Hailing from remote Kenora, ON, singer-songwriter Brooklyn Doran’s unique sound combines the glassy lakes and peaceful forests of her hometown with the passionate intensity of Toronto’s city streets.
 

Brooklyn Doran was interested in music from an early age.  Starting her musical journey as a saxophonist, it wasn’t until she travelled to France as an exchange student that she began to explore other mediums.  Unable to speak the language, a guitar she found in the house of the family she was staying with became a tool of communication and self-expression in a foreign environment.  Upon her return, Doran performed some of her own songs for the first time as a busker on the streets of Kenora. All of the proceeds were donated to Women’s Place Kenora, a women’s resource centre where she also volunteered.  Quickly establishing herself in her hometown, Doran was eager to further her career as a singer-songwriter.

 

Moving to Toronto in 2008, Brooklyn Doran wasted no time building a reputation for herself in the music scene.  A natural performer, audiences were immediately drawn to Doran’s engaging storytelling and emotional honesty. When it came time to record her debut EP, she had already amassed a dedicated fanbase eager to contribute to her efforts.  Supported by her fans through a crowdfunding campaign, Doran independently released the “There’s A Light On” EP to a sold-out crowd at Toronto venue The Piston in Spring 2014. The record went on to sell over 1000 copies and has received extensive radio play nationwide.

 

Inspired to bring her music to audiences across Canada, Doran began touring clubs and festivals in support of “There’s A Light On”.  Her experiences on the road wove their way into many songs that would appear on her next EP “These Paper Wings”. Working closely with producer Dan Hosh (City and Colour, Arkells, Said The Whale), Doran recorded the EP in a repurposed Hamilton church during the winter of 2015.  “These Paper Wings” is a seven-song collection of personal stories and reflections on relationships and maturity that Doran describes as a “coming-of-age finding yourself early twenties disaster with a folk twist”. Released in Fall 2016, the record has accumulated over 30,000 streams to date, with the video for the single “I Found A Home” reaching over 20,000 views on Facebook.  Doran followed this release with a pledge to play 100 shows during 2017, documenting the journey on her personal blog as she drove herself and her tourmates from coast to coast.

 

With a year of touring under her belt, Brooklyn Doran kicked off 2018 with a live-streamed performance at the Facebook Canada offices to celebrate International Women’s Day.  Appearing with well-known Toronto artists such as Iskwé and Nice Horse, Doran’s performance was streamed over 15,000 times. Currently in the studio working on her next release, Doran has her sights set on a busy year of touring.  This year will see Doran embark on another 100 show tour, this time including performances at festivals across the country such as Tay Creek, Living Roots, and an already sold-out performance at the In The Dead of Winter Festival supporting Rose Cousins and Fiver.