Photo: Stephanie Bullock, local singer/songwriter
Growing up in Kanata, Stephanie Bullock wasn’t born into the limelight. But she was born to sing. You can see videotapes of her at only four years old, singing at the park in front of her house for the whole neighbourhood, or whoever wanted to listen. “I was never shy about it,” she states. As the years passed by, she took part in many extracurricular activities, including singing lessons and recitals. But things really turned around for her in 2015 when Stephanie won Ottawa Idol (a much smaller version of the American hit show). As part of this win, she was given a stint on CTV Morning Live and Rogers, and that exposure was when people in the city started to discover who this talented young girl really was.
But don’t pigeon hole Stephanie into the pop music category. She actually went on to join a rock band, which was a chance to sing and get paid, something she hadn’t had the opportunity to do before. Performing gigs around the city for a year, Stephanie credits this experience as a huge stepping stone for her career. Knowing she didn’t want to sing rock music forever, she went on to meet keyboardist Cedrick Colas in 2016 who would join her as a duo in performing R&B/pop music (over 400 shows to date), something much closer to her heart. In 2018, she started her journey as a songwriter and began writing songs as part of team. “I had never written with other people to original beats, so that was also a really great experience,” says Stephanie. And out of this “Shot of Love”, Stephanie’s first upbeat sugary sweet pop single was born which was released at the end of January 2019.
When producer Carde Blanche came into the mix, the two formed a genuine friendship. “He really believes in me and cares about my vision as an artist," says Bullock. The two get together every week for a session, and while Carde Blanche starts building the beat from scratch, Stephanie begins the songwriting process.
Firestarter, her second single, written entirely by herself for herself, is being released on all streaming platforms today. Initially inspired by a sound that Carde Blanche had added to the mix that sounded like a fire alarm, Stephanie’s wheels started to turn, and her pen to move. “I’ve got that fire inside of me….” became the first line, and the two finished Firestarter in only one session, drawing inspiration “from having a desire to make something happen for yourself regardless of what other people think – persevering even when people try to bring you down."
With a degree in Communications and Business, and makeup certification from Algonquin College, Stephanie currently runs her own business as a Makeup Artist, stars in her own YouTube Channel, and is working towards her short-term goal of releasing an ep (extended play record – usually made up of four to five songs). Until then, she won’t be performing any original music live, but she certainly does have the experience for when it happens – singing the anthem in front of 30,000 people at the Ottawa Redblacks games. “My first love is performing,” explains Stephanie with determination and passion, “nothing compares to that feeling."
Follow Stephanie on Instagram @stephbullock