Instructor Profile: Meet Louise Burns

With over 2 decades of experience as a songwriter, performer, and producer, 2-time Polaris nominated musician, Louise Burns, is a powerhouse in the industry. Beginning her career in the early 2000s with her band Lillix, she went on to be signed to Madonna’s label, Maverick Records, touring all over the world from Australia to China.

Louise began her independent musician career in 2011 and has since released 3 albums to critical acclaim, working with collaborators like Damian Taylor (Arcade Fire, the Killers), Stint (Carly Rae Jepsen, Santigold), and Jasper Leak (Sia). She has recently begun making a name for herself as a sought-after producer working with artists and bands on various record labels, and so we are beyond thrilled to have Louise on staff here at Nimbus. 

Getting to know you

Cat: Hey Louise! It’s always the best part of my day when we get to chat

Louise: Hi Cat! Agreed. Looking forward to giving away all my secrets

Cat: Well then, let’s jump right in. What inspired you to start a career in music?

Louise: I was nutty enough to start a band at the age of eleven years old with my friends. We wanted to be the Beatles and rehearsed so much that we got signed to Madonna’s label a couple of years later! There’s more to the story than that, but essentially, I loved music, made a plan and worked hard enough to be struck by sheer, stupid luck!

we want stories!

Cat: You’ve had some incredible experiences over the years. What was your most memorable musician experience?

Louise: I cherish the memory of performing in Zhangbei, China, where we got stuck in literally the longest traffic jam in history (look up China National Highway 110 traffic jam) driving to our show in the middle of a massive beautiful field overlooking the gorgeous greenery of Inner Mongolia. We played, we stayed in a very, very old hotel and went to the Great Wall of China on the way back. Pretty damn memorable.

Cat: That would certainly stick with me as well! What would you say has been the greatest challenge of your career so far? 

Louise: The greatest challenge has been learning how to say no. There are a lot of opportunities that present themselves and not all of them are good for you. Also, sticking up for myself. As a woman in a male dominated business, you gotta learn how to be a boss. Happy to report that I am now.

sage advice

Cat: And I have to say, we were pretty happy you said “Yes” when we came knocking asking if you’d like to join the Nimbus family. Why do you love teaching at Nimbus?

Louise: Fostering talent is incredibly rewarding, and seeing progress in real time is VERY fun for both myself and the students. 

Cat: And finally, What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Louise: The best advice is more of a mantra I heard the great Dave Genn once say, which I believe is from a documentary: “if it’s not fun, it’s funny”. And boy, that quote has got me through a lot of things, both good and bad!