..and the things with strings one needs to make them, Collette Savard has made the best of her time chained inside the Tower of Song. A singer-songwriter, vocalist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Savard has spent more than two decades carving out her own peculiar corner of Toronto's music scene, making music that seems to belong to several eras at once, and none in particular.

Her influences are as eclectic as her instrument collection. From the French folk songs and old country music of her Northern Ontario childhood to the songwriting of Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, Tom Waits and Lucinda Williams, Savard has developed a distinctive brand of soulful, bluesy folk that seems to belong to several eras at once. Her compositions, written on a whimsical assortment of folk instruments, are delivered in smooth, sultry vocals that can be poignant, playful, darkly humorous or disarmingly direct, with a particular gift for melodies that linger long after the performance.

Savard independently released three albums with her longtime musical partner, producer and multi-instrumentalist John Zytaruk: Most Improved Cheerleader (2005), Zen Boyfriend (2008) and Best Dress (2012). In 2018, she released the self-titled debut of Collette Savard and The Savants, a band that grew out of her longstanding residency at Toronto's Tranzac Club.

Over the years, Savard has had the good fortune to surround herself with an extraordinary musical family. The Savants brought together the talents of vocalist and percussionist Rebecca Campbell, bassist and producer John Switzer, drummer Martin Worthy, guitarist Tim Posgate and keyboardist and vocalist Megan Worthy. Her wider musical adventures have brought her together with an illustrious array of players, including Joey Wright, Jesse Whiteley, Saskia Tomkins, Kevin Barrett, Burke Carroll, Steve Briggs, James McEleney, Bob Cohen and many more. These accomplished musicians bring their own distinctive voices to Savard's compositions, helping her songs take on new shapes while remaining unmistakably her own.

Savard's fifth album, scheduled for release in February 2027, features members of The Savants alongside a host of guest musicians, including Tim Posgate, Burke Carroll, David Celia and others. The album's release will be celebrated with a special reunion of The Savants at Toronto's Hugh's Room Live, bringing back Posgate, who departed the band in 2024. Following the release, Savard will embark on a new musical chapter with an ensemble she has been developing over the past several months.

A longtime fixture of Toronto's Tranzac Club and its wider musical community, Savard continues to write, perform and explore new combinations of musicians and instruments. Her songs range from love and loss to the absurdities of human behaviour, resilience and the complicated business of being alive. With a keen eye for human nature, a playful command of language and an instinct for melodies that stay with you, Savard has developed a body of work distinguished by its wit, emotional depth and unmistakable originality. Hers is that rare kind of songwriting that can delight the most discerning student of the craft and the casual radio listener in equal measure.