Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Puma June is an “emerging Canadian artist you need to hear” (Exclaim!). The pop/R&B multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer grew up surrounded by music, falling in love with big jazz vocalists like Aretha Franklin from a young age. With an eclectic array of influences, from Stevie Wonder to Billie Eilish and everything in between, June’s music is a unique blend of pop, funk, hip-hop, and R&B – a genre-bending sound that is both nostalgic and distinctive to the listener.
Puma June’s childhood was not easy, but music always grounded her. A classically trained violinist, June played in the Orillia Youth Symphony Orchestra and later Huronia Symphony Orchestra until she finished highschool in Barrie, Ontario. She was also a violinist and backup singer in various indie-rock and folk bands throughout her early years (including a folk duo with her sister), but never found the confidence to go out on her own. After studying nursing and working throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, Puma June rediscovered herself musically and finally found her own voice.
With a clear political point of view, Puma June’s feminist-laced songwriting pushes unfiltered honesty and centres around regaining power in one’s life, with a particular focus on women’s/gender issues, familial trauma, and the battle of self-doubt as an artist. June released her first single, “Lost Years” in November 2022, followed by 4 more self-produced singles and music videos throughout 2023 and the start of 2024.
June entered 2024 as a round 11 recipient of the RBC Music x Prism Prize MVP Project Grant, which she used to make a music video for her single “My Body, My Problem”, which came out June 28th. This was the first single off her upcoming debut EP, a home-recorded expression of vulnerability and strength, which is set to be released in fall 2024. With lots on the horizon for 2024, including being selected as one of this year’s RBCxMusic ‘First Up’ Emerging Artists, and selected for the EquityxProduction Program through SOCAN Foundation, Puma June is the embodiment of a self-made artist and is a rising voice in the Canadian pop/R&B scene.
