Amy Nelson was once a wallflower, but her knack for writing helped her turn raw emotion into lyrics, pushing her into the spotlight to become a famous folk musician in Calgary.
Growing up in Grand Prairie, Alta., Nelson was a creative student.
From shooting hoops to fashion design, she played with lots of different hobbies. Nelson has always been more of an introvert and has found unique approaches to everything.
“I would call her a quiet leader. She didn’t move with the crowd all the time,” says Nelson’s mother, Tracy Nelson. “She doesn’t do it the same way as anybody else.”
Writing leads to music
Nelson turned to writing before anything else to express herself.
“I feel like I was writing before I knew that you could call yourself a writer,” she says.
Nelson knew the power of song from an early age. Her dad always helped her pick out CDs, and listening to music got her through the day.
In her late teens, she discovered a YouTube video of Ola Belle Reed, a musician who would shape Nelson’s future career.
The banjo became her new fixation after hearing its bright, twangy, and percussive sound.
“I had never heard music like that in my life,” she says. “I actually just immediately went out and bought a banjo.”
Nelson found an immediate connection to the instrument.
“I don’t just go out and get something. I contemplate, I overthink. I have a hard time making decisions, and I just knew right then that I wanted to play banjo,” she says.
Alongside her new obsession, Nelson continued to write, experiment with photography, and explore her sense of fashion through thrifting.
“Amy always had other ideas and was experimental in terms of her love of creating,” says Tracy.
Nelson’s parents encouraged her to express herself through different outlets and suggested an online blog, which would help her share her passions with others.
“And that kind of opened the door to recognizing that there’s like a whole world out there,” Nelson says. “I was finding myself through art.”
Nelson began turning her writing into songs.
“I’ve always been writing about my emotions. So songwriting is just kind of a natural progression of that,” she says.
Nelson dug into her frustrations about the world around her to create lyrics that helped her feel release—and ones that would later resonate with many audiences.
“The music has really opened her up because it combined all her writing,” her mom says.
Staying authentic on stage
Nelson took the stage for her first performance at around 20 years old. She felt unprepared, but one thought carried her through—her realization that the people watching and every performer before her were human, just like her.
“People in this audience have probably experienced anxiety or panic attacks or something that challenged them in the way that all I need to do is just go up there and admit what I’m feeling to them and be myself,” she says.
Despite her lack of experience, Nelson put herself out there.
“I know she’s nervous, but she cannot not do it,” says Tracy.
Once her set was finished, Nelson knew this path was truly meant for her.
“I was like, ‘This is the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I’ll never want to do something else.’ And I immediately was like, ‘How can I do more of this?’” she says.
Nelson continued to write, refine her banjo playing, book shows, and build her career as a folk artist in Calgary. She’s learned to carry her personality everywhere she goes, remembering the importance of being authentic and helping others see the beauty in being different.
“As somebody who could be considered a shy person, or kind of like in my own corner, that me being myself and being weird and expressing however I want to express myself and being accepted for it, it’s kind of opened my eyes,” Nelson says.
Folk music for all
Nelson believes folk music is for the people — giving them a reason to dance, cry, and connect. It is a tradition that belongs to no one but is made for everyone. Her unique influences from this genre seep through her music, creating her eccentric sound.
“A lot of what makes Amy unique and makes her stand out is that she really cultivated a unique taste in music,” says Nelson’s bandmate, Wayne Garrett.
Nelson feels gratification when fans approach her after shows, expressing their deep connection to her lyrics. She believes the music she writes to work through her troubles has the power to impact so many others.
“You feel this interconnectedness with the world, and I think that that is a really beautiful thing that wouldn’t happen with a cover song,” she says.
Nelson, who now plays several shows a month in and around Calgary, is excited to share a fresh sound through her upcoming album.
“Life begins outside your comfort zone,” she says. “It’s OK to doubt yourself, but don’t let the doubting of yourself impede your songwriting or the way you sound.”