Amy Millan

Biography

Amy Millan grew up in Toronto's Cabbagetown area. She went to Jarvis Collegiate Institute and later the Etobicoke School of the Arts, where she studied drama with Kevin Drew and Emily Haines, who would later be in Broken Social Scene. She appeared as a pregnant teenager in the first episode of Degrassi Junior High's second season. With Haines, she started the band Edith's Mission, which sold out a show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.

After high school, she spent three years in Montreal attending Concordia University and performed solo in coffee shops. When she returned to Toronto, she formed the roots-rock band 16 Tons and wrote many songs she would later use for her solo work. After 16 Tons ended, she moved to Los Angeles. While there, her 16 Tons song "Bury Me" was included in the soundtrack for the film Drowning Mona.

Broken Social Scene

Missing a city where walking was more common than driving, she moved back to Toronto. Stars was started by Torquil Campbell and Chris Seligman in New York City. The lineup later included Evan Cranley, who had played shows with Millan during her time in 16 Tons. Cranley asked her to audition in New York in December 1999.

Stars

She agreed to join after being assured she would be involved in songwriting. Her role on the 2001 album Nightsongs was small, though she wrote and sang lead on "Toxic Holiday." The band moved to Montreal. Drummer Pat McGee joined before their second album, Heart, in 2003.

Millan had a bigger influence on that record, with several songs performed as duets between her and Campbell. Stars broke through commercially with 2004's Set Yourself on Fire and the single "Ageless Beauty," which she wrote and sang lead on. Their fourth album, In Our Bedroom After the War, came out in 2007, followed by the EP Sad Robots in 2008. In June 2010, they released their fifth full-length album, The Five Ghosts.

Former classmate Kevin Drew asked Millan to sing with Broken Social Scene at the release concert for their second album, You Forgot It in People. From 2002 onward, she has often performed with BSS alongside fellow Stars members Evan Cranley, Chris Seligman, and Torquil Campbell. She appeared on the band's 2005 self-titled album and contributed vocals and writing to Kevin Drew's 2007 solo album Spirit If... and Brendan Canning's 2008 solo album Something For All of Us.

Honey from the Tombs

Millan released her first solo album, Honey from the Tombs, in 2006. It featured songs mostly written before 2000, from her time in 16 Tons. The album was produced by Ian Blurton. Contributors included Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene and Dan and Jenny Whiteley from Crazy Strings.

Two videos were made for the album: "Skinny Boy" directed by George Vale, and "Baby I" directed by Anthony Seck. The songs "Losin' You" and "Baby I" came out as 7" singles in Europe. She toured North America, Japan, and Europe to support the album. Her second solo album, Masters of the Burial, was released on September 8, 2009.

Masters of the Burial

It was produced by Martin Kinack and featured musicians including Evan Cranley, Dan and Jenny Whiteley, Mark Roy, Leslie Feist, and Liam O'Neil. The album included cover songs written by Death Cab for Cutie and Sarah Harmer.

Millan is married to Stars bandmate Evan Cranley. Their daughter, Delphine Rita Jane Cranley, was born on March 21, 2011. She gave birth to a son in 2017.