Published Feb 17, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 2 minute read<\/p>\n
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Nora Stephens, who goes by the stage name of Nora Joy, is celebrating the release of her debut album. HandoutArticle content<\/p>\n
While Nora Stephens had been working towards the release of her debut album for quite some time, she still can\u2019t believe it\u2019s finally out.<\/p>\n
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Stephens, who goes by the stage name of Nora Joy, officially released her self-titled album last Friday after three years of working on and refining the 12-song collection.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s been kind of a long process, which is cool because it explores a lot of aspects of my life and the different things that I\u2019ve gone through. I think in that aspect, it\u2019s really cool. I really like the sound and how it turned out,\u201d said Stephens.<\/p>\n
During the extended recording process, the young singer-songwriter worked with two different producers, but the songs, despite the different collaborators, still meshed well, Stephens said,<\/p>\n
At just 16, Stephens has already taken the local music scene by storm, having been named the winner of the Owen Sound Summerfold Music Festival\u2019s Ontario Youth Discoveries Competition, which gave her the opportunity to perform at that year\u2019s festival. She has also opened for Canadian music legend, and family friend, Ron Sexsmith during the Ontario leg of his current tour, and will join him in the United Kingdom for shows in February and March.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cPerforming is probably my favourite part of the whole process \u2014 doing shows and experiencing different audiences in different places is really cool,\u201d Stephens said<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I learn something every time I perform, or every time I write a song, which is a really cool experience to see, like getting better at learning new things as I go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since moving to Stratford, Sexsmith and his wife, Colleen Hixenbaugh, have taken Stephens under their wings. Hixenbaugh helped show Stephens how to write her first song, while Sexsmith plays guitar on two of the songs on the Nora Joy album.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been pretty cool having them backing me up. Getting to perform on stage and in these really cool venues has been so much fun,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
While she does get nervous before she performs, \u201ceverything goes away, and it\u2019s all replaced with excitement\u201d once she gets on stage.<\/p>\n
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Stephens first began writing songs since she was 11 as more of a pastime during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a short while, she \u201cjust fell in love\u201d with songwriting, she said.<\/p>\n
Stephens has already seen some progression in what she writes about. At first, her songs were often about the people in her life because it was an easy connection to make. That has changed, however, as she has gotten older, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I\u2019ve gotten older, I\u2019ve kind of explored my feelings and my view on the world, and also, like going into high school, so my inspiration stems from there,\u201d Stephens said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think leaving elementary school was a really big change for me and going into high school, so a lot of my songs reflect that, and feelings of getting older too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephens said she thinks of listening to the album, which can be found on the different major streaming platforms, as reading a chapter of her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach song just kind of explores different emotions and different challenges or things that happened in the last couple of years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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