Victoria Canal shows grit in her debut folk-pop album, ‘Slowly, It Dawns’

Indie singer-songwriter Victoria Canal has been repeating a common refrain in Spanish for years: depende de qué depende. It depends on what it depends on.

It is a line from Jarabe De Palo’s 1998 song, “Depende,” which her dad used to sing to her as a child. It’s also a snippet that Canal intensifies in the bridge of her song “15%” — a guitar-fluttering ode to hampering anxiety and the dread of being perceived, even if such self-thoughts are ultimately determined by one’s own state of being. Like a calming mantra, she sings: “It depends on me, on the drink I made, on the time of day.”

This conundrum, which Canal calls the? “god and goblin complex,” is one of many themes explored in her debut album “Slowly, It Dawns,” released on Jan. 17. The 26-year-old has since taken her songs to the TV circuit, performing cuts from her new album on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Live With Kelly & Mark. This week, the rising star kicks off her headlining West Coast tour by the same name, with a stop at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 18.

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Three years in the making, “Slowly” chronicles the L.A.-based singer’s journey through her 20s: from moments of severe overconfidence to crushing disappointment. “Depending on the day, I’m either destined to win and have this great life that I’ve manifested for myself ... or I am devoid of all value and am the ugliest person in the world and nobody loves me,” says Canal, who makes an evening transatlantic Zoom call from Normandy, France, where her family is establishing an artist residency.

And, depending on the moment, Canal musters up the occasional show of bravery. She recently made waves during her John F. Kennedy Center performance on Feb. 15, when she put on an “Anti-Trump AF” T-shirt before her final number. The act was a stance against President Trump who, just days before, installed himself as chairman of the center’s board. Her first thought was: “Am I gonna get sued?”

Born in Munich, Germany, to a Cuban father and American mother, Canal’s life was all about gaining new perspectives from every inch of the world. A self-described “third culture” kid, she’s lived in Shanghai, Amsterdam, London, Dubai, Atlanta, New York and Fort Worth.

“What I thought was Spanish culture was actually Cuban culture with some Spanish sprinkled in,” says Canal, whose grandparents and father moved to Barcelona following the botched Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961.

Born without a right forearm, Canal learned how to play piano at the behest of her grandmother, before advancing to acoustic guitar. Her body is an element that her critics heavily targeted following her comments at the Kennedy Center.

“It’s who I am. I have a limb difference. I’m Latina. I’m queer. I grew up in a lot of places. None of these things are things that I decided to be,” says Canal. “That choice is sometimes easier or more difficult depending on the day.”

The singer has spent a great part of her career putting herself out there despite the agony that comes with being perceived on social media. “I could feel very aligned and proud of myself for [my accomplishments] until I open Instagram … and I’m like OK, I suck.”

But digital platforms have also granted Canal some of the most rewarding moments in her career. In 2021, she posted a faux Rolling Stone cover of herself for April Fool’s Day with a subtitle that read: “Victoria Canal wows Chris Martin at a clown’s birthday party.”

To her surprise, someone who worked with the Coldplay frontman saw the mock-up poster and sent it to him, along with Canal’s cover of “Samson” by Regina Spektor. The two singers eventually connected via FaceTime, in a moment Canal considered “the scariest moment of my life.”

At Martin’s request, Canal shared a few of her demos, including “swan song,” which is inspired by someone’s last conversation with a sick loved one — a piano ballad Martin considers “one of the best songs ever written.” Following this interaction, Canal was invited to a Coldplay songwriting retreat to record some vocals on the band’s 2024 LP “Moon Music” — and was later signed to Parlophone Records, the same label that signed Coldplay, as well as Pink Floyd and the Beatles.

“It was a whirlwind of a few months,” says Canal of meeting Martin. “To this day, he’s always in touch and a beautiful person and mentor.”

Riding the high of her 2022 release of “swan song,” Canal messaged the Irish singer Hozier, who then followed her back on Instagram. “I was like, ‘Dude, I love you. If you’re ever looking for an opener, I raise my hand. Please consider me, all the best,’” says Canal.

To her shock and awe, he agreed. Canal later opened for the singer on his 2023 “Unreal Unearth” tour.

Since releasing her LP “Slowly, It Dawns,” Canal is ready to claim her own spotlight on her headlining tour, which is due to stop in her recent home base of L.A. She recalls a mantra by American singer-songwriter ?Livingston Taylor — her former mentor and brother of folk legend James Taylor — that has followed her throughout her career.

“He said, ‘It’s sad to be ready and not get the call, but it’s absolutely tragic to get the call and not be ready,’” recalls Canal. “If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that I spend all my time being ready.”