If there is such a thing as a prodigy rock star, Serena Ryder was probably one.
She first took the stage at a wedding at age two, grabbing a microphone and belting out a toddler version of Michael Jackson鈥檚 hit, 鈥淏eat It.鈥�
鈥淲hen I was a little kid I used to be obsessed with just performing wherever I was,鈥� recalled Ryder. 鈥淎nd I always wanted to be a musician and to play in front of as many people as possible.鈥�
Her first real gig came when she was all of eight years old, with her music teacher, Terry Finn. Accompanying her on piano, she sang before about 200 people at the Royal Canadian Legion in her hometown of Millbrook, Ontario.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what I was doing at all but I loved it. It was so awesome. It was super fun just to be on a microphone,鈥� said Ryder.
While she remembers the performance fondly, she also remembers being less enthused with the gift she received afterwards, a Barbie doll, which she quickly discarded.
Even at that young age it was obvious to those around her that she had great potential as a performer.
鈥淪he certainly had the talent鈥� said Finn. 鈥淚 thought, well, her voice is sure never going to hold her back and her motivation wouldn鈥檛, either.鈥�
That motivation and single-minded focus on becoming a singer/songwriter had Ryder performing at the local baseball diamond, coffee shop and outdoor festivals through her childhood and teens.
By the time she was 17 she had recorded her first full length album. But it was in her twenties that those years of work paid off in a big way.
She recorded a series of ever more popular singles, including the breakout hit, 鈥淲eak in the Knees,鈥漚nd won her first of what would be six Juno awards. Her career was ascendant, at least until a devastating bout of depression took over her life.
鈥淎 big depression is like you literally feel like there鈥檚 a cloud around your head and that everything鈥檚 kind of fuzzy. You have a lack of inspiration, you don鈥檛 care about anything and you鈥檙e just really tired all the time,鈥� said Ryder.
That depression would incapacitate her for six months, but thanks in large part to therapy and anti-depressants, Ryder finally re-emerged from her fog.
Over time she shared her experience with others, even becoming a spokesperson for the Bell Let鈥檚 Talk mental health campaign. She readily acknowledges that she continues to be susceptible to depression.
鈥淚t sucks sometimes but it鈥檚 important to speak about it so that people don鈥檛 feel like they鈥檙e the only ones going through it.鈥�
In the wake of that crippling bout of depression came Ryder鈥檚 most acclaimed album to date, 2012鈥檚 鈥淗armony鈥�, with the break-out hits 鈥淲hat I Wouldn鈥檛 Do鈥� and especially, 鈥淪tompa鈥�, which reached the top of the charts in both Canada and the U.S.
鈥淚t was my first real gigantic hit, which is great,鈥� says Ryder 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of that record and it opened up a lot of doors for me.鈥�
Now, five years after 鈥淗armony鈥�, the long-awaited follow-up album, 鈥淯topia鈥�, will be released in May.
She co-wrote seven songs on the album, including the title track with her close friend, Simon Wilcox, daughter of legendary Canadian guitarist David Wilcox. Simon attributes part of her kinship with Ryder to their shared Ontario roots.
鈥淲e鈥檙e both kind of hosers,鈥� said Wilcox. 鈥淲e grew up hearing Canadian rock and being around grown-ups who were drinking Canadian beer.鈥�
Wilcox, now living in California, is a much sought after songwriter, who recently has collaborated with a wide array of popular artists including Enrique Iglesias, 5 Seconds of Summer and Nick Jonas, whose hit song 鈥淛ealous鈥� she wrote.
She believes Ryder has talents unlike any other performer.
鈥淗er voice is important because it鈥檚 so human and honest,鈥� said Wilcox, 鈥渋mportant in that when I hear her sing it sounds like nature is singing to me. I don鈥檛 know that there鈥檚 anyone else who does that for me."
W5's 'Serena' airs at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 on CTV, CTV GO and will be available in our player above after 8 p.m.
