Dive into the World of Poolgirl

Poolgirl by Alice L’arrivée (from left to right: Laura Clark, Gwenna Pirozzi, Manya Ziemiecki, Miranda Powell-New, and Rachel Bradbury)

At 7:41 PM on June 11th, 2023, classical flute student Gwenna Pirozzi tweeted that they were “very serious about starting band now” and asked anyone interested to hit them up with what instrument they play. Several tweets and Instagram story callouts later, Rachel Bradbury, Gwenna Pirozzi, Miranda Powell-New, Manya Ziemiecki, and Laura Clark came together to form what would soon be known as Poolgirl: an emerging alternative rock band based in Montreal/Tiohtià:ke.

One of the group’s most frequently asked questions is about their name, which happens to be the inverse of Girlpool, a now-disbanded indie rock band. To clear things up, percussionist Bradbury—who has seen Girlpool in concert—says that they “zero percent thought of” Girlpool when brainstorming band names, and were mainly working off of Notes app lists of words everyone thought would sound cool. With T-shirts depicting a woman lounging in a swimming pool juxtaposed with lyrics capturing the joy of “drinking beer and playing pool,” the band says it’s up to the listener to decide what the name means to them.

Nearly a year and a half after Pirozzi’s aspirational tweet, Poolgirl has released their first EP, racked up thousands of streams on Spotify, played the internationally-acclaimed POP Montreal music festival, and developed a loyal following of 20-something-year-olds with dyed hair and facial piercings who shout along with the band all across the city. From the smoke-laden atmosphere of Traxide to the vibrantly graffitied concrete slabs of the Van Horne Underpass, Poolgirl never fails to curate a safe and welcoming concert environment. This is a result of the band’s creation of their own space in a scene that often tends to be dominated by men. Instead of attempting to break into a scene they had no interest in belonging to, Poolgirl has instead forged their own path. This includes booking their own shows, often “with [their] people,” and playing benefit concerts for organizations whose values align with theirs, such as Rock Camp Montréal, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls, trans kids, and queer kids through music.

Poolgirl performing at Batiment 7 by Judy Yun

With only two released singles in their repertoire, the band was selected to perform at POP Montreal, a five-day-long music, film, and visual art festival that invites acts from all over the globe to play at over 50 venues across the city. When Powell-New, who applied on behalf of Poolgirl, broke the good news to the rest of the band, everyone was “screaming with joy.” In addition to delivering an electrifying performance at Mile End’s Quai des brumes on September 28th, being accepted meant seeing their name on the POP Montréal advertisements on the metro and the festival’s iconic beer cans. Balancing festival performances with school and work can be hectic but the band agrees that they “wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.”

Playfully titled I Can’t Swim, Poolgirl’s debut EP is a four-track testament to the band’s artistic versatility. Although the majority of the songs they perform tend to transform every venue into one large moshpit, new tracks “Lucy” and “Pool Party” offer a glimpse into the group’s more mellow side. With the upbeat, anger-fueled tracks “Charity” and “POS,” the EP is an eclectic mixture of rage, queer joy, and somber melodies. Beginning with the cover, a collage designed together by all five band members, the EP is a collaborative effort from start to finish. Although the bulk of the lyrics are composed by Powell-New, the band ties everything together with very open communication, allowing every member to offer their input. With artistic influences ranging from indie duo Wet Leg to riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, and educational music backgrounds including classical voice training and percussion performance, I Can’t Swim weaves these differences together to form a cohesive and catchy EP. 

Along with the new EP, Poolgirl fans can expect new merch and music videos, in addition to a full-length album in the future. However, Poolgirl will be on hiatus from around February to April 2025 to focus on songwriting. The band plans to use this time to jam and work on new music but will not be playing any shows. That being said, make sure to take a dip on January 18th at Batiment 7, which will be Poolgirl’s last show before the hiatus. 

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I Can’t Swim

Released December 6th, 2024

1. Lucy

2. Charity 

3. Pool Party

4. POS

All songs by Poolgirl 

Gwenna Pirozzi - Bass

Miranda Powell-New - Vocals

Manya Ziemiecki - Rhythm Guitar & Background Vocals 

Rachel Bradbury - Percussion

Laura Clark - Guitar

Matt Sagar - Recording

Mixing & Mastering - Sarah Harris 

Artwork by Poolgirl

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Poolgirl

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Maggie Caroddo (they/them) is a lesbian writer and film fanatic originally from Long Island/Lenape Land and currently based in Montréal/Tiohtià:ke.

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Five Years and Three Cities: VICTIME Unveils New Album En Conversation Avec (Mothland)

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VICTIME by Rose Cormier, from left to right: Samuel Gougoux, Laurence Gauthier-Brown and Simone Provencher

Crumple it up. Unfold it. Walk away. Come back together and start again (and again). This was noise rock trio VICTIME’s unexpected five year-plan to create their second long-player En conversation avec, unveiled today via Montreal label Mothland.  

En conversation avec album artwork by Cléo Sjölander

Deconstructing a guitar-bass-drums mold, while still embracing their unbridled exploratory approach, VICTIME have returned with a genreless sophomore manifesto that they credit as their best work to date. Hurtling at 100kph, En conversation avec is a corrosive, meter-busting rendez-vous of DIY breadboard overdubs, pixelated synth-scapes and a complete disregard for conventional musical permissibility. 

Devised across three cities (Gatineau, Montreal and Quebec City) between bandmates Laurence Gauthier-Brown (Ponctuation, Pure Carrière), Simone Provencher (Album) and Samuel Gougoux (Corridor, Kee Avil) through virtual demo-ing with high-stakes jams in-between pandemic lockdowns, En conversation avec is the result of the VICTIME’s unanimous urge to overhaul their sound. 

While the band is adverse to talking about the COVID-19 pandemic (with good reason), they agree that making a record long-distance was a cornerstone to the evolution of their creative process.  

“Without some delineation of guitar-drum-bass, it truly isn’t a VICTIME record,” says guitarist  Provencher. “The three of us worked on every part, which defined the album more than anything. The studio-based approach allowed us to rediscover the joy [in playing] through recording riffs, vocals, rhythms and loops directly on our computers and then sharing them with each other for processing or overdubbing,” she adds. 

For vocalist-bassist Gauthier-Brown, the digital back and forth allowed her to tackle difficult and uncharted subject matter through her lyrics differently than before. 

“Over the many years with the band, living through both the #MeToo movement and the pandemic, I’ve learned how to use my voice and take my place. The album’s first single [M.A.] allowed me to grieve and process a difficult experience. At first I couldn’t sing it without crying. But at the same time, after 7 years in a relationship, I also wrote my first ever love song with this record. It felt like the first time I could really do it,” she explains. 

The band attributes lessons learned from exploring expressive mediums outside of music to the spirit of En conversation avec. 

“We weren't necessarily tired, but we were excited about new things that we were learning while working on separate projects,” shares Gauthier-Brown. “We were all playing music with other people, scoring films, theatre and dance pieces as well, and that brought out different elements of our [musical abilities] that we were interested in incorporating into Vicitme,” she adds. “I had worked on a theatre show for two years that never happened because of the pandemic. Having to really sing on my own [while practicing] and not just do rhythm stuff helped me go deeper into myself and find my voice.” 

“I remember a moment, way before we even started the record, where Laurence walked into the jam space and said she didn’t want to be in a rock band anymore,” recalls Provencher. “I cried,” adds Gauthier-Brown, as the band laughs in harmony. 

“We each wanted to do something different with our own instrument and influence each other’s output,” explains Gougoux. “While using loops isn’t exactly inventing anything new, it brought a different element to thinking about the songs’ rhythmic elements and changed my [creative] vision over time,” he adds. 

Since forming in the late 2010s, VICTIME’s trust in each other as friends and collaborators is a testament to the band’s progression in tandem with the members’ individual growth.

“We’ve been able to find a balance in having fun together and being serious,” says Gougoux. “We started this band when we were still teenagers in our heads, but now we all have full-time jobs and are thinking about, you know, having a house and a family,” says Gauthier-Brown, the band all laughing together.

That being said, VICTIME are just as weird, and just as millennial, as they’ve always been. Along with Kim Gordon, eye surgeries and the sadness of roadkill, En conversation avec cites Twilight's Breaking Dawn and the documentary Sisters With Transistors among a myriad of intriguingly cryptic references.

While VICTIME is currently challenged by the ambitious translation of their “studio-heavy” songs to live context, they are collectively eager to see what the future holds for En conversation avec. 

“We’ve spent time in different scenes. For me, more the art scene than the music scene. And we’ve changed labels. I have no idea what kind of reception we’re going to get, because we’re starting over again, in a way… But we’re going to keep the momentum going and hopefully not take five more years to write another record,” giggles Provencher. 

“Even though I’ve been touring a lot with other projects, I know that the music communities we’ve been in will be receptive and supportive. I think we’re in a place now where we’re just excited to get invited to venues and festivals again,” says Gougoux. 

Don’t miss VICTIME’s upcoming shows in Montreal and Ottawa!

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Double Album Launch Party

with Yoo Doo Right with We Owe ft. Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) 

December 6th, 2024 at Théâtre Plaza (Montreal) 

Tickets 

Debaser’s Pique Festival 

December 14th, 2024 at Arts Court (Ottawa) 

Tickets 

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EN CONVERSATION AVEC

Out October 25th, 2024 via Mothland

1. Pleine conscience
2. Un beau spectacle
3. M.A.
4. Ces ruines
5. Collage
6. Résonne encore
7. Faire la matière
8. Régicide
9. Figurine
10. En conversation avec

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VICTIME

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

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Slice Casts a Dreamy Sheen on Sincerity with "III" (Selenite Records)

Megan Magiera, Barbara Barrera, and Alex Hattick of Slice by Debbie Cho

Mellow yet moving, flowing yet focused, Long Beach’s Slice have long been crafting their unique indie spell. Comprised of spouses Megan Magiera (guitar and vocals) and Barbara Barrera (bass), along with keyboardist and vocalist Alex Hattick, Slice’s thoughtful artistry has gained favour with women and LGBTQ+ communities across Southern California. The trio masterfully employs motifs of jazz, post-punk, and dream pop, honouring their respective backgrounds without compromising artistic growth.

Their latest EP, III (out August 9th via Selenite Records), carries that compelling torch. Its captivating melodies are enhanced by earnest lyricism, navigating the waters of mental burnout and the demonization of homelessness. Slice touches on pervasive issues with cohesion, turning moments of isolation into cause for unity.

Late last month, Megan, Barbara, and Alex sat down with Also Cool to chat all things Slice.

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool: The band is coming up on its tenth anniversary. I’m interested in hearing how Slice's story first began, and looking back on the first chapters of the band.

Megan Magiera of Slice: It was kind of just me and Barb. Has it been ten years? Or is it-

Barbara Barrera of Slice: It’s coming up. You [Megan] would jam with your looper and you recorded [debut EP SLICE] – remember? All by yourself.

Megan: Yeah.

Barbara: But then we would also jam in your room – I would play bass, you would play guitar.

Megan: The beginnings are just in a bedroom. I thought it would be fun to play a show for my birthday, so we [Megan and Barbara] played a show, and I thought that was really fun. We met Alex and Kelsey [Landazuri, producer and engineer] through the music scene and… I feel like those beginnings are just in a bedroom, you know? Just making-

Barbara: Lo-fi.

Megan: Yeah, lo-fi…

Barbara: Bedroom pop.

Megan: Yeah, there you go…pop? [laughs]

Also Cool: So what were some of the previous bands you were in?

Barbara: I was in a band called Gaze with Lily Stretz from Meow Twins.

AC: Alex, you came into the band a bit later. What was your experience like before joining Slice?

Alex Hattick of Slice: I was a music major turned psychology major. I started playing guitar…in my early 20s, I guess? And then I started my own project, Hellgal, that Meg was in too. I was playing in three bands at one point.

So I saw Slice play, and there were a couple of songs that got stuck in my head, which is pretty rare when I go out and see bands. Usually, it’s like, “Oh, I like this!” but I don’t remember anything.

But I remembered “Sick,” and it always – I could sing “Sick,” and there’s no lyrics to it. There’s this little melody [that] would get stuck in my head. I remember hearing them play as a three-piece, and just being a little fangirl for a while. And then Michael Williams of Sanguine Knight was like, “You should be in Slice! You should have Alex in Slice!” [laughs] He was the little bird in everyone’s ears.

AC: So it was like a [crowdsourced] fusion of the minds coming together? It was just a matter of time before you joined forces?

Alex: Yeah!

AC: Jumping off of that – you’ve mentioned some of these smaller bands in the scene. Here in Canada, you hear about the music scenes in Orange County, LA, and across the West Coast as some kind of entity. A lot of what I’ve learned about the band is that Long Beach and the OC are important to your identity. I’m interested in knowing how your music reflects the sounds and the vibes of the West Coast, of the OC, and how you think it differs as well.

Megan: It’s hard to say stuff about Orange County – Long Beach is LA, technically, but I don’t know much about the Orange County scene. I know you [gestures to Barbara] were involved in it.

Barbara: I mean, I was in the Orange County punk scene as a teenager. But I feel like [being from the West Coast] adds to our chill sound.

Megan: There you go, there you go! [laughs]

Barbara: People say life over here is very laid-back and chill and I feel like our sound reflects that. What do you think, Alex?

Alex: I feel like Long Beach is a mini-LA in some ways. There are some really good venues here – some well-established venues that are dedicated to local music, which is cool. I’ve never lived in Orange County—Long Beach is right on the cusp, it’s like the last stop before you get to Orange County—but a lot of people from LA have started moving down here. I’ve run into multiple people who say they’ve moved here from LA and they’re like “It’s weird here, everybody just says hi! Everyone says hi when you’re walking down the street!”

I think there’s been a shoegaze-y or a 90s resurgence in stuff [here]. There are also little pockets of post-punk resurgence in the area too. So I think it’s been interesting watching who we parallel and relate to music-wise.

Slice by Debbie Cho

AC: Getting to the new EP, III, a lot of it shifts around some dark subject matter. There are songs that deal with anxiety, and “Depleted” deals very specifically with burnout – I’d like to hear more about the greater inspirations at play here. Did you set out to make an EP inspired by something you were working on [or dealing with], or did you feel like the songs kind of came together organically?

Megan: I would say it happened organically, for sure. There was no concept – I strived to do that later on. But all of these songs were written so far away from each other that there wasn’t a “theme” or anything. It just kind of [came back to] everyday struggles that we deal with and were inspired by. The subject matter is something that we [all] see probably every day. Dealing with anxiety and things like that, it’s just our everyday lives. The ebb and flow of life, you know?

AC: What would you say are the time frames through which you were working on all of these songs?

Megan: 2018 to 2020, maybe?

Alex: “Depleted” and “Shopping” are the most recent songs. Those are 2020, 2021, I think? Time passes so quickly!

I worked on the lyrics for both those songs and the lyrics came up during specific moments of feeling my own burnout from working as a therapist; of just feeling those feelings of the world, the nature of our political climate, and things like that. Holding all of that is a lot – for everybody, for lots of different reasons! I work with clients on [those subjects] too, so it’s something I encounter really frequently.

Also, as a social worker, I’ve had several jobs working with lots of different populations, so the lyrics for “Shopping” were inspired by some of the political pieces I’ve been following around the unhoused population and the treatment of those folks in our culture.

AC: Yeah, “Shopping” was one I particularly picked up on. It felt very charged, very riot grrrl in that sense of boldness to it. That’s really interesting to hear more about its connection to the unhoused and other [therapy clients] you’ve worked with.

Learning more about the band, it seems like the band consciously refrains from overproduction and you want to replicate the essence of your live shows. Painting the picture of these live shows, what do they look like? What is the connection to your community in those shows, and how did you come to value this in your sound?

Megan: That’s a good question. Have you ever been to a concert where the band didn’t sound like the recording – in a good way or a bad way?

I guess it’s just more authentic and we feel like we’re being ourselves. There’s nothing that we’re hiding behind. It’s an expectation that we set.

Barbara: When we’ve recorded, it’s always felt like taking a picture of what we sound like at that moment in time…rather than making a painting…if that makes sense? We added some [stronger] production to the new EP though.

AC: I like the visual imagery of that – that does make sense!

Alex: Yeah, and I think with how we seem to jam together, we almost work better together with simplicity and a certain amount of minimalism. Between the bass line, the guitar parts, the [keyboard] parts, there’s this natural flow that they have together and there’s three different melodies all happening at the same time.

So in order to hear that, for that to come out, I like that it doesn’t have so much “background noise” that blocks that out. It has that balance that reminds me of Grass Widow, and how they recorded too.

AC: It’s warm and fuzzy, and you can associate it with the memory of being at one of your shows. It sounds like the community really shows up for you.

Slice by Kelsey Landazuri

Speaking of shows, with the EP coming out on August 9th, I’ve heard there’s a big release show on August 10th. I’d love to know – what can fans expect? Are there any other shows planned, or other tricks up your sleeve?

Barbara: Kelsey and Val[eryee Jimenez of Selenite Records] said that we should record another 3-4 songs, and press that EP and this EP together on a 12-inch. So we’ve been talking about doing that. I’ve also suggested we could press all four EPs on one 12-inch, like this one punk band – Subhumans.

But we’ll see. We want to press a 12-inch, press another record for sure.

Megan: We’re also definitely playing more shows. Whenever a friend hits us up, we usually say yes… we have one more show booked in September.

Barbara: The August show, we’re playing with Coleco Club. It has members of the band Baus. They’re really cool, I can’t wait to play with them!

Megan: Angela Jane Bachman…

Barbara: Angela Jane Bachman!

Alex: I’m a big fan.

Barbara: Yeah, Alex is a big fan.

Alex: We’re going to be playing at our “home base” in Long Beach, which is called Vine. I think it became a thing when I was in college – so maybe not quite 20 years.

It’s now owned by Dustin Lovelis, who’s been in the music scene for a long time. [Dustin] has a recording studio, and he’s really involved in booking musicians. They have music pretty much every night of the week. The shows are also always free, so it’s a hub for music in Long Beach. Honestly, the main hub, which is funny because it’s one of the smaller venues. But it really is – if you’re a musician in Long Beach, you know about it. We wanted to play there because it’s the home base.

AC: Feels like a “return to form” of sorts.

Would those other shows also be in Southern California? Are there any plans to tour out-of-state?

Megan: We have no plans for that right now, but we would love to! We’ve toured the Pacific Northwest a few times, and we’ve even gone the SXSW route. We’d love to play more on the East Coast – Canada! [laughs] We would love to.

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III

Released August 9th, 2024 on Selenite Records

1. Depleted

2. Don't Overthink It

3. Painfully Aware

4. Shopping

Megan Magiera - Guitar/Vocals
Alex Hattick - Synthesizer/Lead Vocals
Barbara Barrera - Bass
Kelsey Landazuri - Drums

Mastered by Nick Townsend
Produced by Kelsey Landazuri
Album Art by Alina Kano

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Slice

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Birds to the Front: A Conversation with Montreal's Birds of Prrrey

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Birds of Prrrey via Facebook (from left to right: Grace Spitzley, Noelle Inniss and Clarence Tremblay)

In a 8 x 8 music space in Verdun, Birds of Prrrey (yes, the 3 Rs are important) are getting ready to rehearse for the night’s show. It's small, hot, and stuffy, but time is money and they don’t have any to waste. Grace Spitzley, the band’s bassist, is dutifully looking over their schedule. Noelle Inniss, the drummer, is reminiscing on funny anecdotes. Clarence Tremblay, the guitarist, is setting up their gear, while explaining that this was the first room they've ever played in, and that the other rooms are much better.

There’s a direct contrast between the playful atmosphere of this rehearsal and the focused recording sessions that Birds of Prrrey had in the studio gearing up for their first EP release. Those days were characterised by missing equipment, sound malfunctions, and delays. “Personally, I almost cried,” says Noelle while explaining their initial difficulties. Old equipment required the band to adapt quickly and be flexible when unexpected things happened – things like having to record a song while not being able to hear yourself, or your fellow band members, at all. 

Though the Birds of Prrrey had a rough start, the band fondly recalls sharing a hug with their producer Ben Rowland during their last session. “Our last take, it was so easy,” says Clarence. Noelle chimes in: “[If you] think about it too hard, that’s when you fuck up.”

Released in early July, Yet, we’re still growing in place features only songs that have been performed live, so the band’s family, friends, and everyone who regularly hits up MTL’s thrift shops will finally be able to stream to their hearts’ desires!

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Graphic by Winie Coulanges

The creation of this EP served as a way for the band to let go of the past and look forward to the future – a time of transformation and new beginnings. It granted the band members an opportunity to embrace new memories and to escape negativity. As for how they feel now that the EP is out? Grace describes the feeling as cathartic. “Finally, we’re getting it out there for the world, and it’s our first big thing!’’ She hopes listeners will be able to recognize themselves in the songs.

Written over the course of 2023 while the band was going through growing pains, the EP touches on themes of love, power, self-reflection and independence. “Training Wheels”, the band’s favourite song, is an assemblage of all the qualities that make up Birds of Prrrey, such as humour, friendship and perseverance. Symbolic of the journey that brought them to this point, this track also serves as a reminder that their music is not a silly pastime or hobby but a real passion. “It’s such a beautiful song, we made something so beautiful and legit,” Noelle says.  “I have never felt more proud.”

Clarence recalls performing the song “Hatemail” at a show—a song they wrote about an unhappy relationship that was about to end—and locking eyes with an older man in the audience. “I was singing lyrics to a new song, and I saw an adult man who wasn’t there for us, he was there for the other band. Truly, listening to the lyrics and nodding his head like I was saying his truth. That gave me so much more confidence in what I was saying, like I wasn’t crazy.”

If Birds of Prrrey songs are intense and poignant, their social media presence is the opposite. Well-curated, it features many images of birds, memes and photos of the band. They don’t take themselves too seriously. Used to promote upcoming shows and document their evolution, the colourful images along with the funny captions invite everyone to feel welcome to dive into the universe that is Birds of Prrrey. Grace says, “I find that living in the city, performing at the same five venues, some bands take themselves way too seriously.” 

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Graphic by Winie Coulanges

Clarence describes it as a method to connect with their audience outside of live shows and to express themselves. Their openness and camaraderie not only makes the band unique and approachable, but it grabs the attention of potential collaborators. They’ve been able to work with artists of many different disciplines like animators, textile artists and graphic designers in their short career. Recently, they collaborated with an animator and artist named Sherry (also known as @Aecolyte) on the cover of their EP. “ They have a softness to their artwork but also deal with dark themes, it fits perfectly with our EP, ” explains Clarence. 

During a small break in their rehearsal, the band reminisces on a time someone compared them to The Beatles; the band, finding it hilarious, immediately jumped into an impromptu rendition of “Blackbird”. As for their actual musical inspirations, the band lists the Breeders, Hole, Mitski and Bikini Kill. At first glance, you might mistake them for riot grrrls. Despite their name and grunge aesthetic, complete with drawn-on Converse sneakers, Clarence clarifies: “We don’t think we are riot grrrls – to be a riot grrrl is to be political. We are just uplifting the movement.” They’re also not punk, Clarence explains: “ I would never say we’re punk – people call us punk, but I think they just use it as an umbrella term for those who make loud music.”

Debuting in the male-dominated Montreal music scene, it was a bit daunting for Birds of Prrrey to find their place. However, they quickly found an audience that was waiting for a band like theirs to come into the scene; young women and queer people taking up space and expressing themselves on their own terms, not wanting to confirm. While their initial demographic might’ve been fellow early 20-somethings, it’s clear that Birds of Prrrey can appeal to anyone. “There’s a part of our audience who we would've never thought would be interested in us, and it goes to show that it’s truly about the music,” Clarence shares. 

If you’ve never seen Birds of Prrrey live, a typical show might be prefaced with sentences murmured in the crowd like “This isn’t Birds of Prrrey” and “All the good bands are in Brooklyn.” Quick little quips as well as inside jokes serve as transitions between songs and each member shines in their own unique way. Noelle’s explosive drum solo at the end of “Noelle’s emo song” is captivating and full of emotion. Grace’s electric vocals over their fan-favourite cover of “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’” makes the crowd go wild. Clarence entertains the audience with their cool and charming personality. With a sea of moshing and bopping heads listening carefully to every song, Birds of Prrrey puts on a remarkable show. Towards the end of the night, you’ll usually find the members floating around the venue socializing and giving out handmade stickers to anyone who asks. 

Catch Birds of Prrrey at La Sotterenea on July 26th hosting and performing Bird Ball, their EP release show with a pop-up vendor market.

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Graphic by Winie Coulanges

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YET, WE’RE STILL GROWING IN PLACE

Released July 6th, 2024

1. A Man Invited Shoelaces

2. OMGCROWSEVERYWHERE.COM2003$

3. Hatemail

4. Noelle’s Emo Song

5. Training Wheels

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Birds of Prrrey

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Writing and graphics by Winie Coulanges

Winie Coulanges (she/her) is an emerging writer and artist living in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Her art is informed by her identity and her desire to dissect the environment she lives in with care, consideration and humour.

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From Bartender to Headliner: Montreal's Alix Fernz Turns Heads with Debut Album "Bizou" (Mothland)

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Alix Fernz by Antoine Giroux

Alix Fernz is the beloved enfant terrible lighting a match on Montreal’s music scene. Formerly performing as Blood Skin Atopic, Alix Fernz is the moniker of 24-year-old singer-songwriter Alexandre Fournier. Arriving April 19th via hometown label Mothland, Bizou is Fournier’s debut album under this new alias. 

On Bizou, Fernz leads us down a drainpipe into an unabashed, palpitating reverie of studded leather, troublemaking and lipstick-stained dive bar mirrors. Produced in the bedrooms of three different apartments, with vocals tracked on Fernz’s iPhone mic, Bizou fearlessly criss-crosses remnants of bratty 70s-punk with new wave romanticism in a blistering 32-minutes.

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Bizou album artwork, credit: Alix Fernz & Nora Mejdouli

Mixed by Emmanuel Éthier (Choses Sauvages, Corridor, P’tit Belliveau, Population II), Bizou is Fernz’s first studio effort. After parsing over Bizou for nearly three years, Fernz is anxious for its unveiling at his album listening party this Thursday at Montreal nightclub Le Système.

“I got signed to Mothland after the album was done, but it's been worth the wait to release it for real,” says Fernz. “Teasing things out single by single has worked well, I saw the [streaming] numbers and I was like ‘holy crap!’” he laughs. 

Beyond its subversive aesthetics, Bizou is a coming-of-age record for Fernz, expanding on his experiences and growing pains as a suburban outcast.  

“Bizou has helped me a lot, as a period of self-learning,” explains Fernz. “A lot of the songs are angry and bring up a lot of unsavoury old feelings. I don’t like writing from the first-person, so I’ve created other versions of myself—personas—to write about the tough stuff and disconnect from my teenage years—trying to figure things out, feeling out of place in private school, doing drugs and shit. When I’m onstage singing these songs, I feel like another person, like someone else.”

The characters of Bizou come to life in the album’s accompanying music videos, where Fernz takes cues from latex magazines and 80s fashion to shapeshift from a nightmarish, botox-injected fiend to a lace-clad pierrot clown. 

With the adoption of his new stage name, Fernz has already encountered significant milestones as he aims to take his musical career to the next level.

“I moved to Montreal when I was 17, and started making music shortly after as Blood Skin Atopic. Switching to this solo project has helped me evolve out of a little DIY guy, now that I actually have [a label] backing me up,” explains Fernz. 

Fernz's it-factor has been established by his electric live sets attracting festival audiences, despite previously only having one single online. Since sharing “Wax”—the inaugural single from Bizou—in late 2023, Fernz has played POP Montreal, M For Montreal, Le Phoque OFF and Taverne Tour. In between, he’s gripped show-goers across Montreal’s signature stages and recently toured outside of Quebec for the first time.

View fullsize

Alix Fernz by Antoine Giroux

Along with his musical forays, Fernz is a tattoo artist by day and a bartender at Montreal venue L’Esco. 

“I tell my boss [at l’Esco] all the time that I owe him my career,” says Fernz. “Meeting all these artists night after night is one of the main reasons that I can say that I am where I am. It’s priceless. I recently stayed after my shift to see Model/Actriz from New York after hearing their soundcheck and my mouth was like, watering the entire time,” he laughs. 

With all the buzz surrounding Bizou’s arrival, Fernz has started to perceive a shift in his reputation from local bartender to micro-celebrity. “I still don’t know how to react when people recognize me from my shows at work,” he smiles. “Working at L’Esco is like the epitome of ‘Oh! I know you… but I don’t know from where?’”  he adds. “I’m finding more and more people recognize me on the street from music than tattooing—I see my clients at the bar all the time. It’s definitely weird, but I enjoy it.” 

Despite this, Fernz remains humble and committed to his creative growth. When talking about what’s next, he reveals he’s already got a new project in the works. Hinting at what the future holds, Fernz describes his new songs having more of a pop direction, but maintaining his signature oddball edge. “I have ten demos already. Bizou has been a huge learning opportunity for me in being able to work on music with other people and introduce [the project], but I can’t wait to work on something else!” he exclaims. 

Catch Alix Fernz on tour this spring and pre-save / pre-order Bizou before its release this Friday!

April 28th - Toronto @ The Baby G 

May 10th - Sainte-Thérèse @ Santa Teresa  

May 16th - Montreal @ POW POW (album release show)

May 23rd - Chicoutimi @ Bar à Pitons 

May 24th - Québec @ Le Pantoum 

May 25th - Rimouski @ Bains Publics  

Alix Fernz

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Public Appeal: The Fight for Queer Creativity

Public Appeal by Uma Nardone

Public Appeal (she/they) didn't come out of nowhere – her rise to notability is profound for all the ways they have worked to create music that people want and crave. Growing up in the rural south of France, Discord forums, and Internet algorithms fed her artistry, and moving to Montreal allowed for the exposure necessary to become a star. With mentors and inspiration coming from places like NYC and LA, Public Appeal has found her voice through years of listening to Club Eat and Charli XCX. 

When asked to describe her genre, they tell me there's no need for labels – her music is meant to serve and make you feel good on the dance floor. It's a pursuit I can't discredit in any way, shape, or form. I think communal love for Public Appeal comes from this honesty. In her music, there is an expression of something almost too real for simple minds to handle. With performance being center stage in this era of the Montreal music scene, brutally realistic and dystopian pop beats are what we need to make it through the weekend.

“Indie sleaze is where I draw my inspiration – the irony of playing with archetypes is where you have the most fun.”

When making her music, Public Appeal is asking questions. Her process could be compared to the Barbenheimer phenomenon: the brains of nuclear physicists, but an almost plastic-like beauty and playfulness going hand-in-hand. Indie sleaze becomes ultra-meta as a new generation of artists take on ideas of aesthetics, Tumblr and Instagram, allowing for nuanced forms of consumption. 

Public Appeal by Uma Nardone

As we sit in a park discussing everything from childhood celebrity crushes and the meaning behind lyrics, Public Appeal runs me through her outfit. The level of indie sleaze that one can exude is showcased. The shirt is her father’s, her jewelry was found on the street, mismatched Doc Martens that got switched at a party, and Jack Antonoff spectacles without lenses. Everything from head-to-toe is a collage – a moment in time and an inside joke, yet still eye candy for strangers. 

Her music is similarly a family affair: it's perverse because we can all relate and imagine the scenarios expressed on her latest EP, Mind Your Business. This can be seen in “I Wanna Party With You”, which addresses the awkward dynamic of going out with a lover while being over the feeling of them – easy enough in a city like Montreal, and relentlessly relatable.  

Sometimes the care and attention given to artistry is not noticed when people are making their music on a laptop in their bedroom – yet I believe the best forms of expression come from raw experiences, and Public Appeal allows for that. They study histories of music and genre, searching through old interviews of favorite artists and diving deep into the Soundcloud ether to find inspiration. 

Public Appeal by Uma Nardone

Recently, Public Appeal has delved into the history and sounds of electroclash, introducing even a music lover like me into a world I've never known. With hundred-song playlists and concert lists with footnotes, a sense of care and need for good music is instantly seen in her way of being. This is all the proof needed to express the love they have for music that wirelessly connects to listeners as well.  

“My music can't be labeled! It's androgynous and hot, it makes you feel like party drugs – careless but curious, let it take hold of you!”

Public Appeal is a lesson in balancing work ethic and production as well as attitude and style – the perfect equation for sexy music. They put in an effort within the scene that I can only attribute to the sanctity of protecting queer spaces. 

With so many people taking up space in the industry without the boldness that warrants the spotlight, her music lets her talent shine without ego or force. Self-awareness is used similarly in their music, as indie sleaze is used in all its campiness – allowing for a tangle of fun and intelligence that is an exact portrait of a time and place. As they've told me, music is a tattoo, something that comes from an ache and gets spread all over the city for everyone to feel.  Public Appeal knows her music will change completely with time. But right now, Mind Your Business is the moment and a force to be reckoned with, with future live performances and new music in the works, the possibilities are endless. 

The MIND YOUR BUSINESS REMIXES EP will drop in the new year, featuring appearances from artists like babynymph and bounce2. Stay tuned, as the sound of Public Appeal’s grows and evolves for all to witness, for the betterment of dance floors everywhere.  

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Public Appeal

Instagram | Spotify

Uma Nardone is a writer based in Montreal.

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Population II Get to the Heart of their Sound with Latest Album “Électrons libres du québec” (Bonsound)

Population II photographed by Starly Lou Riggs

Playful and alluring, Population II’s Électrons libres du québec is an enigma wrapped in a fever dream. These new sounds by the Montréal-based band hang above Earth’s atmosphere like a twisted multicolour satellite. Sure, it’d be easy to call them “psych-rock”, but that would be an oversimplification. Instead, this powerful trio successfully brews a multi-era potion, seamlessly collecting jazz fills, funky basslines, and emphatic synth in their intergalactic cauldron. 

I had the honor of chatting with the band in their practice space—a treasure trove comprised of Tristan Lacombe’s synth and guitar pedal collection and Pierre-Luc Gratton’s drum set—complete with a rubber chicken in the kick drum (a gift from their tour, they tell me). The wall across from Sébastien Provençal’s bass gear is adorned with a cute Sesame Street-themed bedsheet. Ah, and don’t forget their iconic collection of troll dolls (my favourite is the one with earmuffs and a blue star belly button), as featured in the band’s L’Esco video interview, “L’Autel 4461”. Needless to say, it’s abundantly clear that this ragtag group have been friends for a long time. 

In fact, they’ve all known each other since high school. Tristan, Pierre-Luc, and Sébastien all grew up in the North Shore, just north of Montréal. “[Tristan’s] father is the reason we’re playing together,” Sébastien laughs. “He’s like the guru of the band, if I can say, definitely a guru.”

Incidentally, some of the band’s early independent tracks caught the eye of John Dwyer—of the prolific rock band Osees—and Population II signed on with the rocker’s label. The group’s premiere album, Á la Ô Terre, came out hot on Castle Face Records in 2020. After returning from tour with the aforementioned legends, Population II are back in Québec with Électrons libres du québec, released via Montreal-based label Bonsound.

“We were at Ursa for [someone’s] show and I was going home very late to go to sleep,” Pierre-Luc recounts how they landed on their current label. “And then I received a call [from] someone and she’s like, ‘Hey, come to the park, there’s that person who works for Bonsound.’ So I go to the park and I talk with Valérie [Bourdages]… We talked for, like, two or three hours.” Pierre smiles and adds, “And the next week, we were on Bonsound.” 

Population II photographed by Starly Lou Riggs

Pierre-Luc, Tristan, and Sébastien have a sweet and honest chemistry that comes through in their music. It’s truly as if they can read each other’s minds. That could explain how their music is so bold and intricate, yet seems to come naturally. “We’re really fortunate to have crossed paths and to have this sensibility for the same music and art. We’ve been playing since we were fourteen/fifteen, so sometimes we don’t even talk,” Sébastien speaks to their innate intuition together. 

While the three have known each other a long time, Pierre-Luc is the newest addition to the band. Tristan explains, “We had a different line-up of that band and it was instrumental music. It was basically just jams and we were making long songs with a different drummer. And then we wanted to play with Pepe [Pierre-Luc]. In the first months that we were playing together, he was playing and one time had a mic and started singing. And [it] completely changed the band.” 

“Not singing like a karaoke singer,” Sébastien adds with a big grin, “It’s more like face-melting. Like, ‘How in the world did that little guy do that?’”

“Our first band broke up and we had a show booked,” Tristan recounts. “It was at L’Esco, and when we were kids it was really big, so we couldn’t cancel. So we were just like, ‘Okay, we have to do this show,’… We had to play that show and then we added Pepe and he just added his personal background.”

Pierre-Luc’s lyrics are simple. His vocals act as an instrument all their own—impressive, as he is the drummer and lead singer. These belting vocals, akin to ‘60s garage-style, compliment the wall of sound in instrumental: Tristan’s alternating synth and guitar, and Sébastien’s booming bass. Pierre-Luc shares that his words are meant to “break the fourth wall”.

Électrons libres du québec is truly a powerhouse of an album. From the space-like sonics of “Orlando”, to ripping funky bass licks in “Beau baptême”, to the discorded cacophony of “Pourquoi qu’on dort pas”, the whole thing screams epic. 

Listening with a fine-tooth comb, their influences seem fairly visible to the naked eye: ‘60s and ‘70s psych rock, definitely some classic jazz, and the likes of Funkadelic. Admittedly, Population II are very open-minded when it comes to music. We chatted about Sébastien’s dad being a ‘70s disco DJ (very cool), Pierre-Luc’s use of 6/4 jazz timing, and Tristan's affinity for exploring all genres.

“Oh yeah, there’s a lot of jazz. You wanna talk about that jazz, all that jazz? We’re all about the jazz,” Sébastien says emphatically of the band’s rhythm. All that, before leaving me with a list of recommended bands to add to my roster: ‘60s German band CAN, Canterbury scene legend Robert Wyatt, and Canadian ‘70s rock bands Simply Saucer and Aut’Chose . 

“There’s something good in a lot of different genres,” Pierre-Luc says as the band reflects on their own “genre”. 

“I literally listen to everything and I don’t want to stop myself,” Tristan tells me. “When I was younger, I was trying to be this cool kid: ‘Pop music is not for me. Oh, I don’t like country.’ And one day, I had a narrative shift. I want to be able to love everything.”

Tristan Lacombe of Population II, photographed by Starly Lou Riggs

“Mainly on Électron, we were really listening to those Canterbury prog bands like Soft Machine,” Tristan explains. “Mixing that with like… Krautrock bands that we love, and just a more naïve and primal energy of early proto-punk. Basically, it was a dumb and really naïve way of playing those styles of music.” While Tristan says naïve, what I hear is “experimental”. Population II has this in abundance—a childlike wonder for music and a desire to just play. 

As it turns out, the band writes most of their songs in an improvisational way, jamming out ideas. They record their sessions and revisit from there. “We’re always, always recording,” Sébastien says. “Ideas are always flowing and it’s just because there’s this chemistry, this weird chemistry about the three of us being in a room.” Sometimes he’ll come in with some bass lines as a “foundation”, but the band seems to thrive on improvisational form.

All the music videos for Électrons libres du québec came to fruition in a similarly experimental fashion. Released both individually and as one full-album piece, Bonsound’s own Hugo Jeanson is the genius behind the strange colourful masterpiece. Tristan explains, “He wanted to have something that would work with the cover, just textures and stuff… We just had total confidence with him and we were just like, ‘Do your thing, have fun!’ And it looked good.”

“What was really cool,” Sébastien adds, “is that when we invited him [to] the rehearsal spot, he saw the whole vibe… He asked us to play every song on the records and he filmed us.”

Tristan was a fan of Hugo Jeanson’s visual art before they got the chance to work with him. “It was strange,” he mentions, “because since I was a teenager, I knew about his posters and stuff.” Hugo’s a bit of a music poster icon in Montréal, now operating as the Head of Label Marketing with Bonsound. “Yeah, we were just like, ‘Okay, this guy is the one who is making those crazy posters, he has good taste in music, he works there [Bonsound], we wanna work with this person.”

The band has had some luck, stumbling upon talented artists to join them on their journey. Pair this luck with musical skill, a charming demeanour, and a curiously open mind, it’s really no wonder the trio has come to put out such a killer record. “There’s a lot of layers to the band,” Sébastien tells me as we wrap up our conversation. “You just gotta witness us and hang out with us.”

The group laughs as Pierre-Luc sums it up this way: “In the end, we’re just normal guys shredding.”

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Électrons libres du qu​é​bec

released October 6, 2023 via Bonsound

1. Orlando

2. C't'au boute

3. C.T.Q.S.

4. Beau baptême

5. Tô Kébec

6. Lune Rouge

7. Réservoir

8. Rapaillé

9. Pourquoi qu'on dort pas

Pierre-Luc Gratton – percussion, vocals

Tristan Lacombe – guitar, organ, oscillator, piano, synthesizers

Sébastien Provençal – bass guitar, synthesizers

Emmanuel Éthier – violin on “Reservoir”

Colin Fisher – saxophone on “Pourquoi qu'on dort pas,” “Réservoir”

Emmanuel Éthier – production and mixing

Trevor Turple – sound engineer

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Population II

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Starly Lou Riggs is a queer agender visual artist from the United States, currently based in Montreal.

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Dizzy's Katie Munshaw on Growing Up and Getting Vulnerable Behind a Mask in New Self-Titled Album

Katie Munshaw of Dizzy by Boy Wonder

“They come into my head and rattle around in my brain until they become something bigger,” says Katie Munshaw, vocalist of Dizzy, of the lyrics she writes for the band. “I’ve always been like that. I'm really lucky [that,] growing up, I went to an elementary school with a songwriting program, so I’ve been writing songs since grade 5 or 6,” she adds. “It’s always been a big part of my life and how I express my emotions.”

Hailing from Oshawa, the indie pop band includes Munshaw as the lead vocalist and main songwriter, and three brothers, Alex Spencer (guitar), Mackenzie Spencer (bass, vocals) and Charlie Spencer (drums, synthesizer, guitar, vocals), who’ve been playing together since high school. Their first album Baby Teeth was released to JUNO acclaim, including nominations for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year. They are back with their third album, the self-titled Dizzy, released this summer.

Soft, sparkling, and devastating, Dizzy is a retrospective album reflecting on the heartbreaks of the past and gnawing on fears for the future. Their music blends dreamy melodies and soft vocals with some 90s influence, a sound reminiscent of bands like Soccer Mommy, fittingly referenced in the opening track, “Birthmark”.

Katie first started writing the album in 2021 (“What else was there to do then?”, she jokes), following the band’s sophomore release (The Sun and Her Scorch) a year before. Katie’s own life— her trials, tribulations, and collaborations with her band—influence her writing. Each song is a burst of stories and memories: the only thing tying them together is that they’re hers. 

“So much of our second record was about getting old and dying—something weighing on my mind a lot at that time. I’d just turned 23 or 24 and was thinking ‘Oh god, my life is over.’ When it was time for this record, I thought I couldn't keep writing about getting older and death,” Katie says. The resulting Dizzy mostly reflects on the past and the present – heartbreak, disappointment, nostalgia, self-reflection, moving on, and ultimately acceptance. “It's about being in my late twenties and finally getting to know myself a little more,” she adds.

Part of this involves recognizing external pressures and how they impact her. “I turned 25 and people started asking me about getting married and having a baby,” Katie says. “Jaws” is a faster-paced change in the middle of the record, and the one song where Katie allows herself to “get that anxiety out.” To an upbeat, Lorde-esque cadence, Katie sings, “I don’t remember getting older, but somehow I’m here / falling for the same tropes as my mother dear.” 

While its name was inspired by a night out with her “movie geek friend” talking about the 1975 film, the lyrics to “Jaws” explore societal expectations and grappling with the choices that come with it. “Are these things we actually want or tropes we feel pressure to take part in?” Katie muses. 

While the band’s first two albums were self-produced, this one involved collaboration with famed writer and producer David Pramik, known for his work with artists including Selena Gomez, Oliver Tree, and Chloe Moriondo, whose recent album Katie was a fan of. 

“We wanted to be very precise about every decision made. That clean production was what we were looking for,” Katie says on working with David for this record. “We made a big list of people we wanted to work with, whittled it down, and reached out to him, emailing him “Barking Dog” and maybe “Starlings” and saying we loved his work.” 

Katie notes how his sound is very different from their own, which is what they liked about him, despite initial hesitations about bringing in a producer for the first time. “It’s always hard to let someone in and have someone critique your baby,” she says, “...but he’s the perfect person because we’re all so introverted and he's this extroverted ray of light when we can be downers.”

It wasn’t until the end of the recording process that the band collectively decided to self-title the album, though it’s an idea Katie liked from the beginning. She references an interview fellow Canadian musician Haley Blais did with Coup De Main Magazine, where she says of her own album, “If I could erase everything I’ve done before and have this represent me wholly, I’d be okay with that,” highlighting how, in many ways, she considers this her first album. “That’s how I feel about this record,” Katie says. 

While the album lays bare parts of her life and anxieties, physically, she does the opposite. Katie dons a painted mask on the cover of the album, shielding her face from the cover and any of its visual material. “The mask came in pretty late,” Katie says. “I was working with my friend Ryan on visual stuff and being a baby about having my photo taken. After a few years of isolation, I did not want to be on camera.”

She recalls that he joked “Well, if it's so hard Katie, why don't you wear a mask?” And that’s what they did. “It was hard to convince everyone,” she said, but they fought for it, and then spent weeks trying to find the right mask for the job. “We went down a rabbit hole,” Katie says. “We ended up narrowing in on this one vintage brass mask we loved, [but we] didn’t look at the dimensions, so it showed up the size of my palm,” she laughs. “And we were shooting videos a week later so we panicked. Ordered a paper mache mask and begged my friend to help paint a mask.” 

The resulting mask, with green-painted lips, black-rimmed eyes and swirls of pink, blue and purple makes an appearance across the band’s music videos and promotional material for the record. In a world that scrutinizes how people look, her choice to shield her face challenges expectations and brings the focus squarely on the music, its message and the people who relate to it. “I think it’s interesting for a person, particularly a woman, to make the decision for herself to take her physical appearance out of the question,” Katie says. 

In the video for “Knock the Wind”, you see a masked Katie looking wistfully out the car window, as the song’s lyrics ruminate on making choices and taking action. It’s a song she has said is about “...how you can live somewhere your whole life and never really feel at home,” demonstrating one of the biggest appeals of this record. Dizzy’s vulnerable, melancholic and hopeful; a masked voice anyone could find themselves behind. 

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Dizzy

released August 15, 2023 via Royal Mountain Records

1. Birthmark

2. Close

3. Open Up Wide

4. Starlings

5. Knock The Wind

6. My Girl

7. Jaws

8. Salmon Season

9. Barking Dog

10. Cell Division

11. Stupid 4 U

12. Are You Sick Of Me Yet?

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Dizzy

Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp

Valerie Boucher is a writer based in Ottawa, Canada. You can follow her on Instagram and learn more at valerieboucher.ca.

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D.Blavatsky’s New Single “FUK” Provides a Jaw-Clenching and Purifying Experience

D.Blavatsky by Feng Ish

Raw, tormenting, and cathartic – just some of the terms one might use when describing Montreal-based DJ, producer, and artist D.Blavatsky’s newest release “FUK.” This single emerges as part of their forthcoming album YOUR CHOICE, which will be released on November 11. Its inception stems from the symbiosis of D’s experience with the Calgary punk scene in their teen years, their active role in the Montreal electronic music scene, and the acute solitary reality of the pandemic years spent in their parents’ basement recording music.

From the fragmentary nature of the music video to the album’s themes of longing and desire, my conversation with D last week provides a glimpse of their complex artistic identity. 

From a Calgary goth-punk band vocalist-drum-machinist to an established Montreal DJ

D’s musical origins are rooted in the Calgary noise-punk scene, which they became part of during their teenage years. They explained that the “...big shifts [happened] when [they] started hosting a show at CJSW,” a local college radio station. From there, their musical interest intensified, and began shifting away from punk, noise, and instrumental productions to more electronic ones.

Another memorable moment stems from when they were 19 and formed a band, Torture Team, with three of their best friends. Torture Team was a goth-punk band, and D played the drum machine and served as the vocalist. They released one self-titled tape. As they spoke about it, D’s eyes were twinkling: “I really, really recommend that everyone is in a band at least once in their life,” they explained. “That was a really special time in my life. I look back on it with a lot of love and gratitude.”

A year later, they would arrive in Montreal with two of their bandmates, a move that would mark a turning point in their artistic and musical career.

D.Blavatsky by Feng Ish

“It was once I created the single “FUK” that I realized everything I had created previously was completely beside the point of what I was trying to do. And I scrapped that entire album.”

D began writing and creating the single “FUK” about three years ago. At that point, they had completed a draft of the whole album, composed of 15 pieces, which they discarded when they finalized the single that changed their vision of the album as a whole. The song, which was “mostly just a mistake,” as they explained, led to profound revelations.  “[I realized] that this is what I’m trying to communicate…I just felt very close to the language I [was] trying to create.”

“But this track really changed everything for me, because so much of this album was a learning curve of me just learning how to use digital production tools.”

This track was a turning point in D’s creative process in making the album. “I just felt inspired in a different way,” they explained. Throughout the album creation process, they began to move away from hardware production to digital, Ableton production. Their intentions also shifted: in the first version of the album, they said they felt that they were catering to some kind of audience or in a way they “had to,” so that it might appear more palatable.

But in creating “FUK,” they ruptured these mental standards. “[It] was a very pivotal moment, because it really showed me that it’s like, ‘okay, you can communicate.’” Going further, they explained that, as an artist, it is generally expected that you are “...reflecting on what perspective [you are] trying to communicate," or asking yourself why you are unique. Yet this kind of thinking doesn’t fit with their artistic process or experience. “This idea of creating a timeless work of art… I never cared about that. If my work doesn't necessarily age well within the broader cultural landscape, that's beside the point for me. I'm just trying to communicate something somehow.”

“Yeah, and “FUK” really just was like, holy shit. ‘I can do it.’ I think it was just really reaffirming…this track just embodies everything…I have something that I want to say and express.”

The creation is representative of a particular time – much of it was developed during the pandemic. The single–and, more broadly speaking, the album–seek to illustrate the complexity of desire, longing, and vulnerability within capitalist structures. On a more personal level, the works represented an exploration of a certain vulnerability they previously struggled to express.

Over a period of two years, D barely saw anyone – they said it was about eight months after they had burrowed themselves in their parents’ basement that they saw someone outside for the first time. And yet, this period of solitude was also a transformative moment for them: “The pandemic and this album was very much a metamorphosis for me, who I was when I made it.”

“[YOUR CHOICE is] about longing,  it's about desires in the most primal sense, like sexual desire, physical desire […] I'm getting my head nailed into the wall.”

D.Blavatsky by Feng Ish

Vocals, digital music, and a stream of consciousness

When listening to “FUK,” one element that grasps the listener are the vocals. Blending into the digital components of the song, one feels drawn into the destabilizing and intimately vulnerable mood that the vocals embellish. When I was preparing my interview questions, one of the things I was curious about was the intentions behind incorporating vocals, something which, unlike other genres, is not so common in experimental electronic music.

To begin, there is the process of creating the very content of the vocals. “FUK,” along with other songs on the album, often involves deciphering gibberish – quite literally. D explained to me that what they often do, including for this single, is “...create scratch vocals where [they] play around with cadence and syllables and tempo” of a digital production. “[I] just say random gibberish. And then I record that and then try to decipher the gibberish itself.”

When creating the song in their parents’ basement, they could never sing the vocals as loudly as would be featured in the final version. The final recording ended up happening in the studio of their good friend Keïta Saint, a producer and voice engineer, living in NDG. In a single, last-minute take before the curfew of noise complaints, the vocals were recorded: describing the moment of the recording, they explained that “...you could feel the static in the room.” D offered to do another take, but “...Keïta was just like ‘no, this is fucking it, you will never get a better take.’”

The music video accompanying “FUK” has its own story. D’s vision of the video was first situated in a cave: running through a cave, feeling claustrophobic, with a light constantly out of reach. Yet as they needed to adapt to the environment they were in, director Axel Zavala helped create a video that translated D’s vision with the single.

The creation itself went by fast. Axel, who had been working on other projects, connected with D right before they headed back to Montreal. In just two days, they went into the woods in the night, armed with a GoPro and camcorder. With ten hours of footage, they were able to create a visual embodiment of the disorienting and stimulating nature of the piece.

Montreal, the rave scene, and moving forward

Throughout our conversation, it was clear that the Montreal electronic music scene continues to significantly influence D’s art – both as a producer and DJ. Being a raver has been a consistent and essential part of who they are. “[Raving] has pretty much been my life for the last five years… it is the primary way that I develop social relationships with people, and that I maintain the social relationships I have… [it’s] a sense of connection and expression.”

Once D arrived in Montreal and became involved with the collective Cyberia, something of a community became evident to them. Whereas a mix of social anxiety and dysphoria had made their teen years unstable and difficult, the engagement they have found in Montreal’s rave scene has been a way to come to appreciate and validate themself. “I learned how to celebrate my body. And I learned all of the beautiful things that my body could do for me and how to express [myself] and be present. I think that was [about] being present in my body in a positive way, in a way of celebration.”

YOUR CHOICE by D.Blavatsky

Moving forward, they look forward to continuing as a DJ, producer, and organizer in the Montreal electronic music scene. After living through the metamorphosis of the pandemic as well as visiting some Europe’s techno hotspots, D explained that they came to understand that Montreal has something special that they hadn’t seen elsewhere. “I think one of the biggest faults of our creative realms here is just how much people take it for granted.”

This upcoming album release is far from being their only project in the works. In just one week, they are hosting RIP VAULT for Halloween weekend, which will feature a myriad of local DJs. After releasing YOUR CHOICE on November 11, they hope to get working on the next one right away, which would ideally be released by next summer. 

Although the Montreal electronic music scene was deeply rocked by the pandemic, it is coming out of it in new and unpredictable ways – and D.Blavatsky is sure to have a role in the way it will transform itself. Whether in terms of the music they release or the infamous raves they organize, their impact on the community is here to stay.

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D.BLAVATSKY

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | SoundCloud

Soline Van de Moortele is a tenant rights advocate, insatiable raver, and full-time griever.

A Grieving Girl Blog

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Nora Kelly Talks Touring, Overcoming People-Pleasing and the Punk-Country Influences in “Rodeo Clown"

Nora Kelly by Gabie Che

“I think one of the reasons people are kind of creeped out by clowns is because they’re always presenting the emotion of their painted face, [so] you don’t really know what’s going on underneath,” says Nora Kelly, lead of Montreal’s Nora Kelly Band. “Maybe they’re feeling something completely different.”

This idea is at the core of the band’s newly released record Rodeo Clown, an album that blends folk, punk and country influences and delves into themes like breaking out of people pleasing. “A lot of Rodeo Clown’s material is leaning into tongue-in-cheek absurdist role-playing,” Nora says, with herself as the clown.

The ten-track album is the band’s first full-length release, with songs blending punk elements with folk and country-inspired storytelling.

“When COVID-19 hit, I think we all went through introspective times in our lives, and that was an area of growth for me. To start being more honest to people around me,” she says.

“I would be in a lot of uncomfortable situations and go along with it, feeling a lot of pressure to be nice all the time and not really set boundaries. Then I would get overwhelmed.”

Songs like “Lay Down Girl” and the accompanying video embody this theme, with Nora walking around as a “manically energetic, people-pleaser” clown, running into a vampire (the energy-sucker who always asks things of you) and other characters you’re likely to recognize (in more ways than one).

“It’s a song about not being the life of the party for everyone else,” she says. “If you’re going to do it, do it for yourself.” A clown, an “evil hoarder obsessed with material possessions”, and a “horse girl-city slicker” are among the characters she possesses throughout this album (Roswell aliens even make an appearance) as she explores this path of self-discovery.  

The Nora Kelly Band was created in 2020, amid COVID shutdowns that forced Nora’s post-punk band with drummer Ethan Soil called DISHPIT to take a break. During that time, they would frequent an outdoor area near a skate park and train tracks in Montreal’s Mile End, where local musicians would meet and play country covers. It’s there the two bonded with Rachel Silverstein, Vader Ryderwood, Dylan Keating, and Ellie MacPhee, with the six of them going on to form the band. 

“The friendship dynamic was strong, so we naturally moved into that,” Nora says. “Now we’ve been playing together for two years, and we’re working on our next album. It’s cool to see it grow up this way… and now we’re on tour together, doing laundry together.”

They started recording their first EP Perfect Pig at their apartment and finished the album at the Autoland Audio recording studio in Montreal, owned by Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire.

Beyond the music, Nora is also a painter who leans into that art form to unwind. “The two practices are really opposite for me,” she says. “Music is a really collaborative thing. When I write songs, I write them alone, but I write them quickly. Then there’s a lot of workshopping with the group. With art, it’s completely independent, and I'm in control and I can start and stop when I want. I do it late at night and get in touch with myself, then I do music during the day with the band on the weekend, and it’s my little social tasty treat.”

“Horse Girl” single art

While music provides Nora with an opportunity to “really get something out,” painting is an opportunity to step back. “As much as I'm a social person, I need to recharge… like a lot,” Nora says, mentioning how she leans into painting and drawing to decompress. “Music is this chaos energy, a vessel for me to channel my intense energy as a person in a healthy way.”

When it came to creating Rodeo Clown, Nora went in an entirely new direction: “Musically, I wanted to move away from the stripped-down punk band thing, recording live off the floor with three instruments.” Rodeo Clown features a diverse catalogue of instruments, including the banjo, fiddle and pedal steel. 

Nora cites artists that are “musically diverse with different voices coming in and out” as inspiration for their record, including The Band, Neil Young, Big Thief and Songs: Ohia's The Magnolia Electric Co.

Country influences also make their way throughout Rodeo Clown. Although Nora started out playing in punk bands, she was all the while writing “folky songs that didn’t fit with that band”, only bringing them out every once in a while on camping trips. “Deja Vu”, appearing halfway through Rodeo Clown, is one of these songs, and the first one Nora wrote at 16. 

“I really love country music,” Nora says, ”but when I was a teenager, I would say I liked every genre except it. My parents love country music. They’re both from the US and played it a lot. My brother and I would scream when they put on Hank Williams III,” she laughs. “But as I got older, I really came to appreciate a lot of the humour in the lyrics. It does have this outlaw sensibility if you’re listening to the right people.”

Songs like “Horse Girl”, “Roswell” and “Purgatory Motel”—which pleads “Though I’ve been good please don’t send me to Heaven /  All of my friends are down in Hell”—lean most heavily into the folk and country influences. They poke fun at classic country tropes (“boys like trucks”) while adding in earnest musings and the aforementioned mix of instruments. 

“‘Horse Girl’ is a funny and kind-of meta song about being a city slicker who is pretending to be a cowboy…which really is our band,” Nora says. “Elie is from South Carolina and plays fiddle, and Dylan is from Alberta and plays pedal steel, so they are pretty legit, but the rest of us are from Vancouver or Toronto and grew up in the city. We like country music a lot, but we don’t have a lot of the classic childhood stories that a real ‘country-living’ person would have.” She laughs. “The song is us calling ourselves out a little.”

Discussing the unlikely similarities between punk and country, Nora says they’re both simple.  “Country is just a few chords, and punk is just a few chords,” she says, “and they both have a fuck you attitude. A lot of badass heroes to look up to, who were living differently for other people. But there are also a lot of people who give each genre a bad rap,” she adds.

Songs like “Tonka”—which closes out the record—feature raw vocals, leaning into many of the band members’ punk roots while blending other influences. 

“The nice thing about country music is it's a genre a lot of people can connect to, like little kids and older people. While punk is one of my favourite things to walk around and listen to on my headphones—it stirs me up like no other genre—country has a wider demographic that comes out to the shows.”

Nora Kelly Band by Gabie Che

The band recently wrapped up their first tour, making their way through the US’ East Coast – Nora was reporting from Brooklyn at the time of this interview. “It’s my first time seeing DC and Philadelphia (a city I’ve always wanted to visit), and we were in Buffalo and played a cute queer house show venue and people danced a lot.” 

“We were having a lot of touching moments,” she mentions, citing “playing at a place that used to be a mausoleum where dead bodies were kept in Philly” and “drinking a PBR at night at the feet of Abraham Lincoln’s statue (and subsequently getting kicked out by security)” among highlights. “We're just running around having a good time,” she says. 

“The shows are really fun, but being on tour for the first time is really socially demanding. I really respect everyone who stays on the road for months and months. It really is a grind.” she adds.

Fittingly, Rodeo Clown’s recent launch was celebrated with a Montreal show featuring Nora wearing the album’s signature makeup on stage for the first time. The band is currently halfway through writing their next record. This next album will not feature the clown motif, but listeners can expect new themes. “I feel like I should have been a theater kid, but I wasn't,” she laughs. “I love the performative aspect of music.”

Rodeo Clown is out now. Listen to the new record here.

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Rodeo Clown

released August 25, 2023 via Mint Records

1. Mmm-Delicious

2. Lay Down Girl

3. Catch a Bone

4. Horse Girl

5. Heartbroken Over a Man

6. Deja Vu

7. Purgatory Motel

8. Rodeo Clown

9. Roswell

10. Tonka

Nora Kelly – lead vocals, guitar, banjo (10), dick flute (8)

Rachel Silverstein – keyboards, harmonies

Vader Ryderwood – bass guitar, backup vocals (2, 4, 5, 7)

Ethan Soil – drums, percussion, guitar (4,7)

Dylan Keating – pedal steel

Ellie McPhee - violin (1, 8, 9, 10)

Gabie Allain – violin (3)

Michael Feurstack – pedal steel (5)

Eric “Creature” Campbell – banjo (2)

All songs written and performed by Nora Kelly Band

Produced by Nora Kelly and Ethan Soil

Mixed by Pietro Amato

Engineered by Pietro Amato, Matt Rogers & Ethan Soil

Recorded at Skybarn, Autoland & Croc Studios

Mastered by Harris Newman

Album art photography by Gabie Allain

Album art make-up by Neve Kerry

Album art design by Owen Ostrowski

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Nora Kelly Band

Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp

Valerie Boucher is a writer based in Ottawa, Canada. You can follow her on Instagram and learn more at valerieboucher.ca.

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La Sécurité Ignites the Boulevard with Debut Album "Stay Safe!" (Mothland)

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

With their highly-anticipated debut album waiting in the wings, La Sécurité is ready to cause some commotion. The Montreal art-punk group shares Stay Safe! tomorrow via Mothland – a record consisting of ten electrifying tunes united in their skittish asymmetry.

The musicians that form La Sécurité are no strangers to the scene, having charmed countless audiences through other projects like Choses Sauvages and Silver Dapple, but operating within this collective keeps each member on their toes. From the arresting synths of debut track “Suspens” to the domineering bassline of “Serpent”, the band has set a standard of heightened sonic volatility, and the remainder of the record continues that thrill. Stay Safe! provokes the senses with its bilingual musings and jagged new-wave arrangements, traversing between subjects like flirtation and bodily autonomy with the same crafty cool. Expect to strut to zigzagging guitars, commanding rhythms, and a sprinkle of woodblocks.

A few weeks before the release of Stay Safe!, vocalist Éliane Viens-Synnott connected with Also Cool to reflect on the final touches and tease the summer adventures ahead.

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool Mag: This new single “Serpent” is peppy with a punch. I love the effortlessness of its undercut, how it captures the messiness of catty gossip with such breezy disco flair. This is a broader balance you strike within your forthcoming album as well: this determination to be both lyrically and instrumentally bold, scratching many different surfaces and thriving in the madness. How did the development of “Serpents” fit into Stay Safe!’s creative process?

Éliane Viens-Synnott of La Sécurité: It came about in a pretty organic way. [Drummer] Kenny [Smith] started doing that funky beat, just joking around during a practice, and [bassist and producer] Félix [Bélisle] kinda whipped out that super groovy bassline! We noodled around with the rest, keeping in mind the more dancey side of our art-punk influences (Maximum Joy and ESG, to name a few) without wanting to rip anyone off, of course. I thought it was fitting for some lyrics I had already written. I didn't want the song to be emo or dramatic or anything – just a friendly little jab!

Also Cool: The video for “Serpent” is frenzied and lighthearted, capturing everything from Sonic to South by Southwest. Your videos notoriously stay true to your sound, feeling lo-fi yet descriptive. Does the band have a particular approach to concocting music videos, or was this one just as simple as a glitch?

La Sécurité: Pretty simple, yeah! Since we kinda established that DIY/VHS approach with our first videos, we thought it was a nice direction to continue in. It's a way to keep a natural, sort-of intimate-feeling approach, highlighting good times that we have spent together as friends and bandmates.

AC: As the video shows, La Sécurité recently played SXSW, which feels like a significant milestone given your first show at DISTORSION was six months ago. Can you share more about your experience in Texas and what you took from it?

LS: Yeah, what a ride that was. Even having our first show at DISTORSION was kind of unreal! We were pretty curious to see if there would be any buzz at all outside of the comfort of our MTL scene, and I guess the short answer to that question is yes! We met many awesome people and our shows felt pretty electric. Playing six shows in a week definitely helped us weld our dynamic on- and off-stage together.

AC: Stay Safe! comes out on June 16, and you’ve teased that your debut will be “quite pleasing, even to unsuspecting eardrums”. Without giving too much away, what kinds of experimentation made the final cut?

LS: Well, there is one unexpected surprise I'm excited to share. I guess the one hint I'm willing to share is: 90s prom night vibes, haha. Once you hear it, you'll get it. Besides that, expect more songs along the same lines as what you've been hearing so far. They each have their unique touch, but somehow all belong together.

AC: Festival season is afoot… surely there are some plans up your sleeve. What does this summer look like for La Sécurité?

LS: Looking good! In June, we are hitting up FLOURISH Festival in New Brunswick, followed by a show in Québec City with our friends Jesuslesfilles (which [guitarist] Melissa [Di Menna] also plays in)! Then we head to Calgary for Sled Island, and in July we are doing La Noce in Saguenay as well as Le Festif in Baie-Saint-Paul. There are a few more dates that aren't announced yet, so it's a secret for now. Last but not least, we will be doing a record release show in Montreal at l'Esco! The date will be announced the day our record comes out.

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Stay Safe!

Out June 16, 2023 via Mothland

1. Le Kick

2. Dis-Moi

3. Anyway

4. Waiting For Kenny

5. Suspens

6. K9

7. Serpent

8. Try Again

9. Hot Topic

10. Sleepy Rebellion

All songs written & performed by La Sécurité

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Samuel Gemme & Félix Bélisle

Mastered by Francis Ledoux

Artwork & layout by Melissa Di Menna

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La Sécurité

Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Trevor Sloan Creates A Nostalgic Blend of ‘70s Psych-Folk, City Living and Everyday Imagery in New Album "Dusk Among the Plum Trees"

Trevor Sloan. All photos courtesy of Trevor Sloan

During a cold and dark winter in Toronto, Trevor Sloan—a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and mixed media artist based in the city—found himself in a cozy room filled with loved ones. His friend started talking about his family’s plum trees and their process of making homemade brandy, and there came the inspiration for his latest album, Dusk Among the Plum Trees, released this spring. 

“I had this picture in my mind of a dusky sky above plum trees,” Sloan says. He went on to write a song by that name, and while it was never finished, the title stuck. “It conjures up images of dusk and night, and I think most of the songs on the album fit with that. I had also been reading a lot of Japanese poetry, which often references plum trees, so that was part of the inspiration too.”

The 11-track record, mixed and mastered by Andy Magoffin at the House of Miracles in Cambridge, Ontario, intertwines simple imagery and everyday themes. With a nostalgic psych-folk sound, the album conjures up images of faded pastel Polaroids, transporting listeners to another time and place.

Sloan explains most of the songs began with simple observations, like how “green grass is after the rain” and evolved from there. He weaves characters and objects into his songs, creating soft, colourful scenes filled with references to “…trashy magazines, singing robins, green steeples, the rubble of a burned-down hotel, coyotes walking on train tracks, and the light under a pigeon wing in flight.”

Many of these observations come from Sloan’s wandering in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood, where he lives. “The song ‘Panther in a Cage’ is about a guy I see walking around my neighbourhood. ‘Sunset Glow’ refers to people and things from around here as well: ‘Old man and his cane… landlords and panthers, women from the shelter, loners and lovers, parrots and flowers.’”

The latter song closes out the album, paying tribute to its title and portraying the “city folk on their way” as the sun sets. Sloan explains, “It paints a picture of my neighbourhood, skillfully weaving together characters and references from other songs into one final closing piece.”

Sloan's sound draws inspiration from artists of the 60s and 70s, such as Donovan, Nick Drake, Labi Siffre, and Cat Stevens. ”There is something natural and genuine about the music from that time,” Sloan says, also highlighting his recent discovery of the music of British folk duo Chad & Jeremy. Songs like “Willow Weep for Me” and “Before and After” have left a lasting impression on him with their "mellow nature, gentle vocals, nice harmonies, and lush arrangements."

He also draws inspiration from new artists like Sylvie, Evan Cheadle (Fault Line Serenade), Dan Edmonds (Good Fortune Assembly), and Jon McKiel (Bobby Joe Hope), among others. “I am constantly trying to discover new music,” Sloan adds. 

These influences are clear in the album’s open track, “Ottawa 1977”, an upbeat homage to his family. While Sloan never lived in the city, he has strong ties with his parents having grown up in the city. 

“I was inspired to write the song after looking at photos from my parents’ collection. I love the warmth of 70s photography. Many of those pictures had the place name and date handwritten on the back,” he says. That idea of the back of a photo is where the song got its name. “I was thinking about my grandmother’s apartment in Ottawa. In the courtyard, there was a clothesline to hang laundry. If you were in the kitchen, the radio was usually on. In the family room, there were often tabloid magazines on the coffee table. For me, it was a golden place full of good family memories. I would say that side of my family is quite spiritual and believes in magic; that is why I used the line, “My family tree is full of mystical minds.”

Accompanying the album is a zine consisting of ten collages and ten poems, a fitting complement to the imagery presented in the record. “I liked the idea of there being something physical that people could have in their hands while they listened to the music (as it is a digital release),” Sloan says.

Sloan started experimenting with collages around five years ago, finding a supportive community on Instagram. “There is this feeling that anyone can give it a try, even if you don't have a background in visual arts. I feel a great sense of freedom in collaging, as I can try different styles. I love working with scissors, paper, and glue. I love the immediacy of collage, being able to make a collage and share it with the world in one night.”

This immediacy contrasts with the longer creative process involved in making a record. “The process of writing, recording, having the music mixed and mastered by someone, and then planning an album release can take over a year. Collage and poetry provide instant gratification while I work on music projects over a more extended period of time. I believe collaging has helped me be more open-minded with music, more willing to experiment, to have fun, and just focus on making the music that sounds good to my own ears.”

While the album creation process takes some time, the recording process itself is more spontaneous. “When I write a song, I record it right away,” Sloan says, who recorded the album at his home studio. “So, I’m writing and recording continually throughout the year. I recorded about 30 songs and then picked what I thought were the best 11. Generally, I write songs on an acoustic guitar. I start with the music and then write the lyrics. I record each instrument, track by track.” 

From there, using an acoustic guitar, some vintage synths and keyboards, bass and a midi software program called SampleTank, Sloan records and layers each instrument track by track, creating his breezy, mystical sound.

“My Roland Juno-106 keyboard was slightly defective during the recording process, which added some interesting warbly drone sounds to some of the songs. That keyboard would get unbearably staticky after a minute of being turned on, so I would have to record those particular parts within one minute or wait until the next night (I've since had the keyboard repaired).”

The resulting album has a mellow, mystical sound, with each song taking the listener to a different moment in time as a true observer. 

Sloan references Francoise Hardy’s Ma jeunesse fout le camp…, as what he says might be “the perfect album to listen to while making dinner,” hoping listeners find a similar kind of quiet comfort and timeless appeal in this album. “I hope Dusk Among the Plum Trees is the kind of album that people would like to listen to while making dinner,” he says. “I hope they find warmth in the songs and the arrangements and it leaves them with a mellow feeling.”

Trevor Sloan. Photo courtesy of Trevor Sloan

Trevor Sloan

Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp | Website

Valerie Boucher is a writer based in Ottawa, Canada. You can follow her on Instagram and learn more at valerieboucher.ca.

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Interview: The Return of Montreal's Suoni Per Il Popolo is an Intergenerational Celebration of Musical Escape

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Suoni Per Il Popolo 2023 poster

Montreal’s world-renowned experimental music and art festival, Suoni Per Il Popolo, returns from June 1st to 23rd, 2023. The 23rd edition of the festival plans to animate the city’s beloved venues as a homecoming for music-makers, composers and the sonically curious. From the festival’s Plateau-bound nebulous and beyond, festival goers can expect a profusion of over fifty intimate concerts from local, national and international artists, and genre-defying programming spanning free jazz, avant-rock, noise/post-punk, avant-folk, afro-futurism and more. Along with concerts, the festival features sonic meditations, exhibitions, screenings, comedy shows, parties and a street fair. 

In anticipation of this year’s festival launch, we caught up with Kiva Stimac, Suoni Per Il Popolo’s co-founder and co-owner of Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa. 

On this year’s edition, Stimac reiterates the significance of Suoni’s avant-garde programming as a means of community restoration: 

“With regards to anything in arts presentation right now, we have to consider the power and importance of music and creativity in healing from the turmoil of this global pandemic. What I’ve always looked for in experimentation and play is the questioning and liberation that you get from not only being a musician, but an audience member as well.”

Along with fellow festival co-founder and business partner Mauro Pezzente (Godspeed You! Black Emperor), Stimac established Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa, two pillar venues in Montreal’s music scene. Acting as the festival’s homebase since its foundation, Stimac says their atmosphere brings Suoni’s values to life.

“As venues and as places, it has always been really important that we serve food and drink that is delicious and that when artists come, we provide them with a good stage and good lighting…and somewhere to stay in a really familial way! [Pezzente] is a musician and I’m a chef and a visual artist, so our model is based on both of us being artists and wanting to invite artists that we love to our home to celebrate and create with us.” 

While Suoni has expanded since its humble beginnings of “beer sales and selling sandwiches,” its DIY ‘til death mentality remains, with all of the festival operations continuing to happen behind the scenes at Casa and Sala on St Laurent boulevard. Likewise, the project continues to be funded by grants and unique collaborations, which Stimac feels fuels, rather than limits, Suoni’s spirit year after year.

“Though we have a limited budget, it forces us to look for money in other ways for special projects to do with artists. Like grants to fund local and international artists coming together to create a project,” identifies Stimac. “For example, this year we’re doing a deep listening sound walk with Pauline Oliveros’ life partner, IONE. It’ll be led by Ayelet Gottlieb, an Israeli-Canadian deep listening practitioner and vocalist,” she adds. “This makes it so there’s a multitude of ways you can experience the festival: You could go to a free meditation, a film screening, or a deep listening mountain walk, and then come to a performance.”

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Suoni Per Il Popolo 2023 poster

Of course, Suoni’s “by artists, for artists” grit has also willed its vibrant and off-beat curation. This has set the festival apart since day one, making it the premiere event for testing boundaries through music. At the same time, Stimac and her team’s willingness to take creative risks with their programming set an interesting precedent for Montreal, which hasn’t always been the hub for out-of-town acts we know today. 

“When Casa del Popolo opened in 2000, a lot of artists were actually skipping Montreal on their tour routes,” she articulates. “So, people would play Toronto… and they would play Boston… And eventually, [my partner] Pezzente reached out to his agent, who was managing a bunch of cool artists at the time, and was like, ‘Why aren’t these bands coming to Montreal? Why don’t we try having them come to Montreal?’”  

From this phone call, Stimac and Pezzente went on to put together their first show with Scottish indie rock group Arab Strap at the newly opened Casa del Popolo. To their surprise, it sold out in 10 minutes.

“From that show and eventually starting to program at Sala Rossa across the street, we realized there was a demand for international touring artists here. Another major incentive [to book these acts], especially in the experimental and avant-garde worlds, was to invite them to Montreal in the first place.”

This effort has remained integral to Suoni’s raison d’être, and a way for communities, both local and international, to work together and “transgress the physical space” through creative innovation, according to Stimac. 

While the definitions of experimental and avant-garde have evolved throughout the years, Stimac maintains that Suoni attendees can still anticipate generations coming together to appreciate underground and outsider art.

“The size of our rooms limit you to new and up-and-coming artists, or unheralded elders at the end of their careers. This year, we have three different groups performing who are in their eighties—and on the other end of the spectrum—local groups in their twenties performing and a piano recital for young kids who are just starting out. Inviting all ages has always been important to me because you can see the trajectory of their career, and that is impactful to so many.”

Likewise, the intergenerational aspect of the festival remains integral for Stimac, due to the universally transformative power of music. 

“The release of listening to or making music can really heal trauma, and that’s the music I’m drawn towards. Whether it be the free jazz of my dad’s generation or the punk rock music of my generation… Music is made for liberation,” she explains. “My vision for the festival has always been challenging revolutionary good times.” 

Expand your listening palette and attend this year’s edition of Suoni Per Il Popolo. The festival kicks off June 1st at Casa del Popolo. Tickets are available online below. Follow Also Cool on socials for more festival updates and coverage in the coming weeks. 

Festival Information

Artists | Schedule | Tickets

Suoni Per Il Popolo

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Chicago Post-Punk Duo Oddysseys Talks Friendship, DIY Happenings and New Single "Enough"

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Oddysseys: Paul DiRico, (left) and Christian Treon (right)

Hot off the heels of their 2022 LP Softcore, Chicago-based post-punk duo and DIY collective Oddysseys shake off the bleak ache of winter with their new single “Enough”, arriving April 1st, 2023. Setting a promising tone for future music from the band, “Enough” cuts through its narrator’s uncertain inner-monologue with poignant, grungy rhythms and an undefeated aftertaste.

On “Enough”, Oddysseys’ Christian Treon shares:

“(‘Enough’) was written in the middle of the pandemic, when I started seeing less and less people; reaching out to less and less people. I was in a state of feeling very isolated, lonely and insecure. It progresses and gets louder and louder, following how I was feeling. It’s kind of like that build that comes from a while of being dissatisfied with how you handle situations—how you want to grow beyond (them)—and see how you can be enough not only for other people, but above all for yourself.”

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“Enough” single artwork by Oddysseys

While we can’t say much more about the track until its release, listen to our audio interview with Oddysseys’ leading members, Christian Treon and Paul DiRico, below. Within, they discuss their latest arrival, learnings from their last album Softcore, as well as the admirable work ethic and camaraderie nurturing their creative vision.

Also Cool Mag · Chicago Post-Punk Duo Oddysseys Talks Friendship, DIY Happenings and New Single "Enough"

Oddysseys

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Paying To Play: fanclubwallet on the Price of Touring the United States as an International Artist

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Hannah Judge AKA fanclubwallet via Bandcamp

Editor’s note: The following interview originally aired on First Crush on CKCU 93.1 FM (Ottawa, Canada) on Friday, February 24th, 2023 and was produced by the author of this article.

Editor’s note (March 4th, 2023): Since the release of this article, the deadline to submit feedback to the Federal Register regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed increase to visa rates has been extended to March 13th, 2023.

While the concept of "paying to play" is unfortunately nothing new in the music industry, especially for emerging artists, its harsh reality has risen to a whole new level.

In early February, the United States Department of Homeland Security announced proposed increases to performer visa fees that would make touring in the United States significantly more expensive, if not completely inaccessible, for international musicians.

In order to legally enter and tour the United States, international musicians are required to obtain P-type and O-type visas. Should the new rates come into effect, musicians will have to pay at least 250% more for the mandatory paperwork. As cited in Stereogum, P-type visa costs would skyrocket from $460 to $1,615, and the O-type visa from $460 to $1,655 (this is USD, by the way).

Not only will musicians be further inundated with the debilitating financial burden of touring, but the state of the North American music industry at large—and the hundreds of thousands of creative workers it employs—is under threat.

This news has driven musicians to take to social media to recruit supporters in lobbying the Department of Homeland Security to keep touring in the United States possible for international acts.

Also Cool had the chance to speak with Hannah Judge, AKA fanclubwallet, an Ottawa-based indie artist, on the issues facing Canadian musicians in the current cultural climate and how the community can show up to help keep touring possible for artists from our own music scene and beyond.

Listen to our conversation below. Supporters have until March 6th to oppose the move by leaving a comment on the Federal Register website here!

Also Cool Mag · Paying To Play: fanclubwallet on the Price of Touring the United States as an International Artist

fanclubwallet

Instagram | Website | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Montreal's Eve Parker Finley Hosts New CBC Music Series "Ten Minute Topline"

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Eve Parker Finley by Stacy Lee

Eve Parker Finley is putting musicians to the test by challenging them to write an original song based on a randomly-selected genre and a topic pulled from a hat. To top it off: contestants have ten minutes to compose their lyrics in-front of rolling cameras from the country’s biggest broadcaster. This is the concept behind Ten Minute Topline, the new CBC Music series hosted by the Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist and comedian.

On Ten Minute Topline, Parker Finley shares, “I hope [that people watching the show] get an excitement to try and play and experiment artistically themselves.”

With three out of five episodes out so far, the short series aims to “bring awareness to [the] diverse talent” making-up the Canadian music industry.

Hear our conversation with Eve Parker Finley on Ten Minute Topline below!

Also Cool Mag · Interview with Eve Parker Finley on "Ten Minute Topline"

Eve Parker Finley

Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Surf Curse Talks DIY Music Scenes, Friendship and TikTok Algorithms

Surf Curse by Julien Sage

When I think of 2013, I think of Buds, the debut album from Los Angeles indie-rock band Surf Curse. At the time, I was just discovering the music and film that would impact my teenage life in an identity-shaping way. I was stoked to hear those same points of inspiration in the band’s collaborative songs and independent projects (Current Joys and Gap Girls), and couldn’t get enough of their garage-rock sound that was re-emerging at the time. 

Surf Curse has come a long way since then, and have been touring their new album Magic Hour this past year following the viral success of “Freaks,” which came off their first album. 

I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Nick and Jacob over the years, in both Los Angeles and at home in Montreal, and was happy to catch up with them before their recent show at Club Soda. We spoke about the all-ages venue in Reno that changed their lives, their friendship over the years, and the impact of TikTok algorithm’s on DIY music scenes.

 Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Can you describe the scene you came up in Reno and what it was like when you moved to L.A.?

Nick Rattigan: I feel like there's like three parts: Vegas, Reno and L.A.

Also Cool: I went to Vegas for the first time recently and was wondering how people live there full-time. 

Nick: Yes, we do that every time we come back.

Jacob Rubeck: Especially when you're young, it's like you're musically depressed, you know? It would take forever just to go see a band that you actually like. When we got to Reno, there was finally an all-ages space,The Holland Project, where bands that Nick and I loved would actually play.

Nick: It was kind of shocking.

Jacob: The very first night we were in Reno, we got invited to a show that was on the college campus by this guy handing out flyers. It was for a band called The Babies, and it was Kevin Morby and Cass Ramone from Vivian Girls. I had literally gotten the seven-inch record that day in the mail and loved it. Then this guy's handing out flyers for a show that they're playing in like two weeks, and I was like, “Where have you been my whole life?”

Nick: That guy booked our first show.

Also Cool: Not to say that Vegas is a small place, but I understand that there's not much going on music scene wise, and I’m also from a place where there was not much going on. This made it so that any show at all was really exciting and special. It was better than nothing, and I so desperately needed that.

 Nick: We went from a little bit of something to a lot, because L.A. is a lot. When we first visited, it was always the extreme of what we experienced at The Holland Project. There were so many all-ages shows, so many event spaces and places for people to play. So that was very exciting and exhilarating. Now I don't have my ear to the ground at all. I'm like, “Where’s the new stuff in LA? What's going on with the scene?

Jacob: Yeah, it's funny; it’s a lot of touring bands. What's great about being able to live in Los Angeles is that everyone comes to play here. So, you're reunited with old friends, bands that you always wanted to see; they’re all going to land here at some point. I got to see Duster this year and have been stoked on that. I got to see two nights of Pavement, which was incredible, and Danny Elfman for Halloween at the Hollywood Bowl, which was absolute lunacy. The one thing that I do like about L.A. is that you have access to so much.

I will say that I do miss being in smaller venues, like seeing a show at The Holland Project back in Reno. I miss being in that room and on the stage and figuring out what to do at the end of the night. With all these LA shows, I tend to leave immediately afterwards and go home, you know? Like an old guy. 

AC: Yeah. I mean, one of my questions was, and I know politics with The Smell are a bit complicated, but it obviously had a huge impact on your lives, so much so that you wrote a song about it. I'm wondering what other venues or spaces have been impactful for you in that way? Often when I talk to musicians, they often have “this one venue that was the only spot where everyone went to, and where that's how they met everyone in their lives.”

 Nick: Yeah, I feel like that was mainly The Holland Project for us in Reno because it was the only all-ages space we'd ever experienced before. It's where we played all our shows and where the bands that came through hopefully would play.

 Also Cool: And bands don't really tour through Reno?

 Nick: And bands don't really tour through Reno. They do sometimes. They did a pretty good job of lassoing some pretty big bands. I remember Future Islands came through, and that was like the biggest deal of the year. 

But then in LA, my favourite was Pehrspace. It's actually the new cover of our first album because the other cover was so bad, I was like, “We have to change this.”

 Also Cool: Why do you think it was bad?

Nick: It's just like us sitting on a couch with some waves behind it.

Jacob: It was a little beachy.

 Nick: It's a little beachy. We already suffered the “surf curse,” which is that everybody just seems to think that we’re a surf rock band.

Jacob: Which you know–-

Nick: It's the surf curse.

Jacob: It's a curse.

Nick: You get what you know, two beachy dudes from LA.

 Jacob: We love eating pizza.

 Nick: Yeah, yeah. We love movies and pizza.

Also Cool: Movies and pizza, great.

Nick: Movies and pizza, yeah, we still like movies. I've actually been eating a ton of pizza the last few days, but Pehrspace was just this really cool DIY venue in L.A.

Jacob: It's supposed to be coming back.

Nick: It's supposed to be coming back for years.

Jacob: It disappeared because they got kicked out of their location. I'm pretty sure it got replaced with a big chain coffee shop, if I'm not mistaken, but they're moving somewhere else. We opened up for Omni there.

 Nick: The Bootleg, Pehrspace is moving into the Bootleg.

Jacob: Bootleg was a good spot, Non Plus Ultra was also a great spot.

Surf Curse Magic Hour

Also Cool: So, I like to ask people who've been in bands together for a long time: What have you learned about friendship from each other?

Nick: It's complicated.

 Jacob: It is complicated. I like to look back on us. The cool thing about us is that we didn't drive each other crazy so fast because we had too much time in between everything.

Nick: Yeah, we didn't like, blow up, right away.

Jacob: When we first started, Nick moved to New York and worked as a PA, and I was working as a dishwasher.

We had a lot of time to take space from each other and then reunite again, work on music and show each other stuff whenever we did have the time. So it wasn't like we were young, and then our egos got to our heads and were like, “ I fucking hate you,” or nothing like that. It was like, “It's good to see you again. Let's go back into it.”

The more we’ve toured and added members and worked on new music, you know, not gonna lie, it has been tough and hard, but we've been able to communicate with each other.

 Nick: Yeah, communication is key. That's the glue.

Jacob: When we added Henry and Noah, we wanted people that we one; totally respect musically, and two; who are just like really great people. It’s balanced a lot of things out between all of us.

It feels good, creatively. When we do Magic Hour, and we are writing new stuff, I have it in my head that it’s intentionally for someone, you know? Like something that's going to be appealing to them. So when I pitched them like, “You like this, do you like this?”

 Also Cool: You both have your independent projects too. I'm sure you separate: “Okay, I'm writing for Surf Curse, and maybe this one is just more for me.”

Nick: I think this year has been a good learning curve to this year because it's the busiest year of our lives, and we're kind of figuring out how to make it all work.

Jacob: When we did figure it out, being as a DIY, independent band or whatever, I think, you know, we mastered it. But then when the major label thing came about, it was a whole other learning curve of trying to figure out what makes sense and what feels good.

Also Cool: I know that film has hugely influenced your music to the point of having song titles on Buds named after movies. What visual media in the last few years has had a similar impact on your creative process?

Nick: We're All Going to do the World's Fair (2021). That's one of the best modern movies I've seen, and is forward in its storytelling techniques. It's a horror movie about this kid that starts playing this online horror game… and that's really all I can tell you about it. You just gotta watch it. It's so good. Alex G does the soundtrack, and I came for the soundtrack, but stayed for the movie.

Also Cool: This is the only TikTok-related question, but I see a lot of kids on TikTok the Internet void, “How do I get involved? Where is the scene? How do I get invited to the party? Where is the secret DIY venue?” Which is really funny but also sweet. They're just like: “I don't know!” So, I'm going to ask the algorithm until it gives me what I want. 

I think the pandemic affected this sort of integral experience of being a teenager that starts going to shows. When I was like 16 to 18-ish and was like figuring it out, I had older people showing me how to act at shows and where to find them. That was completely gone for this generation, where they went from being a teenager to being a sort of adult wondering, “How the fuck do I find friends?”

Nick & Jacob: Yeah.

Also Cool: I'm interested in what your advice is for those people who would like to get involved in things in a meaningful way and have a scene again in real life and not on the internet. 

Jacob: It's a great question. I think the best way is to pick the shows that you like going to, if you do have that music scene and just start noticing who's there and who are the recurring suspects. Those are potentially going to be the people that you can find in all your music, love and trust in.

 Nick: Yeah, that's funny, as soon as you said that, it kind of reminded me of the Facebook question of when people would post their status like: “Hey, what's everybody up to tonight?”At least that's like, my equivalent of it.

When I was 19, we were looking for that too, you know? I think everybody's looking for that. And you sort of stumble into it. I think just life just happens, and you find your people.

Jacob: One thing that I do like about TikTok is that there's no gatekeeping. I see this one girl always posting slowcore stuff. I don't know her name, but she's like: “If you like this, you like Alex G. Here's another five bands,” and then there's discourse that's happening in that comment section. It's like a good way of connecting with people. That's how, you know, I was back in the day on Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram, just trying to find some sort of sense of a community. It still exists, it’s just changing.

Despite our conversation about searching for community through the algorithmic void, there weren’t as many phones out as expected during Surf Curse’s set that night. The crowd was energetic, respectful to each other (from what I experienced in the mosh pit), but most importantly, just really happy to be there.

Stream Magic Hour on all platforms, and keep an eye out for future shows via Surf Curse’s socials. 

This interview was transcribed by Cyril Harvin Musngi.

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Mue On Ritual, Intimate Spaces, and Decomposition in LP "Les vasières" (Halocline Trance)

Mue by Vincent Castonguay

Explore the esoteric and terrestrial that is embodied in Mue’s first full-length new album, Les vasières. Even though the electronic duo—made up of Léon Lo and Catherine Debard—is based in Montreal, the sonic perimeters of Les vasières are vast, spanning across complex layers of sound and space. 

Elaborating on the landscape of their latest release, the band explains: “The French album title translates to “The mudflats.” Sounds from disparate sources form aural silt that is brought to life by waxing and waning cycles, each improvisation presenting a new, different mudflat scenario.”

By incorporating the sound of water, nature, and compost, Mue presents more than an album but an auditory experience through their experimental rhythms and alternative percussions. In this conversation with Mue, Liza Makarova mediates the intimacy of Mue’s spontaneous-yet-methodical approach to their world-building and soundscaping process. 

Les vasi​è​res by Mue. Cover artwork by Katherine Melançon, graphic design by Haley Parker

Liza Makarova of Also Cool Mag: What is the history behind Mue? When did it start and why?

Catherine Debard of Mue: Mue is definitely a pandemic project. It [all began]in March 2020 – I was supposed to go on a European tour and had sublet my place. A few days before leaving, I started having doubts and ended up cancelling everything (which was a really good decision, since the international lockdown happened the week after). I stayed at Léon's place and we quarantined together.

Léon Lo of Mue: I had some gear stocked at home from a previous performance, so one day, out of boredom or curiosity, we decided to jam together for the first time. I set up my computer to record it just in case and it turned out to be unlike anything either of us had done individually before.

Liza: Throughout the three- (or more) year process, what were the feelings, sources of inspiration, rituals, and expectations that motivated you to develop Les vasières?

Catherine:  Looking back on the recording process, the ritualistic aspect was undeniable. I think the pacing was important in this respect. We recorded a song or two at a time, a few weeks apart, for a few months. Each time, we would clear the space and since our project is hardware-heavy, it would take us about an hour to set everything up. It was meticulous and messy as if we were building a world out of a bunch of cables and machines, all intertwined and tangled together. Then, without talking much or planning anything, we improvised until we connected with each other and when the sounds locked, we would record until we felt satisfied. It would always start playfully and chaotically, but then, intuitively, we'd find each other and vibe on the same frequency.

Léon: I would say “frequencies”, as there were so many elements acting of their own accord. It was entrancing but also eerie in how egoless the process was.

Catherine: Somehow, we always intuitively stopped recording at the 12-minute mark, possibly our own sacred time unit. That was the first phase of the project, and we didn't have an album or concept yet.

Léon: After letting those recordings sit for a bit, we revisited them, chose the ones we liked best and set about cutting them down to more digestible formats. That proved to be really difficult because of the overlapping cycles of different lengths. Finding the right spots to cut out without it showing too much was challenging. But at that point, there was a feeling that the compositions could become something more concrete –that together, they could turn into something else. Kris from La Rama was an early supporter and singled out two songs (“1,000 Passages” and “A Tangle of Filaments”) to release as a limited edition 10” vinyl on the store’s in-house label La Rama Dubs. Toronto-based label Halocline Trance gracefully signed on to release the remaining tracks, which were coalescing into something like an album.

Catherine:  It's around that time that we started thinking about mudflats, right? That's what “vasière” means. We added the interludes to expand a bit more on the idea. Before that, I remember we were into more of a “compost”, “slimy” imagery. I was trying to grow plants out of vegetable scraps, and I recall we were both pretty invested in the process.

Léon: Yes, listening to the tracks, we started seeing how our disparate sounds would come together like all the different overlapping cycles present in mudflats: those of the waves, the countless micro-organisms, the vegetation, the birds overhead, etc. So, each jam was re-imagined as us having set up a new mudflat and wanting to see how all the different elements would co-exist.

LM: The album is both transcendent and down to Earth. While utilizing high-frequency vibrations to create an ethereal aura, the title—Les vasières—and the organic rhythms create a grounding sensation. By balancing the abstract and the earthly, where would you “place” the sonic atmosphere?

LL: I think "transcendent" and "down to Earth" are two poles that we reach for. However atmospheric our music may be, we really want it to be a physical experience.

CD:  I think a telling example is the kind of field recordings we used in the songs. I had recorded myself playing with rubber bands, pine needles, water... I think these sounds bring everything together in a more physical way, as you were saying.

LL: When you listen to the music and hear these sounds from different sources, you're getting all of their original sonic contexts as well. So, the sounds are actual physical spaces merging and vibrating in your space, and not just ethereal evocations of ideas of space.

CD: Thinking about your question, it made us realize that we both embody a different end of that spectrum. I am very much in my body and my senses, but my contribution to the music is more amorphous, and ungrounded.

LL: Whereas I'm very much in my head most of the time, I contributed the more grounding rhythmic base.

CD: Weird!

LM: Les vasières was recorded on your living room floor. What do “home vibrations” mean to you? What kind of energy is generated while recording in a home studio and how does producing in intimate spaces affect your creative process?

LL: Recording in a small living room with all of our gear felt like a cozy spaceship.

CD: Like the cover of that Silver Apples record, but super chill, and with herbal tea and fruits.

LL: Because we didn't have any plans at the outset, the recordings were intimate moments of exploration. There were no clocks ticking overhead, no pressure to deliver anything specific.

CD: I think it's because the whole thing was so low-key and fun that I made much bolder moves than I would usually. I had the time to dive further into my instruments' menus and settings, which led to more sophisticated, weirder textures. I didn't care about perfection at all, and you can hear that. Also, not using a computer led me to rethink my way of creating loops or to improvise using more than one instrument at a time. It was all quite clumsy but special.

LL: Also, I think it's important to let people know exactly where we worked so that the music doesn't just float around untethered. The context is important because it defined what we could and couldn't do at that specific time. For example, I was a middle-aged, middle-class, cis-het settler of colour lucky to still have a job and some music gear at home.

CD: I was a white settler part-timer in the service industry—temporarily out of work and living out of a suitcase—but still, I was able to get some of my equipment from my place.

LL: We didn't have access to a professional recording studio, and neither were we constrained to just doing everything in Fruity Loops. All this binds the listener back to us at that specific time and avoids creating a purely isolated aesthetic experience.

CD: What I like about working with Léon is that context also becomes a performative, playful and intrinsic aspect of creation. For example, when we started working on our radio show (Heavy Metal Parking Lot, N10as), he had this whole idea of using dice to determine the “energy curve” of each episode. That led us to make adventurous, playful choices that we wouldn't have necessarily made. We could say our live project at Mutek with Katherine Melançon was another example of a both constricting and super-stimulating context.

LM: Many visual and video art pieces, such as the album cover (created by Katherine Melançon and designed by Haley Parker, in addition to Melançon’s music video), were produced in tandem with Les vasières. How do you think the listening experience of “Télophases” changes when paired with the visual component?

LL: The visual aspect of the music video really transforms the listening experience, especially with someone as talented as Katherine. She had run the idea by us of scanning our shared compost and using the resulting images to produce the video for “Télophase”. That sounded awesome, but she mostly kept it a secret until it was done, giving us periodic progress reports along the way. We were totally confident that it would be fantastic, but we were completely unprepared by exactly how fantastic it would be.

CD: When we watched it for the first time, we kept exclaiming throughout the whole thing. We had to watch it a few times in a row to wrap our heads around it.

LL: The images in the video end up taking the lead, in my opinion. They're so strong and the narrative arc is so well-constructed that it could seem like we composed the music to go along with it. That's definitely not a bad thing, and I think it's okay if the music is not experienced the same way as if it was listened to on its own.

CD:  As for the album artwork, it offers a very earthy, physical, material palette (food, leftovers, intimate bodily relationships), but made surreal andeerie. The meticulous beauty and the strangeness perfectly set the tone for the record.

LM: To follow-up: in using compost as material for “Télophase”, the binary between decomposition and composition is blurred. Do the song titles and order convey a narrative regarding these themes?

LL: In keeping with the theme of mudflats, we didn't set out to mark any clear beginning or end for the album. We preferred the impression of catching the middle of something, that things were already constantly starting and ending.

CD: Or like if each piece is a glimpse of an ecosystem at a specific time, a fleeting impression of a landscape. As for the song titles, they emerged from an intense research session on various subjects that we felt resonated with the music.

LL: Things, beings, spaces, and the relationships between them.

CD: We followed various rhizomatic associations and jammed intellectually. We looked over the results and named the songs.

LL: Song titles for instrumental music end up acting as super-condensed lyrics, so we tried to choose the most potent words we came across. And about binaries, though they can be useful sometimes, we make it a point to avoid them. A blur is much more interesting to us. Ambiguity rules!

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Les vasi​è​res

Out November 25, 2022 via Halocline Trance Records

1. Hylozoïste

2. Ambeing

3. Balanes

4. Télophases

5. Quatre Temps

6. 433 Eros

7. Andand

8. Sumac

9. Naica

All pieces composed, produced and recorded by Catherine Debard and Léon Lo

Mastered by East End Mastering

Cover artwork by Katherine Melançon

Graphic design by Haley Parker

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Mue

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Liza is a multi/interdisciplinary artist and writer who, at all times, feels an inner pull toward the stars, towards the future. They gratefully reside in Tiohtià:ke, which is the unsurrendered territory of the Kanien'kehá ka.

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Montreal Surf-Punk Trio NO WAVES Talks All Ages Shows, Artistic Influences and New Music

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NO WAVES by Daniel Takacs

The soundtrack for most teens' early years is moaning vocals and distant pop icons from another decade, but some of us are lucky enough to have NO WAVES. The smell of sweat and Twisted Tea fills each venue; pink hair and neatly pressed dress shirts swarm together as the crowd swells. At their shows, young Montrealers experience the special feeling that comes as you start to uncover the ecosystem of music around you. Whether it be your first mosh-pit-induced black-eye, or wringing out a t-shirt soaked with sweat, NO WAVES is the breeding ground of Montreal's next-gen in music.

The band has a look you can't define… Maybe a kaleidoscope of indie sleaze, where Blink-182 and Surf Curse intersect? They all sit in the limbo zone before adulthood, with boyish smiles and CEGEP classes packed between shows. Their sets radiate a joyousness and respect that's rare in the industry. They want to be there as much as the audience does, and it shows. 

In the aftermath of the pandemic, NO WAVES is the light at the end of the tunnel for many, with their underpass show of August 2021 acting as a green light for commotion. They lit a fire, and the scene couldn't resist dancing around it. 

As someone who began the pandemic starry-eyed and unknowing of the music world,  NO WAVES has been a gateway into Montreal's music scene. NO WAVES is for the people who go to shows every night, and those who've never entered a venue before. They are an instant family of sorts; one that pulls you in for a hug and never lets go. 

I had the chance to catch up with the surf punk three-piece about their early beginnings, where they’re headed now, and everything in-between.

Uma Nardone for Also Cool Mag: Let's start off easy! Tell me about your first gig?

Sam: Our first show was at one of the Climate Demos, a protest in the middle of winter. Cy wasn't even there, so it was early early days. It was during our March Break and held outside. It was crazy! It was the coldest I've ever been.

Angel: Later on, we did shows in a dance studio. We weren't supposed to be there, and everyone had to take their shoes off. It was very hot and small, with like 50 kids crammed into a room. 

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Also Cool: You've begun your second stint of recording. What has it been like working on the first EP versus your second?

Cy: Very, very different.

Sam: The songs are more fleshed out.

Angel: During our first EP, we had this frustration: We really wanted to just release our music, have it out there, and start playing shows as soon as possible. It was done with this mentality of recording as soon as possible. Now that we're recording again, we're in no rush. We're revisiting old songs and reworking them. 

AC: How has the music you're listening to impacted your new music? Have you discovered anything recently that has completely changed your creative process?

C: It's ever-changing, and I don't think it will ever stop, or at least I hope not. 

A: I've gotten into more hardcore punk, but everything feels new. Lots of Bad Brains, TURNSTILE, Dying Fetus, and very Midwest emo shit.

S: It's all over the place for all of us, everything from breakcore and punk to pop. 

AC: Do guys consider NO WAVES as falling within a specific genre? How do you typically describe your music to others?

S: I call it pop. It's all pop, just pop.

A: I've come to terms that with everything we do, it comes out trashy or punk. I used to struggle a lot, ‘cause I would try to write stuff that was soft, but no matter what, it would end up noisy and loud.

C: Noisy pop!

AC: That's perfect, though, because I consider you guys—and I mean this in the best way—the greatest gateway band in the city. After COVID-19 lockdowns, you started that revival of live music, especially for a younger crowd. 

A: That's kind of our goal, to be accessible to everyone. There are a lot of bands that feel hard to get into because of the crowd, and places sometimes feel snobby or unsafe, and that sucks.

S: Right, that's what I love about us. If you go to one of our shows, every kind of person is in the crowd. If you go to different venues, there's all these different cliques or groups, and at our shows, they're all there together.

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Angel from NO WAVES with audience members, photo by the author

AC: That's so true. At your summer bummer show, I met these girls from the Laurentians who had taken the train in. It was their first time moshing, seeing a gig in a small venue. You guys help people feel safe enough to experience these things for the first time.

C: That feeling is something we prioritize. We want an environment where people can hang out without worrying and have good vibes. 

S: It's not that deep either. Shows should be safe for everyone. That's how it should be.

A: There's this thing I learned when I was really young, that has stuck with me. I was told at 15 or 16 that music is sharing. Ever since, that's been how I see music. You're sharing with the crowd, the staff and the musicians. We all share this common love, you know?

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Crowd at a NO WAVES show, photo by the author

AC: That's evident in the crowd, as well. You've grown up with the people who come to your shows, and they keep showing up for a reason. It's like a big family that keeps growing. 

S: I think it’s so beautiful. 

A: It's super sick because I see people who were at our shows five years ago, who went to our launch party, pull up to our shows now. They are the OGs of NO WAVES. 

S: People we've known since they were 13 and playing at school, and now they're grown up and still coming. It's amazing. 

AC: I can attest to that. I was maybe 12 or 13 when I went to my first show, and now I'm here. I consider you guys integral to my childhood, and many others feel the same way. NO WAVES is the soundtrack to teenagedom here! My first black eyes were at your show, and my friends' first kiss happened at your show. You guys are part of all that. 

A: I think it's so cool. We've been able to play our music and grow up with them. After the outdoor show, this dude slid into our DMs and told us about his first experience with LSD. It was so crazy cause what band gets to experience that so closely. 

S: Right, I was like, man, you're a stronger person than I am. 

AC: Tell me more about the underpass show. How was that experience for you all? 

S: Oh man, I loved that show. It was my favorite show we've ever played because of how close we were to the crowd. There was no stage, so people surrounded us. At one point, this dude slapped me on the back and complimented me from behind the drum kit. He was a complete stranger; it was so cool. The formality of a show was gone, and we were immersed in the crowd.

C: We go against that formality. We play better when not on a real stage. 

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NO WAVES by Daniel Takacs

AC: Do you guys channel certain people in terms of stage presence? Like when I was kid, I wanted to embody Sid Vicious or maybe even Zappa. Who is it for you? 

A: I would say Blink-182 for all of us. To me, they are the standard of what a trio band is capable of. Whenever I'm on stage and feel stuck, I have a guitar, and I can't move or whatever; I look up to them. 

S: Same; I channel my inner Travis.

A: I think at most shows, we're just daydreaming that we're Blink. That's our secret.

AC: Would it be a dream to open for them? Is there anyone else that you want to play with in the future? 

A: Surf Curse, too; we just have to do that. We've been thinking about it for so long. 

S: I just want to go on tour and go as far as possible with this.

A: We want to expand our horizons and explore new places. I really want to go to Mexico. The whole scene that inspired me to do everything I'm doing now all comes from there. Those kids inspired me. 

C: I remember hearing my first songs from Angel in Spanish, Los Blenders and Senor Kino; they influenced me so much. They taught me how to put on a show. He showed us all this world we didn't know about. 

AC: What's the songwriting process look like for NO WAVES?

S: It's really all of us. Every song is a collaborative effort.

A: I'll come in with a guitar riff or a single verse - these very unrefined songs. Then we'll all write over it and work on it over time. We all just pile on ideas until something comes out of it. Some songs take thirty minutes, and others take years.

S: We have songs we've been working on for more than four years. 

AC: Has playing in NO WAVES changed your social life at all? 

S: We all have the same mentality when it comes to playing: We don't feel better than anyone because of it. So many people have helped us come to where we are today, and we're really grateful.

A: People made fun of us in high school. We didn't feel cool then.

S: I just hate the mentality that people have. No one is better because they are on stage. It doesn't change who you are.

C: It's also not what music is supposed to be. Music is not a hierarchy. No one is better than anyone else. Our shows are for people who love music the way we do, that's all. 

NO WAVES holds a place in my heart that I can’t quite explain, I feel oddly devoted to the music, to the crowds and the all encompassing joy it brings. They are the band that sings to a choir of misfits, welcoming old punks and scene kids alike. 

They keep growing and as more and more people come to love them as I do, the excitement of experiencing a small history being made is thrilling. NO WAVES is ever-moving and might change, as young bands do, but no one will forget them. Everyone who's been in a crowded room with damp floors and broken stereos singing along with NO WAVES knows their systems have been shocked and their brain chemistry never be quite the same. The NO WAVES phenomena, explicable in their talent, is band who will forever be ingrained in my brain, and hopefully yours as well!

Don’t miss NO WAVES’ free Taverne Tour pizza party at Le Ministère on February 11th at 11:59PM!

NO WAVES

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Uma Nardone 

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In Conversation: Cosmic-Pop Enigma Elizabete Balčus on Artistic Freedom, Vegetable Synthesizers and "Hotel Universe" (Mothland)

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Elizabete Balčus by Zane Zelmene

Hailing from Rīga, Latvia, extraterrestrial-pop maestro Elizabete Balčus performed one of the most memorable sets of the year, and possibly ever, this past fall. Since making a stop in Rouyn-Noranda for the 2022 edition of FME, touring her avant-garde opus Hotel Universe, we’ve been enthralled by Balčus’ raison d'être. With an entrancing, collaged-sound that spans from a Lynchian merry-go-round to what you might hear twinkling in the alcoves of a celestial ice fortress, Balčus’ enigmatic production is a realm-bending portal that combines operatic vocals, classical flute, 80s-tinged rhythms and electronic vegetable-synth pulses.

Following the buzz of her album release, we had the chance to connect with Balčus on the importance of harnessing her independent spirit as a creative, and the inner-workings of her multifaceted artistry.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: You recently completed a touring stint in Canada promoting your new album Hotel Universe and met your Montreal-based label, Mothland. What was it like realizing this work alongside new audiences? How did the creative circles in Canada compare to that of your hometown? 

Elizabete Balčus: It was great to meet my label in person after some months spent collaborating with them remotely. They take a lot of care in curating lineups for tours, and I felt like I was sharing the stage with artists that were a good fit for me.

It’s been nice adding in new material and tapping into the mood of my new album. But, I always balance that with music made in the moment; improvisation. Meaning, the songs I have on the album can be stretched and changed a lot, compared to the originals. Each show on my tour was quite different because those improvised parts would change depending on my mood. What’s most important to me is to have a true catharsis and expressing my emotions to their fullest. If I’m showing what I’m feeling without holding anything back, that’s when I get the strongest response from a crowd.  Being in Canada and being in front of a new audience was exhilarating – it made it easy for me to relay my emotions.

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Elizabete Balčus at FME in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec - September 2022, photo by Malaika Astorga

Also Cool: You wear many hats as a musician, composer, performance artist and actor. How did you balance and tap into these intertwined passions when realizing Hotel Universe?

Elizabete Balčus: In general I am a fan of one solo artist’s perspective. I like to feel that one person is responsible for everything. When I put a release together, I like to feel like it’s all of me, and not just one part of me. And I feel that I can express myself with visual art and performance in a way that emphasizes my musicality, so it is very important in what I do. Having multiple hats is a consequence of me having a project that is homage to a lot of my inspirations: I love theatre, I love dancing—I like music that is immensely theatrical and surreal. So, it’s natural for me to apply these things to create what I consider a solo show worth attending.

AC: What pushed you to expand from your traditional artistic background to an experimental solo endeavour? Has this transition made an impression on how you approach, or feel about, your craft? 

EB: The thing that pushed me was that I wanted to do something that came naturally to me. That natural thing was, and still is, being creative with something that I can call entirely my own. It’s artistic freedom, I suppose.

There’s an axis between my classical upbringing and my solo show. All of my arrangements are quite classically-based, and this comes through in playing classical flute in my sets. I use the thing I learned in the Latvian Academy of Music, but I changed it to fit my world. 

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Elizabete Balčus performing at Club SAW in Ottawa, Ontario - September 2022, photo by the author

AC: Branching off of that, when did you start incorporating eco-synthesizers into your music? What is your favourite fruit or vegetable to play?

EB: I wanted to make the performance art aspect as important as the music. I discovered these inventions, and felt they were right. Way back in 2016, I got a device that allowed me to play real fruit and vegetables., and I incorporated it into my live show. I still sometimes play broccoli and pineapple—I guess they’re my favourites because of their psychedelic shape! I am always interested in adding different tools to my live show. Sometimes I play with a prosthetic leg, other people’s skin or my own biorhythms to create electronic sounds.

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Elizabete Balčus’ musical set-up at FME in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec - September 2022, photo by the author

AC: Alongside your sound, your live show has so many intriguing elements. Touching on your costumes and makeup: what inspires your aesthetic and where do you source your performance wardrobe? 

EB: I take a lot of influence from avant-garde fashion, Dadaism, retro-futurism, sci-fi films and Greek mythology and theatre. Sometimes a certain painting, a film character, a plant or even an animal can inspire me to make a costume. For example, once some green insect flew in my room and danced on the wall while I was listening to my demos and sketching costume ideas. It inspired me to make a hat with antennas and paint my pointed boots light green.

I place a lot of importance on wearing and making headpieces because they are, for me, a mark of spirituality. I think of it as a way of broadcasting my energy to the cosmos. It’s like how saints are pictured wearing halos. As for makeup, it usually comes after the clothes and headpieces as a final touch. Most of the time I just take a brush and experiment, see where it goes.

For clothes: I like vintage shops. I’ve picked up a lot of stuff that I remix. I reshape or cut and glue things together, to make them more my own. I also take some costumes from the theatre my family runs, and from time-to-time, I collaborate with fashion designers that lend me some of their creations. I was lucky to find the artist Anna Gulbe who lent me the hat and boots for my Canadian tour.

AC: What has been the most rewarding aspect of unveiling Hotel Universe thus far? What impact has the experience had on your artistic outlook?

EB: The rewarding thing for me about releasing music is it’s a format that I feel I can most fluently express myself. Even more than talking. So, it’s nice to have that communication with others who feel my music and respond to—what is a very accurate—portrayal of who I am, deep down.

Releasing music doesn’t directly change my artistic outlook, but it definitely spurs me on and gives me energy to move forward.

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Elizabete Balčus by Zane Zelmene

Elizabete Balčus

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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