well. I’m a big thinker, especially when the lights go off and I’m about to go to sleep.‍

The lyrics to the EP see you getting vulnerable, opening up about the highs and lows you’ve experienced throughout different relationships. Is it easy for you to write about your personal life, or is it a challenge you’ve had to overcome?

It depends on the song. “Sleeping with the Lights On” was a song that was super easy to write… actually, a lot of these songs came quite easy. The things that I find hardest to write about, I haven’t actually written about yet. I find it hard to write about my parents, so I don’t write about them, even though I’ve tried in the past. It’s easier for me to write about my emotions when it comes to relationships.

Very few of my songs are 100% about my personal experience. I usually take something that I've experienced and make it into a story. I use my imagination a lot, I’ll take inspiration from movies I’ve seen, or people I know in real life. 

Your single “Running Home” shows you leaning into a pop sound. Who are some of the influences you’ve been looking toward as you’ve explored this new direction?

I love Lorde. I’ve been listening to some Gracie [Abrams]. I love Finneas and his production.

You’ve said that “Sleeping with the Lights On” is the first song where you really discovered your sound when it comes to writing on guitar. What was it about composing this single that felt different to you?

With this song, I really discovered how to use my vocals as an instrument. I discovered what I can do with layered vocals; I came up with harmonies and played with how loud I sang certain notes. It was awesome, it felt really authentic.

The EP features some extra-special guest stars, woven throughout the music is a choir made up of your family and friends. What inspired you to get them involved in this way?

I’ve always loved the sound of choirs and group vocals in general. I didn’t even know how to get started with hiring a choir, so I told anybody I could get my hands on, “If you want to come, please come.” I had my mom, my aunt, my family friend, my best friend’s girlfriend, two besties from my management team, and two guy friends in the studio. I’m so glad that they came, because having male vocals made a real difference. It was such a fun experience, we had some drinks, it was chill. I ended up receiving my Gold [RIAA certification] plaque for “Constellations” while I was at the studio, so they all got to be there for that as well. 

Do a lot of your friends and family have a music or entertainment background, or were most of them singing professionally for the first time?

Only a few of them had proper experience. One of the girls from my management team, who I’ve actually been friends with since middle school, can sing. She was great. My mom thinks she can sing, but she definitely can’t. [Laughs] We made it work, and it was awesome.

Apparently, my grandma used to sing. She told me a few years ago, “I used to sing in Vietnam.” My dad loves music, but he’s always been more into the hip-hop world. I think that actually molded me a lot. Sometimes I’m singing really pretty, but people will tell me that I’m holding my arms in kind of a hip-hop way. I probably got that from my dad, he inspired my whole style. We all did karaoke, but no one ever took music seriously. I was the first one. 

Soon, you’ll be heading out on a headline tour. What can fans expect from this next round of shows? 

I’ll finally be able to perform this new EP, which I’m really excited about. I’ve done “Running Home,” “Sleeping with the Lights On,” and “Pink Balloon,” but the others have yet to see the light. And I’m performing in my hometown, Victoria, which will be awesome, my first headline hometown show. 

We’re doing a little Australia tour after Canada. That’ll be my first time in Australia and my first time touring outside of North America. I can’t wait to hit all those cities and meet all the little Australian cuties.

FOLLOW JADE LEMAC ON INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK

Photographed by Meredith Traux.