Amanda Braam

Singer / Songwriter, Kitchener, ON

Amanda Braam is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Kitchener, Ontario. She is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter in her band, Amanda & The Paper Cranes, a four-piece indie alt/pop act distinguished by rich harmonies and crunchy chord progressions. She is also one half of the jazz/folk duo "Roundabout Dance", and plays drums in the noise-rock band "My Angel".

Since picking up her first instrument at age 10, Amanda has gained proficiency on guitar, voice, ukulele, piano, drums, and music production. She is currently attending Wilfrid Laurier University in the Honours Bachelor of Music Therapy program. She is also a songwriter with the community music initiative “The Lullaby Project”, which pairs at-risk mothers with a musician to write and record an original song for their children. She teaches music lessons at Adrian Jones Music School.
Amanda volunteered as a Musician In Residence at the Kitchener Public Library in high school, where she began learning about recording and mixing. She independently wrote and produced her first album when she was 17, was subsequently awarded first prize in the Dorothy Shoemaker Songwriting Competition, as well as Western University's Musician Competition in the Songwriting category. She’s been a featured artist at the KPL’s Produce:HER sessions, a songwriting/production workshop for women and gender-nonconforming musicians.

In April 2024, Amanda released her second album, "Paper Cranes" alongside two music videos on her YouTube Channel. She's played festivals such Riverfest Elora, Summerfolk, Banditfest, and It's Your Festival; and has shared the stage with artists such as Fleet Foxes, Violent Femmes, and The Strumbellas.

Amanda Braam & The Paper Cranes

Amanda Braam & The Paper Cranes are an indie-pop band from Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, distinguished by their rich harmonies, crunchy chords, and catchy melodies. With influences ranging from folk, pop, jazz, shoegaze, and alternative, a Paper Cranes performance is a musical and emotional rollercoaster that will leave listeners enthralled.

The group features Fiona Sinclair on lead guitar / keys, Eve Elford on bass, Simon Dawes on drums, and Amanda on rhythm guitar / lead vocals. Alongside their band and solo careers, Amanda and Simon also perform as a jazz-folk duo called “Roundabout Dance”, and Amanda and Fiona play in the noise-rock band “My Angel”.

In 2021, Amanda released her self-produced debut album “ladybug basement”, and she was subsequently awarded first prize in the Dorothy Shoemaker Songwriting Competition. In April 2024, she released her album “Paper Cranes” alongside two music videos.

Having met at studying at Wilfrid Laurier University, Amanda & The Paper Cranes often play in KW, performing at venues such as Maxwell’s, The Yeti, The Union, and The Jazz Room; and they were featured artists for Kitchener Neighbour’s Day, as well as Waterloo’s Canada Day. They have been interviewed by local radio stations such as Midtown Radio and Radio Laurier. Amanda frequently busks at the Kitchener Market.

But, The Paper Cranes perform all around Ontario, too, including Toronto, Elora, Brantford, Hamilton, Owen Sound, and Guelph. They've performed at festivals such as Riverfest Elora, It’s Your Festival Hamilton, and Banditfest Owen Sound. In 2025, they won Summerfolk's Youth Discoveries Competition, and performed at the festival. They’ve shared the stage with acts such as The Strumbellas, Violent Femmes, and Fleet Foxes.

Roundabout Dance

Roundabout Dance is a duo composed of singer/songwriters Amanda Braam and Simon Dawes. Blending folk, indie, and jazz, their music seeks to capture the strangeness and beauty of life as they understand it. Their introspective lyrics, interlocking guitars, and vocal harmonies make for a captivating show, providing a variety of co-written originals, jazz standards, and contemporary covers. The two met in Owen Sound at the 2023 Summerfolk Youth Discoveries Competition, and have performed throughout Ontario.

Roundabout Dance are working on a live EP and full album, to be released in the near future!

P.S - The band name references the catchy tune "The Roundabout Dance" written by written by Nancy Button and performed by Patrick Lefler and Dan Drysdale as part of Waterloo Region's 2009 Roundabout Education Campaign. To this day, it appears Waterloo inhabitants could use some help navigating these dizzying death-traps.