“All I want in life is for people to have a good time and have fun,” says slacker-rock singer-songwriter CJ Wiley.
Joyous creativity abounds in their work. It’s in their newly-released single “No One Like U” and its music video, a queer re-creation of classic moments from the 90s- era movie 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s in their work charismatically hosting the Big Gay Night series of concerts promoting queer and trans performers in Toronto. It’s in the Shania Twain cover band they play in, Shania Twink.
“Fun and silly, that’s my vibe,” Wiley says.
“No One Like U” was co-written with singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield, an artist Wiley had admired for years. They were connected by a friend and got together for coffee. Twenty minutes later they had the lyrics written.
“It was just so wild to be working with someone I admire so much and for it to work so well, too. We came out with this bop of a song. It was just a fantastic experience.”
The song is about that one friend who drives you crazy but you can’t help but love anyway, Wiley says. “It’s a heartfelt, good-vibes song that’s meant to be played on a road trip with your best friends, with the windows down and the wind in your hair.”
The song will be followed by others late in the year, when Wiley releases their first album, recorded and produced by Boy Golden.
“I’m putting out music that is so near and dear to my heart, for my first time, and making a statement of who I am as a musician and a songwriter. I’m so, so excited for that,” Wiley says.
Growing up queer in small-town Port Bruce, Ontario, was tough, says Wiley, who is non-binary. They were always intrigued by music but started with poetry. They moved to Toronto at 14 and got their first guitar at 17 but struggled with drug and alcohol addictions from the ages of 16 to 24.
“I couldn’t really get a grasp on making music my life at that time, it was more like surviving,” they say. “So through recovery, I thought about what brings me joy, how do I connect with people, and it was always through music.”
Wiley started a band and recorded a full album but ultimately decided not to release it. “Through the pandemic, I just found myself and I realized what kind of music I wanted to put out, what kind of story I wanted to tell. Up until that point, I had just been following what other people thought I should do.”
“I had more time to reflect, to consider what can I bring to the world. How can I create space for more people like me?”
Now the music they create feels true.
“I want to make music that makes people smile and brings joy to people’s lives,” says Wiley. “The stories I tell are all wrapped up in my identity and the feelings I have with gender and starting fresh and queer love and it’s all done in a way where I feel it’s accessible. I’m excited to stoke these conversations.”
“No One Like U” by CJ Wiley:
