Justin Karas is a singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Writing on harp, guitar, piano, and ukulele, he creates intricate compositions with poetic, timeless lyrics and rich orchestral arrangements. Influenced by ’60s and ’70s folk and Impressionist classical music, his self-taught approach blends familiarity with originality. His work explores the relationship between lyrical abstraction and musical form, using sound to reinforce thematic ideas. Karas also composed the original soundtrack for A Little to the Left, the award-winning video game developed by Max Inferno.
Name:
Justin Karas
Genre:
Folk/Chamber Folk/Alternative Folk
Founded:
1984, the year of my birth
# of Albums:
1
Latest Album:
1
Latest Single:
“Tonight”
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Joni Mitchell. My friends in high school all thought I had the same musical taste as their moms, but look who’s laughing from both sides now!
Favourite musician now:
Anohni. I’ve loved her music from the first record she put out, and I also have so much admiration for the way she uses her music and platform to advocate for the environment.
Guilty pleasure song:
Spice Up Your Life by… You know who 😉
Live show ritual:
Wonder if I’m having a heart attack.
Favourite local musician:
Sarah Pagé, not just because she helped me so much in the making of my record, but I think she continues to expand what can be done with the harp, and I’ve yet to meet someone who brings the same level of discipline and focus to music-making.
EP or LP?
LP all the way – I want to hear how someone puts together a whole collection of songs.
Early bird or night owl?
The latter. I have a hard time going to sleep. I often get gripped with this feeling that I don’t want the day to end. I also get my best creative work done in the wee hours.
Road or studio?
I think Studio. There’s something magical about getting to craft a recording and meeting a song from the other side, becoming a listener after having lived within a song, is fascinating to me.
Any shows or albums coming up?
Flowers Wild Abound – Out Sep 12, 2025, with a release show here in Montreal on October 18th at P’tit Ours.
Where can we follow you?
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Salle Climatisée
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Mont-Royal because it’s where most of my memories live
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
The mountain, because I always think, “How lucky are we that we get to have a mountain?”
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
The Rialto, it’s so regal and every time I see a show from the mezzanine, I feel like a fancy man on the town.
What is your favourite music store in your city?
Aux 33 Tours
