For Susan Isaac, music has always been a constant.
“My life was filled with music for as long as I can remember,” Isaac said. “My mum had left the music industry to farm and have a family, but she didn’t stop singing and writing. I remember her practising with friends at our house, singing in church and studying classical guitar.”
Born outside Stonewall to folk singer Carol Isaac, Susan grew up surrounded by music and performance. Her parents even formed a community theatre group in town, exposing her not only to stagecraft but also to the confidence needed to perform. Later, she performed in Prairie Rose, a band she formed with her mother and local musicians Shelly Kelly and Kari Kinley.
“For a small community, Stonewall managed to provide lots of opportunities for me to develop my musical skills,” she said. “I sang in church and in school musicals, I sang with my best friend Judy Oatway in festival competitions, and later in bands that performed locally. Winnipeg had this coffee house cultural revival thing going on, which was great as a teenager because they often had open mics and other entry-level performance opportunities that helped me learn how to function on stage.”
Isaac’s talent was recognized early. She was part of the inaugural Young Performers Program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, an experience she still treasures.
“I loved the songwriting circles we had in the weeks leading up to Folk Fest and meeting other young musicians. Getting to perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival was incredible,” she said. “There was also coaching on the business side of music, which I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. Being a musician means wearing about 15 different hats and trying to accomplish the work of a team of 10 people.”
But life eventually pulled her in other directions. Isaac focused on community development work, travelling and raising her two children. It wasn’t until the death of her father that she returned to songwriting.
“Losing my dad gave me a grief so profound that the only thing I could do to process some of those feelings was to make music about it,” she said. “Grieving gave a sense of urgency to my creativity. It laid down tracks for me to process other things that would come along as well.”
The song that marked her return — I Didn’t Think to Tell Him — became her first single and is now available on streaming platforms.
“It’s the song I wrote to my dad that started me back in music,” Isaac said.
That return coincided with her time as lead singer of The Night Warblers, a group that helped her regain confidence as a songwriter.
“Working with the Night Warblers felt like a return to music as play,” she said. “Having people take my creative endeavours seriously has helped me take myself more seriously.”
Now based in Edmonton, Isaac is focused on her solo career, bringing her multi-instrumentalist skills and rich vocals to new audiences.
“As I continued writing songs, I realized they all fit together in a way that made me want to make an album of my own,” she said. “Working as a solo artist means I can more easily take this show on the road.”
She’s already planning performances in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, including festival and venue dates in the Interlake. Recording new material is also on the horizon.
“When I listen to music where I know the musician is speaking their truth, I feel like I’m brought more in touch with my own humanity,” Isaac said. “It’s a tall order, but I hope that in some way my music can do the same for others.”
