"Finding His Voice by Following His Gut"

Jonathan Roy's journey into music wasn't exactly conventional. The son of hockey legend Patrick Roy, he was pursuing a potential hockey career before deciding to take a chance on songwriting. Years later, after major-label experiences, cross-country van life, and viral one-take performances, Roy has built a career on authenticity and trusting his instincts. Coyote Music caught up with him to discuss his musical evolution, the lessons he's learned, and what's next.

Coyote Music: Jonathan! Thanks for taking some time to visit with me. Catching folks up on your music career, for those who might not yet be familiar with you, your first album came out in 2009. What led you into music in the first place?

Jonathan Roy: At the time, I was still playing major junior hockey and hoping to make it to the NHL. But I always loved music. I knew hockey wasn't going to last forever, and even if it did, it's a relatively short career.

I started messing around with poems and writing. Eventually I thought, "Fuck it, I'm going to do it." I wrote a few songs and put together an album. Looking back, it was quite horrible. (laughs) But because of my last name, it got some attention locally in Quebec. What was amazing about that experience wasn't necessarily the music itself—it was getting on stage. I learned how to connect with an audience, how to move around, how to work with a band, how to sing better. It was really my training ground.

CM: Were there particular artists who helped shape your sound?

JR: Definitely. I went through phases where I was listening to people like John Mayer, k.d. lang, and B.B. King. Over time I started finding my own tone and my own voice.

CM: You also spent time in musical theatre, including Don Juan. How did that impact your career?

JR: That experience actually led to a meeting with Corey Hart. He was looking for artists to produce, and he liked my voice. He brought me to Warner Music, and I ended up signing there.

CM: What was that major-label experience like?

JR: At first, I thought I'd made it. And in some ways, I had. It's a chapter in your life that teaches you a lot. But I eventually realized that they were telling me what was best for me instead of listening. There was this feeling of, "You either have it or you don't—and you don't." I was singing songs that didn't feel like me, and it became really depressing. It turned me off music for a while.

CM: How did you get through that period?

JR: I bought a van and basically decided to just disappear for a while. My dog, my girlfriend—who's now my wife—and I traveled across Canada. Then we moved through California and Mexico, living out of the van. It gave me space to reconnect with why I wanted to make music in the first place.

CM: Looking back, how do you view your time with Warner?

JR: Honestly, I was so happy when it ended and when I was let go. Songs like "Keeping Me Alive" and "Lost" were songs Warner didn't want. They wanted more pop-oriented material. But those songs ended up becoming some of the most important songs of my career.

That taught me to trust my gut. If you're going to survive in music, you have to follow your intuition and work your ass off. There are so many sacrifices and so many difficult moments. If you don't truly love it, you're done.

CM: "Keeping Me Alive" became a huge breakthrough. Did that success change your perspective?

JR: It reinforced everything I'd learned. When you start to really own your art, that's when things begin to align. The Mahogany Sessions helped too. We started doing these one-take performance videos, and that's really what blew everything up. YouTube has been incredible for me. I'm super fortunate. That's where people really get to see what we do live.

CM: Do you think authenticity matters more now than ever?

JR: I do. I understand the commercial side of music. I get it. But it's rare that people are actually making music simply because they love making music. But I think audiences are smart. Slowly, people are going to catch on to what's real and what's authentic.

CM: You've been open about vulnerability in your music. Why is that important to you?

JR: Because that's real life. I remember what it was like starting out—playing to empty rooms, showing your weaknesses, putting yourself out there when nobody's paying attention. Those experiences stay with you. The artists I admire, people like James Arthur and Ed Sheeran, aren't afraid to be vulnerable. That's where the connection happens.

CM: Let's talk about your latest music. What can fans expect from the new album?

JR: We've got a lot happening. I'll be playing 50 to 60 dates in Quebec, and there's another tour coming up that I can't quite talk about yet. The tour will wrap up in Denver, which was home for me for about ten years. We'll probably be filming a few videos along the way as well.

CM: Your latest single is "Waiting for a Call" - for which you dropped an amazing video, by the way. What can you tell us about it?

JR: I'm really excited about it. There's also a video coming, and fans can expect more releases soon.

CM: You recently filmed a video for "Nice to Meet You." How did that shoot go?

JR: It was probably the most challenging video shoot I've ever done. A few days beforehand I got bronchitis and was incredibly sick. Physically, it was hard to move around and get through the day. But then the sun came out and everything just lined up perfectly. We shot it near my house, and it ended up being one of those moments where all the pieces came together. I also love the way the song builds. From the bridge into the chorus, it hits like a ton of bricks.

CM: For people discovering your music for the first time, where should they start?

JR: I'd send them straight to my YouTube Channel (youtube.com/jonathanroyofficial). That's where I think I shine the most. That's where people can really see who we are and what we do live.

CM: Well, thanks so much for sharing all of that with our audience, Jonathan. You've come along way from Day 1 and have some big plans for the rest of this year and beyond. Best of luck with everything!

Photo by Philippe Arsenault | IG: @layers.mtl