Western Canadian alt-pop auteur Amelie Patterson is a songwriter’s songwriter with a golden reputation for her poetic craft and community-building. Following the success of The War EP, which featured the synth-heavy "Static" and the myth-inspired "Golden Line," Amelie now ventures into new territory with her latest EP, "Napoleon" (released October 25th 2024).

 

Produced by Brayden Bell, the EP has a rootsy sound inspired by Lake Street Dive, Waxahatchee, and Gillian Welch, and was recorded in Calgary at Soundkeeper Studios.

 In her own words Amelie says "The EP focuses on the song Napoleon, which I wrote about my Grandad, Arthur. He was a huge figure in my life and we were lucky to be great friends my whole life, until he passed in 2019. We lived together when I was taking courses at MRU, right after my Nanna had passed. I was heartbroken from my first love, and in a much deeper way, so was he. He was an excellent storyteller and he would tell me all the time about growing up in a house up on the hill (now the neighbourhood known as Patterson Heights near COP - interestingly his childhood home was bought by a wrestling family, The Harts, and that home became known as The Hart House). When he was 5 or 6 he would ride his old grey pony, Napoleon, bareback all the way down along the Bow River to the Livery in Inglewood, Calgary to get his pony shod. No one would worry about him because Napoleon “knew the long way home”. This was the basis for a life of true adventure that he really instilled in us. 

 

        I hope this song conveys a message of deep love and an understanding of loss. We always knew we would lose each other, so we made the most of sunny afternoons, ski trips, Habitant pea soup, and good stories."

 

Amelie’s refined folk roots are ever-present throughout her work, complemented by the collaborative spirit that defines her career. With performances alongside Reuban and The Dark, Serena Ryder, Matt Andersen, and Sarah Harmer, and accolades such as Alternative Recording of the Year at the YYC Music Awards, Amelie continues to make her mark as an artist and a community builder. She was also the inaugural poet laureate of Banff, Alberta, and a recipient of Calgary’s prestigious White Hat Award.