Ria MacNutt, known professionally as Ria Mae, is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
14 Facts About Ria Mae
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Ria Mae has described herself as a teenager who spent hours in her bedroom writing songs and teaching herself how to play guitar while rarely sharing them with anyone else.
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Two years later, Ria Mae was chosen as a finalist in the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, causing her to cancel her show at the Halifax Pop Explosion.
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In 2011, Ria Mae self-released her debut album Under Your Skin, recorded with Mir members Asif and Shehab Illyas at The Shire Studios in Halifax.
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Ria Mae met the Illyas brothers while acting in Rohan Fernando's feature-length independent film, Snow, in which she played an itinerant singer.
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The themes behind the song were inspired by a visit to Montreal where Ria Mae took in the nightlife.
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The track is produced by Juno Award-winning hip-hop producer Classified, who Ria Mae chose after hearing his work with David Myles and Chad Hatcher.
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Ria Mae was nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2015 East Coast Music Awards.
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Ria Mae's self-titled album was produced by Classified and Mae has said she doesn't think the collaboration would've come about if they weren't both from Halifax.
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Ria Mae wrote "Thoughts On Fire" the day she signed with Sony Music Entertainment Canada: "Despite being told 'no' for over a year, I just never stopped believing," she said.
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Ria Mae has performed at CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, Folk Alliance International in Memphis, Canadian Music Week in Toronto, Contact East in Fredericton, and at East Coast Music Awards Week.
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Ria Mae has shared the stage with Family of the Year, Xavier Rudd, Buck 65, Classified, and opened for Elle King.
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Ria Mae is a member of Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.
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Ria Mae portrayed a lesbian relationship in the music video for her single "Gold".