Writers on Track spotlights Laila Biali, a multi-award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter whose self-published work has captivated audiences worldwide. Her latest album, Wintersongs, recently earned a nomination for the 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. While celebrated for her achievements in the jazz world, Biali’s distinctive sound transcends genres, securing her a global following.
What’s your favorite part of the songwriting process?
Each song is such a journey into itself, it’s hard to choose a favorite part – but for me I suppose it’s the element of the unexpected. It’s often the songs I almost give up on that find new life in moments away from the writing room – on a walk, up in the air on a plane, or while driving. Those are the times my brain relaxes and the alpha waves do their good work. Solutions or fresh ideas enter the picture seemingly out of nowhere, when I wasn’t trying to hone in on them specifically. I also love editing and fine-tuning songs as part of the album pre-production process with my co-producer and husband, Ben Wittman. That stage is always both intense and joyful. Fearlessness and freedom come with the trust we’ve built over 15 years collaborating together. We can speak frankly about something we feel isn’t working because it’s understood that we believe in one another’s craft and process.
What’s your biggest session highlight so far?
I haven’t spent much time in formal cowriting sessions. About 15 years ago Marc Jordan and I sent a song back and forth over email. I had written the music and melody several years earlier and he added lyrics that were a perfect fit within 24 hours of receiving the music (he’s prolific!) it’s called “Still The One”. In the summer of 2015 Royal Wood and I sat together in a studio at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity (my songwriting haven) and blasted through ideas for about 2 hours. That song was never released but it’s hanging out on my hard drive waiting for its moment. Perhaps the most memorable experience for me was an invitation to Randy Bachman’s home. I joined him in his studio and he shared a few songwriting “seeds” with his guitar in hand – harmonic ideas mostly. He handed one of them off to me and let me run with it. That became our co-write, “Queen of Hearts”, recorded for my 2018 eponymous release.
How much do current market and track trends impact your creative process?
To be honest, I don’t think about this too much. Perhaps that has to do with my background in Jazz, which is generally considered a “non-commercial” genre. That said, I have such an appreciation for artists who create anthemic material, the kind of music that immediately catches on. My 15-year-old son also keeps me on my toes when it comes to trends. His favorite artists come from the rap world, music I wouldn’t typically listen to for pleasure – but I can hear the craft in their approach. I would love to collaborate with more artists who operate in different genres and see what new ideas that might spark. Shad has long been on my Canadian wishlist and I suspect that collaboration will happen at some point.
To learn more about Laila Biali, click here. Listen to Laila on Amazon Music, Apple Music or Spotify.
