Tenise Marie: Off The Record

Event Description

Tenise Marie is a Canadian songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, performer, and recording artist based in Nelson, British Columbia.

Growing up, her voice was guided by bold female singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. Throughout her musical life, she has fallen in love with Soul, R&B, Gospel, Jazz, and most recently has begun exploring and reclaiming the sounds of her West Asian roots. Tenise's music weaves together each of these influences, while remaining focused on lyrics that cause us to examine our own humanity.

Tenise’s original music pairs soulful vocals with acoustic instruments, crafting a unique blend of Western and Eastern folk music, reflective of her own mixed European and Assyrian heritage. As Olivia Herring from Music Mecca described Tenise's ballad "Drawn to You" from her 2021 album Storm: “Watching Marie perform is an emotional experience...coming of age, falling in love, and exploring the world are just the surface level of inspiration in Marie’s pieces”.

A storyteller and traveller at heart, Tenise is inspired by adventure and connection. Her songs deliver folky nostalgia and romance, offering "jazzy folk-pop ambience…luminous vocals and clear-eyed, confessional lyrics” (Darryl Sterdan, Tinnitist).

Tenise Marie performs the range of human emotion through story and song, navigating heartbreak and humour with insightful lyrics, travel anecdotes, and unique musical landscapes.

Her new album, Off The Record, was recorded and released in July 2025 with support from Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia.

With Off The Record, “Tenise Marie opens up a deeply personal chapter, one that traces emotional vulnerability, cultural reconnection, and the quiet unraveling of perfectionism. As the title track to her new album, Off The Record doesn’t just set the tone, it is the tone. Honest, reflective, and soul-stirring” (Mischa Plouffe, Buzz Music).

The record features a collection of songs written for her Research & Creation songwriting project with the Canada Council for the Arts, inspired by her experience travelling to the Assyrian homeland in Iraq with GISHRU: Bridge to Assyria.