Your Story Starts Here: A Chapter of Braden Lam

Every artist has a story. One stitched together through restless touring, quiet creative breakthroughs, and the people and places that leave their mark. Your Story Starts Here is a series dedicated to capturing these journeys. For this chapter, we handed Braden Lam a disposable camera and asked him to share the world behind his music. His lens captured a life shaped by East Coast charm, long drives, and the kind of honest storytelling that turns moments into melodies. Alongside these snapshots, we caught up with him to talk about his path so far, what inspires him, and the experiences that have shaped him into who he is today. 🪩 🌱 Here’s how his story began…

Your Story Starts Here: A Chapter of Braden Lam

A person with a mustache squats in front of a weathered wooden barn and fence, wearing a brown and beige jacket, surrounded by dry grass under a clear blue sky. — ✨ @bradenlamusic

The Story of Braden Lam

Braden Lam is an indie-folk singer-songwriter forging a new path for 21st-century folk and Americana. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, his music blends authentic storytelling with a modern indie flair, rooted in tradition but charged with the urgency of today. After nearly a decade of writing, recording, and evolving, his debut full-length album The Cloudmaker’s Cry feels like a true beginning: a carefully crafted portrait of identity, place, and emotional reckoning.

The record is an ode to the people and places that have shaped him, with every detail, down to the tracklist, visual world, and sleeve art, curated to reflect this chapter of his life. Across warm, timeless instrumentation, Braden explores the complexity of relationships, the quiet ache of adulthood, and the echoes of history that linger in the present. The “Cry” in the title speaks volumes: a cry of joy, of protest, of grief, of hope. And through it all, he pushes his voice to new edges, vocally and creatively.

“This feels like the start of my story,” he says. “Every part of this record is a reflection of who I am right now, and where I come from.”

With The Cloudmaker’s Cry, Braden Lam isn’t just releasing an album; he’s defining a sound, a vision, and a voice all his own.

🎙️ We talked with Braden Lam about her story, what inspires him, and more. Check out what he said below…

How does your community inspire you?

“Nova Scotia is a very grounded place, there’s no big city hustle, I often joke that as a Province we are 30 years behind the rest of the country, and for better or worse it’s kinda true. I wake up and can see the ocean from my kitchen window, step onto my balcony, and taste the salt in the air. Life just moves at a slower pace here, and it’s quite refreshing to be home.”

Why do you create music in your city? (Why here, vs. another city?)

“The community and intimacy of a smaller city while still being a stone’s throw away from the US and Europe… lol that’s a wild statement, but everything’s relative right? Canada is a big ass place.”

What are your favorite music venues in your city?

“Sanctuary Arts Centre in Dartmouth has got some real magic going on… I hosted my album release party there on April 25th for a reason!”

A cartoon woman with blue hair holds a cup of coffee, sitting on a bench outside Morley's Coffee and Taz Records storefront, lost in her own story. — Taz Records

What are your favorite record stores in your city?

“Taz Records in Dartmouth – all my favourite things under one roof. Records, books, recording studio, good coffee, and great people.”

What are your favorite local music festivals?

“Nova Scotia Music Week in Yarmouth, NS, Paddlefest in St. Andrews, NB, and hoping to make it to Full Circle Fest this year in Newport Landing.”

What influence has your city had on your music?

“Halifax is a very DIY, multi-genre, and multicultural city. We do a lot of everything, and I think that leaves a lot of room for exploration and growth, especially early on in a musical career. I enjoy the charming balance of traditional folk and Celtic music mixed in with the more diverse and boundary-pushing artists who are ushering in a new era of sounds from this corner of Canada.”

This is just a chapter of their story… where does yours begin?

When you’re ready to take your music to the next level, Symphonic Starter is a plan we launched for up-and-coming artists looking to get started in the industry with a professional hand to guide the way. With it, you get to keep 100% of your royalties with access to top-tier tools that the big leagues get at a fraction of the price.

If that’s not convincing enough, how about 50% off to try it out for yourself? Use code MYSTORY50 to get half off your first year of Starter and get your music heard by new fans all over the world.