By: Malasha Parker
Photo By: Monse Muro
Q) With your influences being from artists such as Etta James and Amy Whinehouse, how did you find your own unique sound?
A) For me, I came into music with a really clear thing that I needed to express, like literally extrude out of my body. So, that started to determine a lot of the creative decisions, especially in the vocal performance. And then the rest of the time, it’s just finding the right collaborators who see that vision, who understand the importance of catharsis in my project and the dynamics in the performance is really important to me. So, finding the right producers and bandmates and musicians and stuff, co-songwriters at times, to make sure the whole picture makes sense has kind of been the way.
Q) What is your writing process and how does that translate to the music you put out to the world?
A) For sure. So, usually it’s like version one hundred that never makes it to the record. For me, songwriting begins with an emotion that’s overwhelming for me that I need to process or get out of me in some way. For me, emotions are really debilitating a lot of the time. They really stopped me in my tracks. And I have a ruminating tendency, so writing them down, writing stuff down really clearly, really directly or if I need to for whatever reason couch things in a metaphor, I’ll kind of go based on the emotions that came from an experience. And so the first exercise is “say the true thing” and then it becomes “make it a good thought.”
And then to make it a good song, that’s where I have a lot of negotiation with myself about…It’s really easy to stay attached to the first take. And there’s a freshness there, for sure. Sometimes the first draft is the final thing. But a lot of the time things need a lot of editing and review. So, once I’ve gotten all the emotion out in the first take, I have to kind of put my co-producer hat on and make sure that the quality of the song as a song stands on its own regardless of the story behind it.
So, that’s one of the reasons it’s really important to find good collaborators who will tell you the truth in a way that you can really hear that. Respecting the sensitivities that come with songwriting, that’s really personal because, for me, I came into music because I was writing songs to help me process PTSD symptoms as a result of a sexual assault that I experienced when I was eighteen years old. And like the couple years after that event were so like blurry and scary and I couldn’t move past it until I got it out in that way.
So, yeah, it’s a very personal process and it definitely takes a lot of patience to get from the first draft to something good.
Q) How involved are you when it comes to the production side of the music that you make?
A) Sometimes I’ll have an idea, like a vision of how I want things to sound, and then Max, my producer (who is a shoegazer grunge guy with a classical music background)— he’s from British Columbia, Canada, I’m from Montreal, opposite end of the country, so we have really different backgrounds, but there are some pockets where we really agree stylistically. So, I’ll have a vision, or he’ll hear something and say, “What if you try this?” So, our policy is try it, try it, right? And then if we don’t like it, I love that.
Always, it’s better to try than to not have it at all.
Q) What does it mean to you to be performing live at SXSW?
A) It’s great. Like, it’s kind of uncommon to get to play a showcase over and over like that.
I think I’m going to take a break for a couple years to focus on making the next record and coming back strong once that’s ready to go and show people. But it’s really amazing. The first time I got the approval letter, I was like blown away. I couldn’t believe it. And it’s a huge honor to get to share the stages with artists that I’ve gotten to play with. There have been people that have blown me away, really inspired me from all over the United States and Canada and beyond. Crazy talent.
So, to be even recognized for this one tiny crumb of a moment as a player in like today’s musical stage, I guess I could say, is really special. It matters a lot to me to be doing a good enough job that this could happen.
Q) What went into crafting your set list for your performance?
A) That is a good question. There are like some limitations that come with traveling to the United States for a Canadian artist, some like visa stuff and financial stuff. So, I’ve kept my band super tiny for the show, so we prioritized the songs that work the best in this format with like the strongest show possible with just like a power trio.
So, we put a mix of old songs, new songs, and stuff that really showcases the vocal range that I have – like the power and the softness, that’s all there.
Q) Any chance we’ll be hearing you perform some cover songs amongst your originals?
A) Yes, I did put one in the set. I did put one cover.
Q) You are a visual artist. Do you have any surprises for your stage tonight?
A) I actually did make a little video projection that we’re gonna get to do today. But I like that you asked that. I have serious plans for that for the next album. I have a whole vision.
I hope that we can link up again to talk about that down the line because I plan on making like an art book that is part of the album for the next record. It could take me some time to put it together, but, yeah, music and painting and all the different visual art stuff, they really are— it’s from the same part of your brain, right?
I’m a compulsively expressive person, so it just comes out in all different ways.
Q) You talked about being excited to see the different artists here at SXSW. Who are some artists you are looking forward to seeing perform while you’re here?
A) So, Alicia Creti, she’s a Montreal R&B gal who just signed with Atlantic. I’m looking forward to seeing her today. And Fine Food Market is another Montreal band that had like a crazy year, and I had never seen them perform before, but I’ve heard such amazing things.
And then internationally, there are some people I’d like to see. I’ll see if Snack Time is back this year. They’re from Philly. I really liked them when I saw them. There’s this Berlin duo I saw two years ago.
I hope they’re back, too. But mostly I just like to wander around and see kind of what happens. Last year I wandered myself into the Grammy party and I saw Jessica Simpson performing, which was so funny. So, I love that stuff. Kind of— you’re like in an Alice in Wonderland situation. You can wander into anything.
I love that about the festival, too. And I love that it’s like you can— so many artists and so many people to see. So, it’s like you’re always finding new people, but you’re also finding like people that you love to watch and listen to.
Q) What artists would you love to collaborate with on music in the future?
A) Yes, I would die if I could write a song or perform with Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes.
She’s performing in Montreal at one of our bigger venues next month, I think, and I begged everyone I knew anywhere to like, “Please let me open for her, let me meet her,” something. They already had an opener, so I’m still gonna see if I can like get a like an actual fan letter to send off cause I’m such a fan.
Q) What would you like to say to the fans and supporters of you and your work?
A) Just thank you. Thank you to every person who’s ever supported anything that I’m doing. I’m making it all up as I go along and all of my missteps are public. So, anyone who kind of supports the ethos of that and leaves the space and the faith for me to fumble around and discover the next good thing, it really means a lot to me that I have a dedicated little group of homies that support that. So, yeah, just hope to share the show.