Interviews with Creative Women: Delyn Grey

by Aliki Bitsakakis, Persephone Media

3 min read, April 19th, 2025

Delyn Grey is a powerhouse Canadian rocker known for her gritty, blues-infused sound and raw lyricism. With electrifying performances, she's shared stages with acts like Frank Turner, Jim Cuddy, Bif Naked, and Alex Cuba. Mentored by legendary producer Steve Lillywhite since 2018, Delyn combines classic rock influences with a modern edge, drawing comparisons to Janis Joplin, PJ Harvey, and Amy Winehouse. Her soulful vocals and magnetic stage presence have earned her a strong following.

What barriers have you faced as a woman in your industry and how have you overcome them? 

I've been pursuing a career in music for just under a decade. I've experienced lots of pushback, belittling, and dismissive behaviour from men and women alike. One of the things that many of those people couldn't get their heads around was that I'm a girl and I play rock music. I'm still confused by this, as there have been so many trailblazers in the industry--Joan Jett, the Wilson sisters (Heart), Debbie Harry, Melissae Etheridge (to name a few). 

 

As the years have passed, the reactions and comments that have stuck with me the most, maybe unfortunately, are "This is fantastic rock music, for a girl of course," "A male vocalist would really sell this," "Girls tend to not really 'get' the rock scene," "Try keeping it dark, dirty, and sexy. That's really all that will draw people in". 

 

I find the backhanded comments to be the most frustrating. You like my music and see something in me, but because I'm a woman, I'm not worth your time?

 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

1. Move like water. Adaptability is your best friend--this isn't unique to creative industries. Stay consistent and be adaptable.

2. The world doesn't care. There's so much freedom in letting go of other people's opinions and visions for you. Do your thing and enjoy it as much as you can. Nowadays, everything is so fast-paced, it's so difficult to keep up, things can feel really discouraging. I've been trying to reframe the feelings and experiences of rejection. Take them for what they are and ask yourself if the fact that X person doesn't care about you is going to completely derail your passion...if the answer is yes, you weren't all that passionate to begin with. The world doesn't care about you. 

 

Why is it important to support women in your field?

We face massive hurdles in our daily existences – careers aside. If you have the opportunity tohelp a woman up, do it. Help her take a breath. 

 

How do you think we can create a more equitable workplace in your industry?

By helping more women be heard. By not being so quick to dismiss women who are trying to build careers in male-dominated industries. I've seen so many men get opportunities in this industry just because they're guys. Women aren't immune to being the problem either. I've come across a lot of women who have been as bad if not worse than the men who have given me a hard time, and I think that's unfortunate. I can't control how other people choose to navigate their paths, but I'll be doing what I can to help my girls out when I can. 

The fear of missing out on opportunities and "giving them" to other people because you helped them out is so real. Something that this industry and the voice acting industry have taught me is that if someone else got the "gig"...it was never meant for you. Keep working hard, go get what you want, keep loving what you do, help people along the way. Be a nice human!!

 

Name one woman that you either personally know or admire from afar, and explain why you look up to them

 

I'm incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most empowering women I think I'll ever meet. Watch out. Every woman in my family is a trailblazer, and not to be messed with. My mom has definitely been my greatest inspiration. She is so hard working and built a really impressive career in the medical industry on her own. She's extremely strategic and business savvy, and always encouraged my sister and I to be as independent as possible and chase what we love. She made the challenges of being a woman clear to us growing up, but never dwelled on them in ways that we would use them as crutches or excuses to not work as hard as we could to achieve what we wanted. We just knew going in that we might need to put a bit more elbow grease in, in order to keep up with the guys. My mom's the best! I feel so privileged to be able to call her my best friend.