Nico Paulo, Evan J. Cartwright

Nico Paulo is a Portuguese/Canadian songwriter, performer, and visual artist. She moved to Canada in 2014 to pursue her career, originally setting down roots in the vibrant Toronto arts community, and eventually moved east to become an essential part of Newfoundland’s celebrated music scene. Paulo’s highly anticipated, self-titled debut LP, which arrived in spring 2023, is a melodically
dynamic, heart-baring collection that finds her exploring the interconnected nature of relationships and the flow of time in lush, sophisticated pop arrangements. The album’s textures come courtesy of production by Joshua Van Tassel (Villages, Fortunate Ones) and Tim Baker (Hey Rosetta!).

Paulo released her debut single, the wistful “Please Don’t Forget,” in 2019. Her debut EP, Wave Call, arrived in 2020, featuring contributions from musicians Bravo Kilo, Evan J Cartwright, Kwame Appiah-Kubi, and Tim Baker, with production and engineering handled by David Gavan Baxter. She toured the EP in Europe in 2020, making stops in Portugal, the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany.
Her latest releases—the Live at First Light EP recorded for the Lawnya Vawnya Artist Residency and a cover of José Afonso’s Portuguese folk song "O Cavaleiro e o Anjo"—were both recorded in Paulo’s adopted hometown of St. John’s, and include appearances by local musicians Tim Baker, Adam Hogan, Steve Maloney, and Mary B. Waldram.

Cartwright's songs are short, sweet and bright. His melodic sensibilities fall somewhere between that of Nick Drake and Chet Baker. A drummer by trade, he has played behind some of Canada's most revered songwriters, including Meg Remy of US Girls, Andy Shauf and Charlotte Cornfield. As a songwriter, Cartwright has made his own, singular contribution to the art of song-craft; most notably with the release of his LP bit by bit, out now on Idée Fixe Records.