Inside The Sound of Snow: Laila Biali On Crafting Her Winter Love Letter

Canadian vocalist, pianist, and composer Laila Biali has bottled the beauty of winter in her new chamber album Wintersongs—a sweeping, cinematic tribute to snow-drenched mornings, mountain silhouettes, and the quiet magic found between frost and stillness. Written during a residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the project is infused with the wildness and wonder of the Rockies, elevated by collaborators including Jane Bunnett, the Venuti String Quartet, and orchestrator Rob Mathes. We sat down with Laila to explore the inspirations, creative rituals, and unexpected stories behind her most atmospheric album yet. —Noa Nichol

First of all—congratulations! How did it feel to hear your name alongside icons like Elton John, Lady Gaga, and Barbra Streisand? What was your first reaction when you learned about the Grammy nomination?

It was truly surreal. I hadn’t even heard the official announcement myself when the texts started pouring in from fellow musicians and publicists. I immediately broke into tears as this was and is the stuff of dreams. What a milestone moment!

Wintersongs was written during your residency at the Banff Centre, surrounded by snow and silence. How did that landscape influence the tone and texture of the album?

As I sat in my writing cabin nestled in the woods, it was so natural and instinctive to begin composing music that felt like it could be a soundtrack for my surroundings. The snowscapes kept shifting and that led to a suites of songs that move from serene sounds to boisterous bluster.

Your album was submitted as jazz, yet the Recording Academy placed it in Traditional Pop. What do you make of that decision—and what does it say about how your sound bridges genres?

Initially the move from Jazz to Traditional Pop felt like it completely narrowed if not eliminated my chances of a nomination. There were many other big names who had entered the Traditional Pop category beyond those nominated – Seth MacFarlane, Jeff Goldblum, Ben Folds, Lea Salonga, Christina Aguilera and others. But once I had received the nomination, I felt a strange sense of home – not that I deserved to be alongside the global icons but rather that the category properly embraced my music. I come from Jazz and those influences can be heard on Wintersongs, but somehow Traditional Pop seems a more accurate description of the stylistic approach.

You’ve often described winter as both isolating and beautiful. What do you hope listeners feel when they hear Wintersongs during the colder months?

Even though it’s a project about winter (and the cold), the spirit of Wintersongs is fundamentally warm. I hope it gives people a wonderfully cozy yet expansive feeling when they listen to it, and the same sense of awe and wonder I felt as I was writing the music.

For many artists, Banff represents a kind of creative sanctuary. What role has the Banff Centre played in your evolution as a musician and composer over the years?

I cannot overstate the significant role the Banff Centre has played in every album written and/or arranged over the past 10 years. Most of my stays there have been shorter – between 3 and 5 days – but for Wintersongs I was offered a generous 2 weeks. Ideas that have been stored up over months come pouring out when I’m in Banff. The Centre ensures all needs are met – comfortable accommodations, beautiful food and plenty of opportunities to collaborate, connect and be inspired. They also provide a private space in which to draw apart and create new work. For my Wintersongs residency I was granted access to the stunning Ian Davidson studio complete with floor to ceiling windows looking out on nature and a Steinway piano. What a dream!

You’re representing Canada on a global stage—how does it feel to bring a project so deeply rooted in the Canadian landscape into such an international spotlight?

It is an enormous privilege to represent our beautiful country as the only Canadian nominated in my category. And to see music inspired by our rich landscape recognized by the Recording Academy which is mostly comprised of US voting members is such an incredible honour. My stylist Jo Jin and I will definitely be collaborating with Canadian designers to showcase that deeply rooted Canadian pride on the red carpet and at the Awards.

You’re not only a performer but also a broadcaster and pianist—how do those different creative identities feed into your songwriting and storytelling?

It comes down to people. My broadcasting role at CBC Music as the host of Saturday Night Jazz reminds me that, whether I’m singing, playing piano, or telling stories on air, the end goal is to connect with listeners, to encourage and uplift them in what ways I’m able. That is what brings the greatest meaning to my life and career.

Finally, with your Dreamland: The Canadian Songbook Reimagined project on the horizon, how do you see Wintersongs shaping what comes next in your musical journey?

Wintersongs has given me freedom to continue painting outside the lines, to explore an approach to music that can’t always be neatly categorized, to allow the songs to dictate stylistic direction rather than preconceived notions about genre boxes. It has helped me discover and embrace my own unique voice as a songwriter, and that will in turn free me up as an arranger interpreting and honouring the music of other Canadian artists I admire.