As with any challenge that comes her way, though, the singer used the opportunity to make her own rules, gifting her merch to select attendees onstage while showing off her can-do scrappiness with QR code-adorned flyers that link to an online shop. Her presence when interacting with the audience was comparable to when she performed her songs, and if this was impacted by her feeling under the weather, I couldn’t tell. Nemahsis’s approach as an artist is so rooted in sharing space—in linking arms with her listeners.
But her artistic intent isn’t obvious to everyone, and it has often been misinterpreted. In a previous profile, her unwavering support for Palestinian liberation led to labels backstepping their interest in her, writing her off as too outspoken or controversial.
Over a year later, though, Nemahsis is distanced from that moment, having gone on to independently produce an album. Now she’s nominated for three JUNO Awards — Canada’s foremost music industry ceremony, akin to the US Grammys and the UK’s BRIT Awards — in the songwriter, alternative album, and breakthrough artist of the year categories.
The prospect of winning an award would make any emerging artist’s heart flutter, but Nemahsis is focused on another goal: meeting Tate McRae. The unexpected confession, she recalls, made her team burst out laughing when they first heard it, which perplexed her. “I’m on the spectrum. I didn’t understand what was so funny about it,” she says. “It was the truth! And then I realized, like, wow — yeah, that’s the joke.”
