Billianne Takes Flight on 'Modes of Transportation,' a Record of Growth, Family, & New Directions

Singer/songwriter Billianne’s debut album ‘Modes of Transportation’ traces the twists, turns, and emotional landmarks of a rising artist finding her way. In conversation with Atwood Magazine, the Ontario native reflects on her grounding influences, the stories behind tracks like “Jessie’s Comet,” and the growth that continues to shape her voice and vision.

Stream: ‘Modes of Transportation’ – Billianne

Billianne is hitting her stride – sonically, emotionally, and artistically.

With her debut album Modes of Transportation (out now), the 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Milton, Ontario charts the shift from girlhood to grounded womanhood – and from TikTok standout to artist-to-watch. Each track feels like a milestone, capturing moments of clarity and confidence as she steps into her own.

“I didn’t even really dream about this until a few years ago,” she says. “So, everything that’s happening feels like a little bonus – like this beautiful, wild ride I didn’t see coming.”

She hopes listeners feel that same sense of transformation: “I want people to know it’s okay to change. You’re allowed to outgrow things. That’s kind of the heart of the whole record.”

Modes of Transportation - Billianne — Modes of Transportation – Billianne

Created alongside longtime collaborators Duncan Hood and Nick Ferraro, Modes of Transportation was written and recorded across Ontario – from Toronto studios to remote cabins in the north. That geography shaped the sound: the stripped-back vulnerability of “Jessie’s Comet” emerged in the quiet, the cinematic pop of “Baby Blue” pulsed with city energy, and a song like “Let Me Run” channeled highway introspection. Each location gave a different chapter of the album its own atmosphere.

Lyrically, Billianne makes the personal feel poetic and precise. “You couldn’t help me anyway / God knows that I can’t stay the same,” she sings in the album’s title track – a simple line that encapsulates the album’s central message. On “Jessie’s Comet,” she captures the ache of distance: “Next time there’s a shooting star / I’ll call it Jessie’s comet / And pretend you’re not so far.”

Though her rise began with a viral cover of Tina Turner’s “The Best” – inspired by Noah Reid’s Schitt’s Creek version – she’s proven she’s more than a moment. The cover caught the attention of fans worldwide, including one particularly mind-blowing name: Taylor Swift.

“If I could tell little Billi that Taylor saw me singing one of her songs… she would lose her mind,” she laughs.

Now, the artist she once idolized knows her name – and soon, so will everyone else. A tour is on the horizon, more music is already in the works, and Billianne is just getting started.

Atwood Magazine spoke with the rising star about finding her voice, letting go, and the real story behind “Jessie’s Comet.”

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:: stream/purchase Modes of Transportation here ::

:: connect with Billianne here ::

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A CONVERSATION WITH BILLIANNE

Atwood Magazine: I was just going through your Instagram, and was tearing up watching your parents reacting to your clip on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Billianne: That was such a special day! We’ve watched Kelly Clarkson for years, so that was a very genuine video. My mom’s always the first one to cry – even at commercials.

So many amazing things have happened for you in the last year – what's been the most surreal thing so far?

Billianne: There have been so many that it’s hard to pick one. I think, too, because when I was a kid, I knew I could sing but I never really dreamed or set goals, so I never thought these things would happen. Every time something happens, it feels very big; it feels crazy, like when I’m on a billboard or what comes to mind is when Taylor Swift commented on my video – that was one of the biggest things for me. I think if I were to go back and tell little Billi who was listening to Fearless and Red that Taylor Swift commented on her video singing a Taylor Swift song, I think that would blow her mind.

In every interview that you've done so far, you seem very grounded. It's impressive considering everything that's going on in your world – where does that come from?

Billianne: My mom was actually just saying that to me the other day – she’s like, “you’re staying so grounded” and I don’t know, I think I’m just being myself. I think maybe part of it is that I didn’t really start dreaming about this life until maybe three years ago when I first went viral on TikTok. This all feels like little bonuses and on top of whatever else is already happening in my life. I also stay really close to my family and honestly, I think I wouldn’t be as excited about things without them because their excitement almost matters more to me than anyone else. Like when my mom and dad are excited, when my siblings are excited and my friends.

Speaking of family, “Jessie’s Comet” is written about your sister. How did she react to that song?

Billianne: My sister’s very emotional, like me and my mom – she can barely listen to it. I wrote it when she moved out, thinking about our time together, growing up and just being able to walk down the hall and say “hey, what’s going on, what are you doing today?” – those sort of little things. When I sing it on stage, I still feel that way, and If I think about the lyrics too much I gotta lock in.

She really loves it, and I think she’s happy to have a song named after her. My oldest brother always jokes about it, but I mean so many of my songs are about family, so I feel like they all have little pieces.

What did that song teach you about letting go?

Billianne: It was a different song at first with a chorus about old wounds, but it wasn’t feeling right. When we went to revamp the song, my sister just moved out and I was talking to my writers Duncan and Nick, and I was like “I’m just so sad; I wish she was there and she’s not there anymore.” And what I love about “Jessie’s Comet” is there’s that feeling of knowing that she’s always there – she’s just out of reach – but she is always there like looking up at the stars. There was a moment last summer when there was a huge meteor shower coming through and I knew she was in her new place looking at them and I was somewhere up north, and we were both looking at them.

Some people are obviously flattered being in a song, but is the opposite ever true? I remember one guy was nervous about dating me because he thought I would write about him. Does that ever happen to you?

Billianne: [laughs] Sometimes I worry about that – I remember there’s a scene in Tick, Tick … Boom! where he’s in a relationship and she gets so mad because she can tell that he’s starting to write a song about their situation, and ever since seeing that, it’s become a fear in my life. I think people in my life understand. That happens in conversation, where I’ll be talking to someone and then the gears start turning and I think something would make a good song.

Let’s talk about “Memories,” which feels sort of breezy but also bittersweet. What memories or moments from this chapter of your life are you holding onto?

Billianne: The first verse of this song, I remember when we were writing it, I was speaking about people I look up to in my life – my sister came up again and one of my best friends came up. I also think about my mom – a lot of female energies in my life that I can look up to.

The first part is about the memories they made, and me wanting to make my own life. It’s like watching my sister – I always picture watching her walking through a forest, and following in her path like a younger sibling does. And then there’s the second half of that, which is a different type of memory of this guy who is trying to take advantage of a young artist. The song is all about trying to keep any bad or negative memory and any good memory in your mind and just living with it for the rest of your life, so you don’t repeat mistakes.

There are so many different sounds on this album – how do you decide what song gets what sort of sonic treatment?

Billianne: I love that word – sonic! Sometimes it reveals itself to us and I honestly don’t even know how it happens. Like my song “Modes 1” started on the piano at home and so we knew what that was going to sound like. And then there’s other songs, like “Memories” – oh my gosh, the intro of that song took so long to figure out. I feel like it’s just spending time with the song and seeing what feels good.

It almost sounds like describing a relationship with a person.

Billianne: Yeah, it does. This album feels like an extension of myself – sometimes I feel a little hyper aware of how much I talk about music in my life, but it’s a piece of me I have to talk about.

How does that awareness shape your songwriting now?

Billianne: It’s about changing; it’s about me being hyper aware of how I was when I was 19 years old and when I started in the music industry. And I’m 22 now, and every time I leave and go on a tour or I finish a new thing, when I come back and talk to my parents, I feel different; I feel the change in me as I’m talking to them. I feel older, I feel more experienced, and this is happening so fast to me that I’m maturing and I’m learning so much about the world and having these new experiences without the people I’ve always known in my entire life. And while I’m out there, they’re staying the same here at home, so the whole album is about that hyper awareness.

Does it excite you or make you nervous or both?

Billianne: I think at first it made me a bit nervous because I was worried as I changed and as my parents – they’re both in their 60s now and they’re at that point in their life where they’re happy they’re at home – and I’m coming home when I’m constantly changing. It’s almost like this time capsule – like they’re the same parents and the different feeling I’m feeling must be me.

You recorded all over Ontario – what was the thought process behind that; how did each location shape the sound?

Billianne: I feel like each location helped different chapters. When we were up north, that was where we spent a lot of our time writing songs, and some were written in downtown Toronto – I think those were shaped by the hustle and bustle of getting to the studio and just absorbing the city. A good chunk of them were done in my parents’ basement studio – that was a whole chapter, beginning to make an album.

Do you think you'll continue that sort of rogue recording style?

Billianne: I think so. I don’t like having too much structure – I like structure daily in my life, but I don’t like everything to be the same all the time. I think change brings inspiration, so a change of scenery is definitely something that’s always going to be a part of my writing and song-making process.

I cannot wait to see what you come up with on this big tour coming up! Are there certain cities or venues you're really hyped about playing on this tour?

Billianne: I’m really excited about the Highlands Festival – we stay in a cabin and then we play as a big band, it’s just beautiful to me. And then the Vancouver show, I’ve played there many times now. It’s my first time headlining, so I’m going to be bringing my band over there. I’m also excited to play LA – there’s a lot of friends I’ve met online now that I hope will come to that show and I get to meet in person.

Your cover of “The Best” was the thing that sort of lit the ignition…

Billianne: Yeah 100%! Before, no one knew me – I was posting on TikTok to basically nobody and that video completely blew up everything; without that, I don’t think I’d be as far along I am now, so I’m always just grateful for TikTok and that moment in that song and Schitt’s Creek and Noah Reid. I DMed him before it came out, and I’ve been trying to get in contact with him, but I don’t think he knows.

You’ve said that you hope people understand what you're trying to say and get to know you – what do you want people to know about you?

Billianne: There are a couple things: I was this wallflower, like an observer in life. Most of the songs are from that perspective, so I want people to understand that side of me. I also want them to understand my voice and I think this album shows so much of my voice and what I can do – I think I discovered that along the process, too, so I hope people dive into that and are open to it. And I hope they’re ready for all these different styles of music and coming along with me as I am getting into finding my sound.

I love performing and love being in the room with fans, and I really like touring – as exhausting as it can be. I love that experience being on stage – there’s nothing like it!

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