Ever since she was young, singer-songwriter Victoria Canal has been searching for her voice. From “spilling everything out” in her teenage years to “an extreme reeling in” during her early twenties, the Spanish-American, London-based artist could never quite settle in the middle ground that felt true to the multi-faceted person she was on the inside. Now on the cusp of releasing her debut album Slowly, It Dawns, she’s finally getting comfortable somewhere in between. “The album has been a very concerted practice in appreciating all sides of me,” she says.

For the past decade, Canal has been making her mark as a deeply introspective songwriter whose natural talent radiates when she’s at her most vulnerable. From challenging beauty standards, brave reflections on mental health to diaristic confessions on the thrill of new connections, her fearless approach to her craft has found legions of devoted fans who see themselves in her unflinchingly honest lyrics. Her songwriting talents were recognised with the Ivor Novello Rising Star award in 2023, followed by Best Song Musically and Lyrically for her cinematic opus ‘Black Swan’ in 2024. Within that time, she also opened for Hozier on tour and performed her own run of shows across the US and Europe. Her bumper year of success culminated with an unforgettable appearance on stage with Coldplay at Glastonbury 2024.

Finally ready to release her debut album, Canal has arrived with newfound clarity about the artist she wants to be. Where 2022 EP Elegy found her working through grief, 2023’s Well Well was the “wounded rebirth” that inevitably followed. With Slowly, It Dawns, she’s ready to step into the truest version of herself. “I'm trying to be honest and unapologetic about what I want to put out there, whether it's wholesome, sexy, loud, quiet, if I'm being femme or masc; I don't want to apologise for it.”