Kaleah Lee

Vancouver-based artist Kaleah Lee released her debut EP, Birdwatcher, on March 22, 2024. Birdwatcher was entirely written, produced, and performed by Lee, and finds the singer-songwriter and producer wielding her sharp lyricism and intimate, hushed vocals to explore growth and change—and especially the growing pains that go along with it. Each track serves as a vehicle for reflection and personal evolution. With understated melodies and delicate instrumentation, Lee makes the case for who she is: an insightful observer working to shed the parts of herself that no longer serve who she’s becoming.

Following early experiences playing the triangle at her local church, Kaleah grew up in suburban Vancouver initially playing piano, which led to her teaching herself how to play the guitar. Then in 2019, Kaleah began to record videos of herself covering her favorite songs whenever she could find solace at home. Kaleah’s music soon developed a large following. Her audience especially grew on TikTok, where her covers and original songs garnered attention from Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, Gracie Abrams, and more, something which Kaleah describes as equal parts strange and encouraging.

With that following came demand for new music, which led Kaleah to release multiple singles in 2022. Kaleah became determined and inspired to create her debut EP when she returned home from a formative West Coast tour with fellow singer-songwriters Leith Ross and Searows this past spring. Once back at home, Kaleah found herself deeply meditating on her artistic identity, goals, and overall purpose. “It was just really a time that I got to reflect on where I am and where I plan to go, and how I want to move through the world, which I think I didn’t have as much of an idea of beforehand,” she said. As sorrowful as it is soaring, Birdwatcher is a meditation on evolving from a rising artist who is just coming into her own.