One year ago, Ottawa musicians Elijah Woods and Jamie Fine had never performed on stage in front of a live audience with each other. They had only released a few songs, and only the people closest to them really knew who they were.
Today, the duo performs as Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine. They won The Launch, Canada’s newest big music TV show. Their single “Ain’t Easy” has gone platinum, and they have brought their music around Ottawa at several venues, such as Parliament Hill, Ottawa Senators and Redblacks games, and the main stage of Ottawa Bluesfest.
Woods and Fine gained national attention after winning the second episode of “The Launch,” where contestants compete to release a debut single. Woods, who produces and provides instrumentals to the group, says their appearance helped them get bookings at festivals and other venues across Canada.
“You look at kind of where we were a year ago or even just pre-Launch—it’s pretty crazy to think that one TV show and one song could do that much for your career,” he said. “We’re not blind to the fact that without that, things would be a little bit different.”
Before making their appearance, the duo had initially turned down the opportunity to compete in the show. They eventually decided to compete, and they are very happy with the outcome.
“Music television has this certain connotation—it’s a little strange. We didn’t think that our image would be portrayed very well, and that was completely not true,” Woods said. “Once we got the pitch and understood what it was all about, we decided it was the best move forward for us, and it definitely was.”
One of the biggest stages the duo has had this summer was Canada Day at Parliament Hill. Woods says the massive crowd made it a crazy experience.
“There were 50,000 people there and we got to perform ‘Ain’t Easy’ and ‘Catching Feels’ on the main stage there, in front of all those people and broadcast over the nation, which is pretty wild,” he said.
Even as they became a nationally recognized group, the duo is proud of their Ottawa roots. Fine is from Ottawa, and Woods is originally from Perth, Ont. The two met at Algonquin College in 2013 after one of Woods’ friends showed him a recording of Fine singing.According to Fine, their rise has happened so fast that it’s come to a point where they can’t even walk through the city without being recognized.
“People are excited that we’re from here, and so they just want to be a part of it … and we think that’s beautiful, and we want people to feel that way as much as they can,” she said.
Over the next few months, Woods and Fine are set to play a few more festivals across Canada.
They also expect to put out more music, including a new single. In the meantime, the duo is set to continue embracing the support they get from their local fanbase.
“It’s pretty wild to have such a supportive community and so many people from Ottawa. You don’t expect that because everyone looks at it like it’s a secondary market, but the people are real here and they’re very authentic, and they’re very supportive of what we’re doing,” Woods said.
