In the mid-2000s, Vincent Vallières emerged as one of Quebec’s most heartfelt singer/songwriters, graced with a comforting, shoulder-to-cry-on voice. But it took the Sherbrooke native (born in 1978) some time to find his true calling as a humble roots-rock troubadour. Vallières’ 1999 debut, Trente arpents, introduced a feisty folk-punk prankster with a surprising flair for funky grooves, but with 2003’s Chacun dans son espace, he began to dial down that irreverent energy and lean into an earthier, classic-rockin’ sound. After scoring a handful of Felix Award victories in Quebec, Vallières’ national breakthrough came in 2009 with the beautifully understated dust-bowl ballad “On va s’aimer encore”, a song that transcended provincial and language barriers to land on Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100 chart. Since then, Vallières has proven to be a formidably consistent purveyor of heartland anthems and indie-folk hymns, channelling Springsteen-esque splendour on 2013’s “L’amour c’est pas pour les peureux” and pristine, Petty-esque jangle on 2021 single “Je suis comme toi”.