Libby Ember, the 20-year-old Montreal singer-songwriter studying music at Concordia University, calls herself an artist for the “yearners.” Fair enough: longing has supplied plenty of excellent songs, and her combination of indie-folk writing and dream-pop textures suits that territory. Following her 2025 debut EP I Kill Spiders, she has continued exploring the awkward places where affection, anxiety and expectation meet. On “Shoes”, released September 25, she turns her attention to the practical business of loving someone: getting ready, turning up, making an effort, then waiting for them to do their part.

Longing, Effort, Reciprocity

-PurpleMistress

There is also an appealing connection between the song’s subject and its development. An early demo began in a production class with her friend Amy Lavallée, helping establish ideas for the eventual single. Here is a young songwriter refining how to communicate a difficult experience, using the tools immediately available to her. For me, “Shoes” succeeds through its scale. Ember keeps the focus on a doorway, a parked car and the person ready to leave the house. Within those details sits a substantial question about reciprocity. Love has brought her to the door. She is still waiting for someone to join her.