海角社区官网

It was the pandemic, and Larsen had pulled the phrase from a popular guidebook called 鈥淭he Artist鈥檚 Way鈥� by Julia Cameron, which was designed to help people tap into their creativity and has been praised by the likes of Alicia Keys, Elizabeth Gilbert and Doechii. For many, the book鈥檚 spiritual grounding and daily journaling practice enable a deeper level of insight.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most important things I鈥檝e ever done in my life,鈥� Larsen told the Star, explaining how the book factored into his decision to transition. 鈥淵ou can only write 鈥業 am not comfortable in who I am鈥� so many times in your journal and sit with that before you feel compelled to explore it.鈥�

This exploration is documented on the 27-year-old鈥檚 just-released sophomore album, 鈥淏lurring Time.鈥� When he first put pen to paper in 2021, Larsen was flooded with questions that became the seeds of its nine tracks: Who am I? (鈥淏lurring Time.鈥�) Who am I in relation to the people I love? (鈥�514-415.鈥�) Once I change, what gets left behind? (鈥淨uestions.鈥�)

By the time he wrote the album鈥檚 last track, 鈥淢ight,鈥� Larsen had decided to start taking testosterone. He knew that his voice would change, but rather than recording the entire album in one register or the other, he opted for both. In 2022, he used his higher voice. After beginning testosterone, he recorded the vocals again, harmonizing with himself.

The result is a richly layered, folk-forward album whose approach feels peerless. Larsen imagines a listener in a caf茅 hearing one of his songs, thinking 鈥渢his girl-boy duo bangs,鈥� only to Shazam it and realize it was recorded by one person.

But just as important as the inclusion of both voices on 鈥淏lurring Time鈥� is noticing when, and how, they鈥檙e being used. 鈥淢ight鈥� considers the changes that may result from his transition, so he chose to rely mostly on his high voice. 鈥淨uestions鈥� is written from the point of view of someone who already changed, so the song leans more on his low voice. On other tracks, both voices are woven together.

鈥淚 felt like I hadn鈥檛 seen a whole lot of trans representation that included parts of one鈥檚 past and parts of one鈥檚 future,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 understand why that is. It is so valid for trans people to want to place their old self to the side so that the new self can shine. However, I think that is partially why it took so long for me to figure out that I was trans, because my old self is still very much with me. I still am that person. I just needed to make some changes so that I could be comfortable in my own skin.鈥�

Growth is often measured by the distance we can put between different versions of ourselves. For some, this distance is not only helpful, it鈥檚 essential. But for Larsen, 鈥渂oth/and鈥� felt more honest than 鈥渆ither/or.鈥�

Minutes after taking a seat in an Annex caf茅, the musician was already acknowledging the many dichotomies in his life. He had just come out of a weekend celebrating both Easter and Passover, for his dad鈥檚 and mom鈥檚 sides, respectively. He splits his time between Montreal and Toronto, toggling between a joual-speaking Quebecer and a born-and-raised west-ender. He views his album鈥檚 duet approach as yet another dichotomy 鈥� one that embraced his multitudes.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not at all that my transition has been an art project,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut if I knew that I was going to transition no matter what, I figured that I want to offer this album to myself as a parting gift, and I also want to offer this album to myself as a housewarming gift, too.鈥�

In these ways, 鈥淏lurring Time鈥� communicates a sort of homecoming 鈥� an arrival-to-self that can only be mined from periods of great uncertainty, which can result in what Larsen refers to as 鈥済ood grief.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 about taking something hard and trying to make it good, not by virtue of toxic positivity, but through art,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 OK for there to be grief in transitioning. It鈥檚 OK for me to miss parts of my old self. Now that I have changed and I鈥檓 different than I was three or four years ago, I鈥檓 still grieving past versions of myself. But I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 unique to being trans.鈥�

As Larsen embarked on his physical transition, the 鈥渓eap鈥� maxim remained affixed to his mirror in plain sight 鈥� a hopeful buoy among the unknowns.

鈥淚 understood what the leap was,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hoped that the net would appear, and I understand today that it has.鈥�

New questions posed

While many of the questions that Larsen poses on 鈥淏lurring Time鈥� are deeply personal, their relevance is far more expansive. On 鈥淢y Brother & Me,鈥� when he considers what it means to be a good man, it isn鈥檛 only about one person鈥檚 renegotiation with masculinity, but the rigid concepts of gender isolating so many young men from themselves and others.

鈥淧retty soon I鈥檒l go through puberty again / Will I be an asshole or gentleman?鈥� Larsen sings, reflecting on his then teen brother鈥檚 draw to personalities like Jordan Peterson 鈥� an interest sparked by the loneliness of being a high schooler stuck at home during the pandemic.

鈥淗e turned to thinkers that contradict my existence,鈥� Larsen said.

In the last few years, Larsen鈥檚 brother has moved on from these harmful ideologies and thinkers. The musician lights up describing the 鈥渂eautiful ally鈥� his sibling has become 鈥� a sentiment recently echoed in an Instagram post: 鈥淚 am verklempt to have my masculinity be informed by his.鈥�

But as much as he has been influenced by the men in his life, Larsen acknowledges his own ability to now do the same.

鈥淚 almost see it as a sort of superpower that I can be kind and be thoughtful, and people who don’t know that I’m trans can just read me as a kind and thoughtful guy,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat can make a bit of a positive dent in the world.鈥�

Larsen was looking forward to making an even bigger dent with his 鈥淏lurring Time鈥� tour this spring. He had six U.S. shows scheduled, as well as a series of Canadian dates. But two weeks ahead of his album release, Larsen鈥檚 reality was shaken.

On April 2, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its policies to specify that it 鈥渙nly recognizes two biological sexes, male and female,鈥� and that it considers a person鈥檚 sex as that which they were assigned at birth. As a result, Larsen, whose passport has an 鈥淢鈥� gender marker, was told by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada that he would not be able to apply for a visa.

There were already risks to crossing the border as a trans person in 2025, and Larsen had taken the necessary steps to ensure that he would be as safe as possible: he was travelling with his guitarist, a cisgender man; he was crossing borders via plane; and he was performing exclusively in blue states. But in the end, the decision was made for him.

鈥淚t was a very surreal moment of understanding that I am, in some ways, part of the group that鈥檚 first in the firing line of these new policies,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is the first time in my adult life that I have been personally implicated.鈥�

He took to Instagram to announce the cancellation of his U.S. dates.

鈥淭his new policy has crushed my dreams,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚 am more and more gutted with every day that passes by the (seeming) dissonance between the world in which I created this project and the world into which I am releasing it.鈥�

Larsen is not the only Canadian artist experiencing the impact of these anti-trans policies. Halifax singer-songwriter T. Thomason recently cancelled an appearance at Maine鈥檚 All Roads Music Festival because he didn鈥檛 feel safe crossing the border as a trans man. Comedian Ava Val pulled the plug on her U.S. dates because of her own visa issues.

The policy changes also implicate non-binary Canadians. In declaring that 鈥渙nly two biological sexes鈥� would be recognized by the U.S. government, the roughly 3,600 Canadians with 鈥淴鈥� gender markers on their passports are left in a precarious position.

These developments have led LGBTQ advocacy groups to raise alarms with the Canadian government.

“Trans and gender-diverse Canadians are continuing to face real fear and uncertainty when it comes to crossing the U.S. border,鈥� Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, told the Star. 鈥淭his uncertainty makes it incredibly difficult to assess whether it’s even safe to travel.鈥�

Egale Canada have cancelled their own plans to travel to the U.S. to 鈥渟afeguard (their) trans and non-binary staff,鈥� and have also called on Canada to update its travel advisory for the U.S.

In Larsen鈥檚 case, 鈥渧isagate鈥� has also eclipsed his album promotion cycle. Stories in the Hollywood Reporter and the Guardian have certainly helped him raise awareness around the realities of being a trans person in 2025, but they also emphasize how simply existing at this intersection of identity can be perceived as a political act. It鈥檚 a duality that Larsen continues to struggle with.

鈥淭oday is my T-day,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o at some point, I鈥檓 going to go home, I鈥檓 going to unzip the little pencil case that I bought at Dollarama and inject myself with testosterone. It鈥檚 a five-minute process 鈥� a 10-minute process, depending on how nervous I am. I put a Band-Aid on, I go about my life, and that鈥檚 it. Because I have access to that kind of care, it allows me to look a certain way, feel a certain way, have a certain je ne sais quoi in my step. That鈥檚 it. I have a bit of trouble with the politicization of my identity, because it doesn鈥檛 actually involve anyone but me.

鈥淏ut if we zoom out and look at transness on a global level, my community is being profoundly dehumanized. We鈥檙e being scapegoated right now. So I totally get why this is political, too.鈥�

Where to now?

Larsen鈥檚 warmth is as contagious as it is calming, but he frequently uses the word 鈥渁nxious鈥� to describe himself. Throughout our conversation, I noticed him playing with something in his right hand. As we started talking about what keeps him grounded, he opened his fingers to reveal a smooth, heart-shaped white rock. Placing it on the counter, he explained that it was given to him by a friend as a token of support following the events of the last few weeks.

He then reached into his left pocket and pulled out a single Polaroid 鈥� of his partner, standing in a forest in Sainte-Ad猫le, Que.

鈥淚鈥檓 grounding myself in my friendships and in the love that I feel,鈥� he said. 鈥淩omantic, yes, but another part of queerness is community and the love that isn鈥檛 romantic. If there鈥檚 one thing that I鈥檓 sure of after the last couple of weeks, it鈥檚 that I am very loved.鈥�

鈥淭hese two things,鈥� he gestured to the rock and photograph, 鈥渁re a real testament to that.鈥�

In the coming months, he鈥檒l focus on playing shows in Canada. He鈥檒l also be opening for Canadian indie rocker Dan Mangan this fall. Larsen said he might explore touring overseas as an alternative to the U.S. But as he observes peers announcing their American dates without issue, he plans to carve out time to grieve the significance of what has been decided for him before deciding what鈥檚 next.

鈥淚 want to keep the momentum going because I can feel the ways in which this album is going to, and has already, changed my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I also want to live my life a little bit.鈥�

On Thursday, he鈥檒l play a packed show at the Great Hall on Queen Street. The last time he performed at the west end venue, he was part of someone else鈥檚 band and was so nervous that he had to look down at the floor.

But this night will be different. Larsen鈥檚 friend Lane Webber, a Toronto-based trans musician, as well as non-binary artist Your Hunni will be accompanying him on vocals. For Larsen, having this shared lived experience on stage was critical. The rest of his band are men who Larsen said have helped inform his sense of masculinity in some way.

On this night, he’ll look up 鈥� at his peers on stage and to his community of fans 鈥� and in more ways than one, he鈥檒l be home.