A natural beauty, a woman with a diversified musical career, a kind and creative Canadian ambassador and someone you want to be friends with; that is in a nutshell who Damhnait Doyle is. 

By the looks of her photo, you would not expect Damhnait to have begun her career twelve years ago, but it was in 1996 that she was discovered in a St. Johns record shop and soon after put her talent on the map as one of Canada’s much beloved songstress.  

She was signed at the impressionable age of seventeen and released her first solo album Shadows Wake Me, in 1996. By 2003 she had accomplished three more albums including one with her band Shaye. In the past five years, Shaye released Lake of Fire received a Juno Award Nomination, and is a constant radio favourite. Damhnait, as an independent musician, has released two more CD’s; most recently, Lights Down Low, a cover album. 

There is no denying that her career is an eclectic one and I haven’t even told you that she is an active songwriter for several Canadian musicians, a weekly columnist in the St. John’s Telegram and further, has been to Kandahar twice to perform to Canadian troops. Phew.  

Why a cover album? Why the hell not. If you could sing songs of your favourite artists, who would they be…who do you passionately rock out to while doing Karaoke at the Gladstone? For me it would be Blondie, Tina Turner or The Pixies, Simon & Garfunkel and maybe Rod Stewart. Yeah I know random, but so are the choices of artists that Damhnait selected ABBA, Bob Marley, Joy Division and The Clash; you couldn’t get much more diverse than that unless you through a Josh Groban or Jay-Z track in. 

Although Damhnait chose an assorted palette of musical styles, she has mastered turning them into her very own sound – a difficult feat with such well-known hits. Her sultry, rich style is passionate and provides the perfect backdrop to a warm dinner party filled with good friends, laughter and wine.  

Her version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” is positively sexy and would go quite nicely in the background after you and a significant other pour your emotions out to each other, shed a few tears and then gear up for some slow love making. I know, hard to imagine with this punk rock anthem, but dammit Damhnait has managed the feat to flip the table and make this an entirely different song. 

Growing up she listened to Depeche Mode, Madonna, The Cure and Bon Jovi. Although her tastes have softened now to embrace more folky sound like Patti Griffin, Amy Lou Harris and Iron and Wine. That said, it’s obvious that Damhnait is still a rock n’ roll child at heart. 

This is especially evident when you catch her in Toronto at a local bar sporting a leather jacket and looking Joan Jett cool while sipping on a drink and taking in emerging artists and the latest local bands. 

Free Saturdays do not come often to those who share the stage with Willie Nelson, attend songwriting circles, tour the country and have a weekly column, but given a Saturday to play with  she’d undoubtedly start the day with Breakfast at local Roncesvalles neighbourhood haunt B (2210 Dundas Street). Next stop: Moksha Yoga (860 Richmond Street West) for hot yoga and detox. Walking East along Queen she’d fall in love with some prints at The Paper Place (887 Queen Street West), take a gander at some instruments at Capsule Music(921 Queen West) and head for a delicious late afternoon snack at Terroni (720 Queen Street West). Nightime? Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Avenue) till they kick her out.  

So what’s her advice to those that want to walk down the same path? “Play with as many local artists as you can, and write 100 songs!” Intimidating? Yes – but then she continues to the really scary part, “Don’t conform, be who you want to be, look within yourself  and find the things people teased you about once and write about them..” Yikes – good advice, but definitely for those who aren’t afraid to dig up the haunting skeletons in the closet.