Forest Blakk

Soulful Canadian singer-songwriter Jesse-James Cameron records as Forest Blakk. He chose the name in 2015 upon departing the Juno-nominated rock outfit Makeshift Innocence, then achieved widespread recognition in 2020 through the tender single “If You Love Her” and again the following year via its duet counterpart with Meghan Trainor. Both versions appeared on the 2022 EP Every Little Detail, earning him a Juno Award nomination. Following a 2023 Christmas EP, he issued the reflective 2024 collection Undone (Love & Loss).

A Montreal native, Cameron endured a turbulent upbringing that steered him toward music amid family turmoil. At age 15 his grandmother presented him with a guitar; by 21, after intervals in Florida and Jamaica, he had settled in Calgary and taken the frontman role with Makeshift Innocence. Blending reggae, pop, and roots rock, the group swiftly earned local acclaim, securing a 2013 Juno nomination for Reggae Recording of the Year with the track “Yours to Keep.”

A stroll through Germany’s Black Forest while touring inspired the Forest Blakk alias, prompting his 2015 exit from Makeshift Innocence. Beginning with “Love Me,” he rolled out several singles across 2018 and 2019, among them the emotive “Put Your Hands Up,” which aired during an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. After signing with Atlantic he delivered the 2020 EP Sideways. His breakthrough arrived later that year with “If You Love Her,” a moving reflection on former romance that recalled the powerhouse balladry of Vance Joy, Lifehouse, and Sam Smith. A Meghan Trainor remix reached the Canadian Hot 100 in 2021, after which he offered the romantic follow-up “Fall Into Me.” Both tracks anchored Every Little Detail and helped secure a Juno Fan Choice Award nomination. Subsequent to the 2023 holiday EP, his 2024 release Undone (Love & Loss) gathered recent offerings such as “I Choose You” and “Love Somebody Again.”