ep53 Damhnait Doyle is finally free

Juno-nominated singer-songwriter and CBC Music host Damhnait Doyle returns with her deeply authentic EP, Bird and Flame. We dig into her surreal start being discovered in Newfoundland at 17, navigating major label pressures, and writing songs alongside icons like Steve Earle. Damhnait opens up about late-diagnosed ADHD, creative burnout, breaking up with the music industry, and finally rediscovering the pure joy of making rhythm-driven indie records strictly on her own terms. Featured topics A return to herself: Damhnait describes how Bird and Flame feels like a full-circle return to the creativity and authenticity she had as a teenager. Grief as a catalyst: The loss of her mother prompted Damhnait to reconsider how she wanted to spend her time and what she wanted to pursue. ADHD and rejection sensitivity: She discusses how her late ADHD diagnosis helped her understand the emotional challenges she faced in the music business. Creating without pressure: Damhnait explains how making music without depending on it for income or identity has brought more freedom and joy to her work. ep53 Damhnait Doyle is finally free released October 29, 2026 1:27:18 https://www.damhnaitdoyle.com/ https://www.instagram.com/damhnaitdoyle https://www.youtube.com/user/damhnaitdoyle hosts: Glen Erickson, Alexi Erickson AFE: https://www.almostfamousenough.com AFE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostfamousenough AFE Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o1PRD2X0i3Otmpn8vi2zP?si=1ece497360564480 Almost Famous Enough is a series of conversations centered around the music industry, pulling back the veil on what it really means to “make it”. Our podcast features guests who know the grind, who have lived the dream, or at the very least, chased the dream. Through these conversational biographies, truth and vulnerability provide more than a topical roadmap or compile some career advice; they can appeal to the dreamer in us all, with stories that can teach us, inspire us, and even reconcile us, and make us feel like we made a new friend along the way. Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction  00:03:00 - Pronouncing Damhnait's name and the new EP Bird in Flames 00:10:31 - Her mother's passing as a catalyst, breaking up with music, and making it now without career pressure 00:14:29 - Late-diagnosed ADHD, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and why the music business feels like constant rejection 00:19:48 - ADHD isn't always a superpower: reading every room, burnout, introvert vs. extrovert, and guarding her energy 00:24:42 - Discovered at 17 in a St. John's record shop, signing with an East Coast label, and her first Juno nomination 00:28:48 - A versatile voice, the trio Shea with Kim Stockwood, and a Juno night beside Nickelback's Chad Kroeger 00:32:37 - Imposter syndrome after sudden fame, opening for Steve Earle, learning guitar, and working with producer Jay Joyce 00:39:35 - The long waits behind a "fast" career, the Montreal record, The Heartbroken, and Serena Ryder's advice to let go 00:44:24 - Grieving a music career, Glen's band reunion, and how CBC and Canadian artists made her want to create again 00:49:47 - The meaning of Bird in Flames and her long road to hosting CBC Mornings 00:55:19 - Writing the EP through COVID, her mother's death and her divorce, and getting the songs out in one sitting 00:58:46 - The fear before release, the relief after, and her all-time favourite songs 01:06:10 - Future plans, how music is curated at CBC Mornings, advice for artists, and the goodbye 01:15:00 - Post-fame with Alexi Alexi pitches her dad's upcoming show with this old band, The Wheat Pool, Nov.21/2026 at The Aviary in Edmonton.