Feist (born Leslie Feist on February 13, 1976) is a Canadian indie pop singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She performs both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock collective Broken Social Scene.
Early Life
Leslie Feist was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her father, Harold Feist, was an American-Canadian abstract expressionist painter who taught fine arts at Mount Allison University. Her mother, Lyn Feist, was a ceramics student. After her parents divorced, Feist moved with her mother and brother to Regina, Saskatchewan, and later to Calgary, Alberta. She attended Bishop Carroll High School and Alternative High School in Calgary. At age 12, she performed as one of 1,000 dancers in the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Feist holds dual Canadian–U.S. citizenship.
Music Career
Feist began her music career at age 15 in 1991 as the lead vocalist of a Calgary punk band called Placebo (unrelated to the English band of the same name). After winning a local Battle of the Bands, they opened for the Ramones at the Infest 1993 festival, where she met Brendan Canning. In 1995, she took time off to recover from vocal cord damage and moved to Toronto in 1996. She played bass for Noah's Arkweld and later became rhythm guitarist for By Divine Right (1998–2000). In 1999, she lived above a Toronto store with Merrill Nisker (Peaches) and performed as "Bitch Lap Lap" at Peaches' shows.
Solo Albums
- Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down) (1999) – Her debut solo album, produced by Dan Kurtz.
- Let It Die (2004) – Her major-label debut, recorded in Europe with Gonzales. It sold 500,000 copies internationally, earned a platinum record in Canada and a gold record in France, and won two Juno Awards (Best New Artist, Best Alternative Rock Album).
- The Reminder (2007) – Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, selling over 1 million copies worldwide. The single "1234" became a surprise hit after being featured in an iPod nano commercial, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album earned Feist four Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album. It won the Juno Award for Album of the Year in 2008.
- Metals (2011) – Recorded in a custom-built studio on a cliff in Big Sur, California. Won Juno Awards for Artist of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year.
- Pleasure (2017) – Preceded by the title track released as a single in March 2017.
- Multitudes (2023) – Her sixth studio album, released on April 14, 2023.
Broken Social Scene
Feist joined the Toronto indie rock collective Broken Social Scene in the early 2000s, contributing vocals to their acclaimed album You Forgot It in People (2002). She has continued to perform and record with the group intermittently.
Awards and Recognition
Feist has received 11 Juno Awards, including two Artist of the Year awards. She has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. In 2026, she was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Feist has one adopted daughter, born at the end of 2019.
Discography
- Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down) (1999)
- Let It Die (2004)
- The Reminder (2007)
- Metals (2011)
- Pleasure (2017)
- Multitudes (2023)
