Canadian singer-songwriter Aynsley Saxereleased her haunting new single “When You Go” on March 13, 2026. The song marks the fifth release from her forthcoming album A Thousand Stars, set to arrive later in 2026, and introduces listeners to one of Saxe’s most emotionally raw and visually evocative works to date.
“When You Go” YouTube and Spotify
At its core, “When You Go” is a desolate, heartbroken reflection on separation, and the grief that follows the collapse of a future once imagined. Built around evocative piano, subtle electric guitar textures, and Saxe’s emotionally direct vocals, the song inhabits the quiet devastation left behind when love ends—not only mourning what was, but what will never be.
“This song was one of the first I wrote for the album,” says Saxe. “The line that always made me tear up while writing was, ‘Take the times we had and the times we’ll never know… take them with you when you go.’ Because when you separate, you don’t just lose the relationship – you also lose the life you thought you were going to live.”
The accompanying music video translates that grief into striking visual metaphor. With still photography of Saxe shot by photographer Shirley Law, and set in an empty house with cracked walls, the space initially feels like a trap—sealed, barren, and desolate. The door eventually opens onto a barren landscape of desert emptiness, followed by an overpowering avalanche and flood spilling inside. Early viewers of the video have described it as “powerful,” and “haunting,” with one response summing up the emotional impact simply: “It gave me shivers.”
Saxe explains, “As the video took shape, I realized the gaze was its emotional centre. As it unfolds, my eyes hold a desert, cry rocks, and capsize underwater in a flood. That gaze keeps asking, ‘Do you see me? Do you see this?’ For me, it insists on attention—on acknowledging what happened. That acknowledgement feels like part of the healing. I needed to show this song to myself as much as I needed to share it with anyone else. Writing the song and creating the video was very cathartic.”
Co-produced with Christian TurneratMill Town Sound, the recording intentionally returns to the song’s origin at the piano, with textured electric guitar used sparingly to create atmosphere. The production mirrors the song’s emotional restraint, allowing space for vulnerability and connection.
“Separation can feel incredibly isolating,” says Saxe. “People can carry guilt, anger, despair, and a sense of failure. Writing music became my lifeline. I hope this song helps people in a similar situation to know they’re not alone—and that separation is not failing.”
With lines such as “We were sliding down this avalanche so long, now we’re covered in rocks and stones,” and “God knows I tried and tried,” “When You Go” captures the exhaustion, vulnerability and weight of grief. Though the song does not offer easy resolution, Saxe chose to end the visual narrative with stars outside the empty house —both as a reflection of the album’s title and as a subtle acknowledgment of hope beyond sorrow on the other side of the storm.
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About Aynsley Saxe
Georgetown, Ontario–based singer-songwriter Aynsley Saxe creates emotionally honest music that moves between folk, pop, and easy-listening influences. Her upcoming sophomore album A Thousand Stars (2026) marks her most personal work to date, tracing the emotional landscape of love, heartbreak, and healing. Through a series of singles—including “Stranger to Myself,” “Next Level Love,” “For Keeps,” “Never Seen Stars Like These Before”,” and the stark meditation on separation “When You Go”—Saxe reveals a deeply reflective songwriting voice. A lifelong musician who began piano at age six, she studied English and Film at Western University and later composed music for independent films. A former Reiki teacher, Saxe often approaches songwriting through an intuitive lens, creating music listeners frequently describe as “healing.”