For more than a decade, Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Ria Mae has been steadily building a loyal fanbase. Now, a whole new generation is discovering her music. “I’ve been a bit of a curmudgeon about TikTok,” Ria Mae said in an interview with CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly. “Then I thought, why not start in 2025? I started in February, and I just kept finding these people who said they grew up to my music.” That resurgence helped spark a recent acoustic tour and led directly to the release of her second full-length album, Two. “I called it Two because I’m not good at naming things,” said Ria. “Self-titled was already taken, so I thought … this is album number two, we’ll call it Two.” Behind the humour, Mae says the record is deeply personal. Written during a difficult period, the album explores themes of motherhood, marriage and mental health. “I was having a bad winter - maybe an identity crisis after COVID,” said Ria. “A lot of things happen once you have a kid. I just decided to write through it.” While Two touches on heavy subject matter, Mae says the album ultimately moves toward hope. “Everyone’s going to relate to that feeling of not feeling like yourself and then pushing through it,” said Ria. “It gets really positive at the end.” With the album now out, Mae is preparing to bring the music to the stage early next year. She wraps the first leg of her tour at home, with a full-band show set for March 14 at the Lighthouse Arts Centre in Halifax. “This is the full band showcasing this new music,” said Ria. “We’re going to do some of the old stuff as well - and we’re going to have some big surprises for the Halifax show.”
