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Ariel Engle
Ariel Engle
Ariel Engle
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Ariel Engle is a Canadian indie pop singer and songwriter who records and performs as a solo artist and with Broken Social Scene.[1]

Engle first became noted as a guest vocalist on Montag's 2005 album Alone, Not Alone, performing vocals on the track "Grand Luxe".[2] She subsequently appeared as a guest or backing vocalist on recordings by Melissa Auf der Maur, Snowblink, Land of Kush, Plants and Animals, Stars, and Martha Wainwright, before collaborating with her husband, Broken Social Scene's Andrew Whiteman, on the band project AroarA.[3] The band's 2013 EP, In the Pines, is based on the poetry of Alice Notley and was a longlisted nominee for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize.[4]

Following In the Pines, Engle became a member of Broken Social Scene, often serving as a live fill-in vocalist on songs that had been sung on record by Feist, Amy Millan, or Emily Haines.[1] The 2017 album, Hug of Thunder, marked her first recorded appearance on a Broken Social Scene album.[5]

In 2018, Engle launched the solo project La Force.[6] Her self-titled debut album as La Force was released in September 2018 on Arts & Crafts Productions.[7] In the same year, she appeared on Safia Nolin's album Dans le noir as a duet vocalist on the track "Lesbian Break-Up Song".[8] La Force was a longlisted nominee for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize.[9]

She subsequently joined Efrim Menuck in the noise-pop project All Hands Make Light.[10]

XO Skeleton was a longlisted nominee for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.[11]

References

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Ariel Engle

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Ariel Engle is a Canadian indie pop singer, songwriter, and musician based in Montreal, best known as the lead vocalist for her solo project La Force and as a core member of the collective Broken Social Scene. Her work spans experimental pop, indie rock, and collaborative ventures, drawing from personal experiences such as motherhood and loss to create introspective, emotive music. Raised in an international upbringing across , , and before returning to , Engle was influenced early on by her mother's extensive vinyl collection, which exposed her to diverse sounds from folk to experimental genres. She began her career in the mid-2000s as a sought-after collaborator in Montreal's vibrant indie and experimental scenes, contributing vocals to projects like Land of Kush and performing with artists such as Thee Silver Mt. Zion and Sam Shalabi. In 2010, she started touring with , eventually joining as a full member and providing lead vocals on their 2017 album , including standout tracks like "Stay Happy" and "Gonna Get Better." Engle's solo project, La Force, debuted in 2018 with a self-titled album on Arts & Crafts, which was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize and explored themes of grief following her father's death. Her second album, XO Skeleton (2023), further delves into family dynamics and regeneration through nine exploratory pop songs, produced by Warren Spicer. An expanded edition, XO SKELETON +, was released in 2024. Beyond music, she has appeared in film and television, including the series Daisy Jones & The Six (2023). Her collaborations extend to high-profile works like Big Red Machine's self-titled LP (2018) with Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon, and Patrick Watson's Better in the Shade (2022).

Early life

Childhood and international travels

Ariel Engle was born in , , . She was influenced early on by her mother's extensive vinyl collection, which exposed her to diverse sounds from folk to experimental genres. Her childhood was characterized by extensive international travel, as her parents worked as English as a teachers and embraced a nomadic lifestyle. The family lived for extended periods in , , and , immersing Engle in diverse cultural environments from a young age. Between these sojourns, they frequently returned to . This global upbringing exposed her to a variety of languages and traditions, broadening her worldview and contributing to her later artistic perspectives on identity.

Settlement in Montreal

Following a childhood marked by international travels with her parents, who taught English as a second language abroad, Ariel Engle settled permanently in —her home city—immersing herself in the city's vibrant cultural landscape. This relocation grounded her amid the nomadic experiences of growing up across , , and , allowing her to reconnect with familial roots while exploring new artistic horizons. By the early , Montreal's thriving indie and ecosystem became the foundation for her professional development.

Career

Early collaborations and experimental work

Ariel Engle began her professional music career in the mid-2000s as a guest vocalist on indie and experimental recordings within Montreal's vibrant scene, which served as her entry point into the local music community after settling there. Her debut notable contribution came on Montag's 2005 album Alone, Not Alone, where she provided lead vocals on the track "Grand Luxe," infusing the electronic-indie project with her ethereal style. This early work marked the start of her scattered appearances on albums by emerging indie acts, showcasing her versatility as a backing and feature vocalist. Throughout the late 2000s and , Engle lent her voice to several indie projects, including backing vocals on ' 2012 album The North for the track "Lights Changing Colour," adding harmonic depth to the synth-pop ensemble's sound. She also contributed vocals to Snowblink's 2016 release Returning Current on one track, collaborating within the Toronto-based duo's dreamy, folk-inflected framework. These guest spots highlighted her ability to blend seamlessly into diverse indie contexts, often enhancing atmospheric and melodic elements without taking center stage. Engle's experimental leanings became more pronounced through her involvement in avant-garde ensembles, such as providing lead vocals and lyrics for "The Pit (Part 1)" and "The Pit (Part 2)" on Land of Kush's 2013 The Big Mango, a psych-arabic big-band project led by Sam Shalabi that pushed boundaries with surreal, genre-defying compositions. Further exploring improvisational and ambient territories, she formed the duo All Hands_Make Light with Efrim Manuel Menuck of , releasing a cassette EP in 2021 and the full-length Darling the Dawn in 2023 on Constellation Records; their work emphasizes noise-pop experimentation, orchestral-punk elements, and live improvisations that merge Engle's vocals with Menuck's textural instrumentation. In 2018, Engle demonstrated her bilingual capabilities with a duet on Safia Nolin's album Dans le noir, co-performing the bilingual track "Lesbian Break-up Song," which bridged English and French lyrics to explore themes of heartbreak and identity. Across these collaborations, Engle consistently blended sensibilities with influences in both studio recordings and live performances, creating layered soundscapes that prioritized emotional resonance and sonic innovation over conventional structures.

Work with AroarA and other bands

In 2010, Ariel Engle co-founded the duo AroarA alongside her husband, , a known for his work with and Apostle of Hustle. The project emerged from their shared interest in experimental forms, drawing on Engle's vocal background and Whiteman's instrumental expertise to create intimate, lo-fi recordings. AroarA released their debut full-length album, , in 2013 on Club Roll Music, adapting the experimental poetry of into a series of folk-indie compositions. The album's tracks transform Notley's fragmented verses into melodic structures emphasizing , , and Engle's ethereal vocals, reflecting the duo's collaborative process of reinterpreting literary sources through personal musical lens. This release earned a nomination for the 2014 longlist, recognizing its artistic innovation in Canadian indie music. Engle's contributions extended to Land of Kush, the orchestral indie project led by Sam Shalabi, where she provided lead and backing vocals on albums like The Big Mango (2013), integrating her voice into expansive, genre-blending compositions that fused with Arabic influences. Throughout the mid-2010s, she took on backing vocal roles within the Toronto-Montreal indie circuits, appearing on recordings by artists such as and Plants and Animals, supporting the scene's collaborative ethos while honing her versatile style.

Involvement with Broken Social Scene

Ariel Engle first performed with in 2010 as a fill-in vocalist and was formally invited to join the collective in the mid-2010s, debuting as a full member on their 2017 Hug of Thunder. Her contributions to the record included lead vocals on tracks such as "Halfway Home" and "Gonna Get Better," as well as prominent vocals on "Stay Happy" and backing vocals throughout, helping to infuse the album's expansive arrangements with her emotive, fluid delivery. Released after a seven-year hiatus, Hug of Thunder marked the band's reunion effort, with Engle's voice adding a fresh layer to their signature communal sound. Engle's involvement extended to the band's reunion tours, where she participated in extensive North American and European performances supporting Hug of Thunder from May to fall 2017, as well as subsequent shows including major festivals like Outside Lands in 2018 and SXSW in 2019. These live outings, often featuring up to 18 members onstage, showcased her role in enhancing the group's dynamic, layered performances, solidifying her presence in the Canadian indie scene. The 2019 live release Let's Try the After, recorded during the 2017 tour, further highlighted her vocal contributions on reinterpreted tracks. Within Broken Social Scene's democratic creative process, Engle played a key part in song development during the 2017 album sessions, co-writing and helming arrangements for multiple tracks to contribute to the collective's collaborative ethos. This approach, emphasizing group input and iteration, allowed her to shape the material alongside core members like and , resulting in a cohesive yet diverse output that reflected the band's evolving lineup through 2020.

Launch of solo project La Force

In 2018, Ariel Engle launched her solo project under the pseudonym La Force, marking a shift toward personal artistic expression inspired by profound life changes, including motherhood and experiences of loss that blurred the boundaries between . Originally conceived as a follow-up to her work with AroarA, the project evolved into a deeply introspective endeavor, allowing Engle to take the creative lead for the first time. The debut self-titled album, La Force, was released on September 7, 2018, through , blending nocturnal electronic pop with influences from artists like Tirzah and . Featuring standout tracks such as "You Amaze Me" and "Lucky One," the album explored themes of individuality and self-loss, earning a nomination for the 2019 longlist. Engle incorporated self-produced elements into La Force, drawing on her vocal and compositional strengths while collaborating with Montreal musicians including Warren Spicer of Plants and Animals on production, Charles Spearin, and Nyles Spencer. This approach contrasted her prior collaborative efforts, such as with , by emphasizing an auteur-driven style that prioritized emotional intimacy over ensemble dynamics. Following the release, Engle embarked on solo tours across and in 2018 and 2019, performing at venues like in and supporting acts that highlighted her emerging independent voice. Engle's sophomore album, XO Skeleton, arrived on September 29, 2023, via Secret City Records, delving into themes of regeneration and the interplay between life and death through a fusion of haunted pop and R&B elements. Self-produced by Engle with engineering support from Warren Spicer, the record featured tracks like "condition of us" and "xo skeleton," which captured a supple, energy reflective of personal renewal. It received critical acclaim for its thematic depth and was nominated for the 2024 longlist. An expanded edition, XO SKELETON +, was released on September 30, 2024, adding three new tracks including "protection." To promote the album, Engle toured and again in 2023 and 2024, including shows at Lodge Room in and festivals like . This period solidified her transition to a more autonomous creative path, building on the foundation of her solo debut.

Personal life

Marriage and family

Ariel Engle has been married to musician , a known for his work with and AroarA, since the early 2010s. The couple formed the band AroarA as a joint project in 2012, blending their creative partnership with their personal relationship. Engle and Whiteman welcomed their daughter, Paloma, in early 2014. This family milestone occurred amid their ongoing musical collaborations, marking a period of transition as they navigated parenthood together. The couple shares both professional and personal responsibilities, including co-parenting their child while managing touring schedules. Engle has described bringing their young daughter along on tours, integrating family life into their travel routines to maintain closeness despite demanding commitments. Based in , they balance these family dynamics with their music careers, residing in the city where much of their collaborative work has taken root.

Themes of loss and parenthood in music

Ariel Engle's songwriting as La Force has been profoundly shaped by the intertwined experiences of familial loss and new parenthood, particularly following the of her during the creation of her 2018 debut album. This period marked a liminal state for Engle, as she navigated while embracing motherhood, themes that permeate the record's exploration of identity's dismantlement and subsequent rebirth. In interviews, she articulated the album's core as a on , capturing the vulnerability of these transitions while infusing them with a sense of renewal. The track "Mama Papa" exemplifies this influence, serving as a poignant reflection of her father's passing and the emotional upheaval it wrought amid her own parental role. Engle has noted how the song embodies the raw duality of loss and creation, blending intimate sorrow with the generative force of family bonds. Similarly, "Epistolary Love Song," a with her husband , evokes epistolary exchanges that underscore enduring connections through life's cycles, tying personal vulnerability to optimistic continuity. These motifs evolve in Engle's 2023 album XO Skeleton, where parenthood themes intertwine with loss to portray death as regenerative rather than terminal, framing it as a vital part of life's continuum. Songs on the record tribute lost parents while celebrating familial approval and presence, even in absence, as Engle reflects on how motherhood amplifies her awareness of mortality's transformative power. Familial experiences, including her marriage and role as a parent, provide the emotional bedrock for this portrayal, emphasizing protection and love as defenses against grief. Throughout interviews from 2018 to 2023, Engle has consistently highlighted the life-death duality central to her , describing it as a blend of raw vulnerability and inherent optimism that honors emotional growth. She views these elements not as oppositional but as intertwined forces driving her creative process, fostering resilience in both songwriting and performance. Post-2018, Engle's vocal style has shifted toward greater , mirroring her personal through loss and parenthood; her delivery now conveys a soothing reassurance, balancing grief's weight with hopeful clarity. This change enhances the thematic depth of her work, allowing listeners to connect with the regenerative optimism she channels.

Discography

Solo albums as La Force

Engle's debut solo under the La Force moniker, La Force, was released on September 7, 2018, through . Featuring nine tracks with a runtime of 34 minutes, the record showcases her pop experimentation through dynamic production and versatile vocals, earning acclaim for its variety and emotional depth. Key singles "TBT" and "Ready To Run" highlight the album's blend of upbeat rhythms and . The album's artwork draws from the card for Strength, portraying a woman in red to symbolize inner power and resilience. Conceptually, La Force explores self-discovery as a statement of individuality and pluralism, serving as an ode to the self amid themes of loss and the interplay between life and death. Her sophomore effort, XO Skeleton, arrived on September 29, 2023, via Secret City Records. This nine-track album, clocking in at 34 minutes, incorporates R&B influences and a haunted pop aesthetic, with standout singles "condition of us" and "" emphasizing intimate, cycle-of-life reflections. Critics noted its supple, uncanny sound as a on , , and . The cover art presents a stark black-and-white image of Engle enveloped in a viscous, protective substance, underscoring and embrace. Thematically, XO Skeleton confronts mortality not as an end but as a regenerative force that animates life and relationships, pondering how loss shapes ongoing love. It earned a spot on the 2024 Polaris Music Prize long list. An expanded digital edition, XO SKELETON +, was released on September 30, 2024, adding three bonus tracks: "protection", "risk", and "ouroboros original". Both releases garnered modest placements on indie charts, reflecting their niche appeal within the alternative scene. By November 2025, the albums had amassed millions of streams on , contributing to La Force's milestone of 126,200 monthly listeners.

Albums with bands and collaborations

Ariel Engle's contributions to band albums and collaborative projects span the indie and experimental scenes, particularly in and , where she provided vocals, co-writing, and occasional lyrics across various ensembles. Her work with the duo AroarA, formed with , marked an early full-length endeavor, adapting poet Alice Notley's 2007 collection into music. Released in on Club Roll, the album features 9 tracks, while the accompanying self-titled EP includes 5 additional tracks, with Engle delivering lead vocals throughout and co-writing the music alongside Whiteman. Engle's involvement with began as a guest vocalist but evolved into a core role following the collective's 2017 reunion album , released on Arts & Crafts. On the album, she provides lead and backing vocals on multiple tracks, including co-writing and leading "Halfway Home" and leading "Stay Happy" and "Gonna Get Better," contributing to at least seven songs overall with her ethereal, layered delivery that complemented the band's expansive sound. Her continued participation included the 2019 EP Let's Try the After Vol. 1, where she sang lead on "1972," a reflective track about youth and uncertainty that built on the band's post-reunion momentum. Earlier in her career, Engle appeared as a guest vocalist on Montag's electronic album Alone, Not Alone (2005, ), providing vocals for the track "Grand Luxe," which evoked a gentle '60s pop feel amid the record's ambient textures. In the , she contributed to Sam Shalabi's project Land of Kush on scattered releases, including writing lyrics for "Fisherman" on the 2010 album (Constellation Records), where her words enhanced the orchestral exploration of love and isolation, and providing vocals on the 2013 big-band recording The Big Mango, a surreal tribute to featuring a large ensemble of Montreal musicians. More recently, Engle featured as a vocalist on Safia Nolin's folk album (2018, Bonsound Records), joining on the bilingual track "Lesbian Break-up Song," which bridged linguistic divides in themes of heartbreak and experience. Throughout the 2005–2015 period, she made appearances on various indie compilations and samplers, supporting the local scene's collaborative ethos, though specific track credits remain tied to broader ensemble efforts rather than standalone releases.

References

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