Peterborough, Ont., singer-songwriter and fiddler Irish Millie has released her new seven-track album, Can You See Me?, marking another step in the career of the Canadian folk artist as she expands her Celtic roots into a broader folk, pop and rock sound.
Released alongside the album is “Boy At My Funeral,” a cinematic collaboration featuring Marshall Pula. The song represents one of the record’s most dramatic moments and explores an intense relationship complicated by uncertainty over whether that affection was equally returned.
‘Can You See Me?’ Explores Identity and Coming of Age
Can You See Me? is structured as a coming-of-age record centred on the perspective of a young woman who has long felt like an outsider. Drawing from Millie’s experiences growing up neurodivergent and highly sensitive to her surroundings, the album examines the pressure to conform and the difficulty of finding a comfortable sense of identity.
Rather than distancing herself from those experiences, Millie has incorporated them into what she describes as an “inner cinema,” an artistic approach in which sound, colour and storytelling intersect.
Across seven tracks, the album moves through themes including love, grief and self-doubt before arriving at a measure of acceptance. The title track ultimately broadens the record’s central question beyond Millie’s own experience, addressing listeners who have also struggled with feeling overlooked or misunderstood.
‘Boy At My Funeral’ Expands From Folk Demo to Pop-Rock Production
“Boy At My Funeral” arrives during one of the album’s most emotionally heightened sections. The track follows a protagonist experiencing an all-consuming relationship before questioning its depth and reciprocity.
“Falling out of the car on the interstate, my love for you has turned to hate,” Millie sings, later reaching the song’s central question: “if I faded away, would you come too?”
The track began as a stripped-down folk demo built around acoustic guitar but evolved during production as collaborators contributed to its arrangement. The finished recording incorporates a larger pop-rock sound designed to match the emotional scale of the song.
Pula’s harmonies were added largely spontaneously during the recording session, according to material accompanying the release. His contribution gives the song a two-voice dynamic that contrasts with its beginnings as a solo composition.
Celtic Roots Remain Central to Millie’s Music
Millie’s musical background began in childhood in a musical household, where she developed her skills through Celtic fiddle traditions. Those influences remain part of her work, although songwriting based on personal experiences has increasingly become central to her artistic identity.
She has earned seven Canadian Folk Music Award nominations across three releases. Her debut, Thirteen, was followed by GRACE, which received praise from Canadian Celtic musicians Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy.
Her 2026 EP, Between Then and Now, added further recognition, receiving Canadian Folk Music Award nominations for Young Performer of the Year and Single of the Year.
International Opportunities Add to a Busy 2026
Millie has also reached several career milestones this year. She was named a Robinson Emerging Artist Award winner at the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival and selected as the 2026 Breakthrough Artist through North2North, a competition connecting Canadian independent musicians with Sweden’s Lilla By Festivalen.
The North2North recognition took Millie to Rinkaby, Sweden, in June, where she performed on the festival’s main stage and in its Canada Barn. Festival co-founders Malin Östh and Jonas Tancred highlighted her Celtic pop-rock energy as an example of Canadian independent music.
Canadian Performances and Community Work Support Growing Profile
Millie’s career has attracted coverage from Canadian media including CBC’s Daybreak Alberta and Fresh Air with Ismaila Alfa, Global News, CityNews, Roots Music Canada and Cashbox Canada.
She has also performed before crowds exceeding 10,000 people at Peterborough Musicfest and has appeared on stages in Canada, the United States and Europe. Alongside her performing career, Millie has been completing a degree in Music Industry and Technology at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Her work outside recording and touring includes the Fiddling for Fox initiative, which earned her the Peterborough Civic Award for Community Betterment.
With Can You See Me?, Millie is building on her established folk and Celtic foundation while moving further into pop-rock production and autobiographical songwriting. The album and “Boy At My Funeral” provide the latest indication of the Peterborough musician’s expanding profile within Canada’s independent folk scene.