Willa

Canadian vocalist Ali Milner, performing under the alias Willa, specializes in catchy atmospheric electronic pop. She entered the world in Toronto yet spent her childhood in Whistler, British Columbia, where piano instruction began at age 13. The self-titled debut appeared one year later, with the follow-up I Dare You issued in 2009. Acting pursuits also occupied that time, including appearances in the series Supernatural and When the Heart Calls. Jazz figures and classic pop singers such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and Dolly Parton shaped her initial tastes, though electronic music gradually drew stronger interest. In her twenties she stepped back to reassess her songwriting process, which led to work with Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother and the creation of a richly textured yet melodic electronic aesthetic. Enthusiasm for this shift prompted a complete departure from earlier material and the adoption of the Willa stage name. The first single issued as Willa, “Stay the Night,” arrived in 2015, followed by “Dreamers” in 2016.