Justin Meli finds unexpected purpose in a story of addiction on “Wreckage”

“Wreckage” by Justin Meli has a personal backstory: It was originally a song written for country artist Brandi Vezina at a 2025 Indigenous song camp in Toronto. Inspired by the pain of loving someone lost to addiction, its story also became intertwined with Meli's own experience of loss. Vezina couldn’t sing because of pneumonia, so Meli recorded a lead vocal and discovered an unexpected direction for his art. “Wreckage” is an emotionally important release that connects the struggles of addiction and loss to the unexpected ways creative opportunities can change a life.