Press release –
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin teams up with her musical besties The Pairs for her latest single “Better Than Before.”
“This is a song about rebirth and finding the light again. It’s the breath of fresh air after coming out of darkness,” she shares. “I am so proud to call Hillary, Renee and Noelle from The Pairs my friends. Being with them is like being with sisters, where I can be my weird, quirky self.”
Written like a journal entry, “Better Than Before” captures a period of profound uncertainty for O’Bonsawin, when she found herself questioning whether she could continue making music at all. Having relied on music as her primary way of connecting with the world since childhood, losing that sense of clarity was disorienting, but ultimately transformative.
“For the first time in my life, I didn’t know if I was strong enough to keep going,” she reflects. “It would have been so much easier to walk away and become a full-time garden gnome, but the hard things make us stronger. I love making music too much to turn back now.”
Supported by a close-knit circle of collaborators and loved ones, O’Bonsawin found her way forward. That journey of rediscovery is at the heart of the song, which she likens to the life cycle of a dragonfly, emerging from water, shedding its past, and taking flight.
“I was seeing everything from underwater for a while, and now I can finally feel the wind,” she says. “What felt like it was breaking me was actually helping me grow. I see myself more clearly now, better than ever.”
The collaboration with The Pairs brought an added layer of warmth and community to the track. “I am so inspired by them, individually and together. They are some of the best singers out there,” says O’Bonsawin. “Recording this song with them was one of my favourite sessions of all time, it even ended in a dance party, which you can hear at the end of the track.”
“Better Than Before” follows a string of recent singles that will appear on O’Bonsawin’s forthcoming album, due later in 2026. These include “Pass The Time,” her deeply personal song “Steady,” praised by AmericanaUK as “so heartfelt and disarmingly emotive that the feeling remains with you long after listening, and “P8GWAS“ (meaning The Moon), her first song sung in the W8banaki Language, Aln8ba8dwaw8gan. A member of the Odanak First Nation, O’Bonsawin is currently on a journey learning her language through courses offered by her community.
Alongside the new release, O’Bonsawin is also announcing a run of upcoming live dates, including a mini-tour with The North Sound, and first-time performances at both Mariposa Folk Festival and Hillside Festival.
More tour dates and details about her forthcoming album will be announced soon.
ABOUT MIMI:
Mimi O’Bonsawin is a contemporary roots singer-songwriter born in Northeastern Ontario. She is French Canadian & W8banaki (Abénaki), a member of the Odanak First Nation. Through her rhythm and story-driven songs, Mimi’s music embraces the beauty of the land. The ethereal quality of her music whisks you away with uplifting melodies and introspective lyrics that weave pop sensibilities with acoustic instrumentation. Layers of percussion and unexpected harmonies make you feel the music rather than just hear it.
As both artist and gardener, Mimi draws a deep connection between the two practices: “Making music and growing food are very much the same. They both start with a seed and, with proper care, can grow into a beautiful garden that we all can share. I put intention and love into every seed and every note.”
In May 2025, Mimi was awarded Solo Artist of the Year at the Trille Or Awards. Earlier in the year, she toured Australia with performances at the Woodford and Cygnet Folk Festivals.
Mimi performs as a duo with her husband, Ryan Schurman, on drums and percussion, creating an intimate yet uplifting experience. Together, they invite audiences into their universe with a full-band sound that inspires dancing, singing and joy.
In spring 2024, during her second tour in France, Mimi released Live In Concert, her first-ever live album, capturing favourite moments from one of her Willow album release shows.
Released in March 2023, Willow is a collection of 14 songs that marked a turning point in her creative journey. “This album sounds like the music I have always heard in my heart,” Mimi says. “It is honest, it is real, and it is full of life. I have never felt more alive.”
Late that year, on September 29, 2023, she released her first full-length French album, Boréale, an intimate reflection of her roots, also recorded with Ryan in their log home studio.
2024 brought incredible opportunities, with performances at festivals and arts centres across Canada. Mimi opened for JUNO-award winning artists including Aysanabee, Good Lovelies, The East Pointers, and DJ Shub, as well as Beverly Glenn-Copeland at Montreal’s Rialto Theatre.
The 2023/2024 season was marked by acclaim, with nominations at the Folk Music Ontario Awards, Capital Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards, Native American Awards, and Prix Trille Or. Her albums Willow and Live In Concert were also considered at the GRAMMYs. In 2019, Mimi won Best Pop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards.
Reaching new audiences at home and abroad, Mimi stays true to this statement:
“I want to invite audiences into my world because, for me, music is medicine. It’s not mine, it‘s not yours, music is something we all share. It is our garden.”
Visit https://www.mimi.ca/
“Better Than Before feat. The Pairs” by Mimi O’Bonsawin Single Credits
WRITTEN BY: Mimi O’Bonsawin
PRODUCED BY: Mimi O’Bonsawin & Ryan Schurman
MIXED BY: James Bunton, Slow Go Sound
MASTERED BY: Heather Kirby, Dreamland Mastering
MUSICIANS:
Mimi O’Bonsawin: 8 String Ukulele, Guitarlele, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Synth, Synth, Vocals
Ryan Schurman: Drums, Bass
Special Guests: The Pairs – Vocals
