Haley Blais and Sam Lynch are True Mountain Laurel, a Vancouver duo that started making music together between solo tours, over coffee, and through a steady stream of voice memos. What began as casual writing sessions turned into Angel So Bad, their debut album, blending folk-country songwriting with the kind of warmth and weirdness that comes from two friends making music without much of a plan.

We caught up with Haley and Sam for a quick-fire conversation about starting a band together, making Angel So Bad, and whatever else came up along the way.

True Mountain Laurel is currently on tour across Canada; you can get tickets via the link below.

Who are you, and what do you do?

We are Haley Blais and Sam Lynch (aka True Mountain Laurel), and we are musicians.

For people who are just discovering you, how would you describe True Mountain Laurel?

TML is fun! But also serious. This project is loose, free, and an opportunity for us both to flex our songwriting and music production skills in a slightly different way.

How did the two of you first start writing together, and when did you realize this could become something more than a one-off collaboration?

A little over a year ago, we decided to *try* writing a song together—no pressure, no expectations. After that, we realized we have way too much fun writing together to make it a one-off thing, so we decided to make a record! And a band!

You both have your own solo projects. What made you want to start a band together?

We were both craving a change of pace, and without explicating saying it to each other, I think we were both wanting a break from being the sole leader of a project.

What do you think each of you brings to True Mountain Laurel that feels different from your solo work?

We’ve agreed that we’ve brought a different mindset to this project; much less emphasis on perfection.

What does your perfect day in Vancouver look like?

November 12 2026, wearing our favourite gravitypope shoes, singing on stage at Saint James Hall. :) (Tickets)

Where did the name True Mountain Laurel come from?

The name is based on a tree that we both love. We came across it on tour together when we were passing through Texas, and loved the smell of the flower and the name of the plant—we both mentally tucked it away as a good band name…

What were you listening to or drawing inspiration from while making Angel So Bad?

When we were writing the songs, we were thinking about the structure of traditional folk music, and listening to a lot of music that felt nostalgic to us. When were were actually recording the songs, we weren’t listening to any other music—we just locked in!

What can you tell us about Angel So Bad and what you wanted the album to feel like as a whole?

We’ve both been pursuing a career in music for a while now, and things had started to feel a bit heavy or serious—so this album was an opportunity for us to both shake it out a bit, and for each of us to have the opportunity to collaborate with a songwriter we admire!

Is there a song on Angel So Bad that feels particularly representative of True Mountain Laurel? Why?

Angel So Bad and The Trial, the two songs that bookend the album, both feel very representative of the ethos of the project: cheeky and reverent, all at once.

Now that Angel So Bad is out in the world, what are you most excited for people to discover about the project?

We’re really proud that we produced and recorded this album just the two of us. We’re both so proud of these songs, the recordings, and each other—and we’re so excited to take the album on the road. Everything else from here feels like immense privilege, and a hilarious cherry on top to what feels like a little-daydream-come true.