Your album, Anniversary, has been nominated for the JUNO awards 2025. Where were you when you got the news? How are you feeling?
I was at home. It was a bit surreal. It’s such an honour… It’s a huge milestone for any Canadian musician, especially as an independent artist. Folk music is such a community-driven genre, and I worked with an amazing team [on] Anniversary, so to have the album recognised like this feels really special.

It’s hard to believe that this tour is your UK live debut…
I’m really looking forward to connecting with audiences over there. I feel like folk music obviously has such deep roots in the UK, and I’ve always been inspired by British and Celtic music traditions.

You’re touring with Steph Cameron – how does the joint tour work?
We each have our own sets, but Steph and I will play and sing on each others’ sets too. I’m especially excited to jump in on some harmonies together. And in a crazy twist, Steph and I are also both bringing our new babies along on tour across the UK and Europe. So it’s actually a bit of an experiment for both of us, touring with an infant for the first time, supporting each other as new moms on the road. It’s going to be chaotic and beautiful. 

Your recent album and new bumper release, Anniversary & More Songs About Love, reflect on marriage, death and loving into old age…
I wanted to both celebrate and kind of make fun of the idea of romance and all the love song clichés. I was writing and recording during a long and sometimes really hard journey trying to start a family, and dealing with other health issues. It wasn’t an easy or super romantic time for me and my partner, but ultimately brought us closer together. So I was inspired to explore some of those darker or funnier or real-er sides of love. I ended up getting pregnant just before the album was released, touring all spring and summer while pregnant… So it was a pretty crazy year! But having a baby feels like being the most in love ever.

Is there a town or venue that you’re particularly looking forward to? 
If I had to pick one, I think I’d say London. It’s obviously such a legendary music town, and playing at an iconic venue like the Jazz Cafe is really cool for us. There’s such a strong folk tradition there so it’ll be cool to play for a crowd that connects with that. But honestly, every stop on the tour has something special.

Interview by Emma Rycroft

+ Abigail Lapell's UK tour dates are below. For more information, visit abigaillapell.com

 11 MAY Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham; 12 MAY Cambridge Junction; 13 MAY Hen & Chicken, Bristol; 14 MAY Jazz Cafe, London.