Following his secret performance at FME last year, singer-songwriter Vincent Roberge, a.k.a. Les Louanges, headlines the Thursday lineup. Building on the success of his third album Alouette!, he brings his modern blend of funk and soul, wrapped in refined pop production. This evening, the main stage will also welcome Bon Enfant, Malaimé Soleil, and Birds of Prrrey.

Friday evening is dedicated to rhythmic verses, with the festival presenting Koriass, a true pillar of Quebec rap who has been accumulating accolades for two decades now. Ahead of this headlining performance fans will also have an opportunity to see sets by Kamilou and Aswell.

Saturday’s lineup kicks off at 7PM with the Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM competition finale featuring three artists deemed to best represent the next generation of francophone singer-songwriters. Hawa B, an artist who defies labels, opens the evening with a performance that creates a space where you can twerk or headbang, laugh or cry, all in the same breath. N Nao, Grand Eugène, and Lou-Adriane Cassidy will also be performing this evening.

As a bonus, the FME presents a series of concerts under the stars taking place at Scène Fizz (also located on 7e Rue). From Thursday to Saturday, we are treated to: new Arbutus signing Public Appeal, who recently showcased more of their avant-garde pop on new full-length hello my name is public appeal; Jashim, a key figure in Montreal’s underground Latin scene, with Cult MTL describing their music as “2000s sun-soaked rhythms [that] meets hyper-pop”; and Aizysse Baga, an artist from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community whose electro-pop and alternative universe combines stage performance, flamboyant aesthetics, and socially conscious lyrics.

Learn more and buy passes at fmeat.org/en.

The post FME 2026 lineup announcement includes Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Koriass, Les Louanges, and Bon Enfant appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The attendees will have access to three outdoor stages and eight indoor venues. Multiple pop-up events and surprise shows will appear in additional locations throughout the city.

This year’s lineup includes young artist Bille du Page, hyper-pop singer BéLi, rock artist Marie-Pierre Arthur, singer-songwriter Jay Scøtt, seven-piece, Vancouver-based psychedelic band Empanadas Ilegales, the infamous The OBGMs, and legendary Les Trois Accords, in addition to many, many more.

For over twenty years, FME has established itself as a ground for emerging talent and innovative artistic practice, bringing together members of the music industry and fans from across the globe in a unique Québecqa setting.

Festival passes

• The Passeport site extérieur 7e Rue (7e Rue Outdoor Festival Pass), costing $75, grants access to all outdoor shows presented on 7th Street, from Thursday to Saturday.
• The Passeport VIP site extérieur 7e Rue (7e Rue Outdoor VIP Festival Pass), priced at $200, offers access to the same shows, plus entry to the VIP terrace, which includes a bar and private restrooms.
• In addition to outdoor concerts, both of these festival passes give you a 20% discount on up to 4 tickets for paid shows in the official program. A promotional code will be sent via email to passholders.
• The Passeport Best Life (Best Life Festival Pass), for ultimate music lovers, costs $300 and grants access to all venues, including both outdoor stages, for all four days of the festival across all venues.
• Single tickets for August 28-30, 2025, are also available for purchase at a cost of $35 per evening.

Learn more and buy passes on fmeat.org.

Cover image courtesy of The OBGMs

The post FME drops the lineup for the 23rd festival edition appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Karkwa’s rise was meteoric and set against the backdrop of an increasingly bilingual Millennial population playing and attending gigs in Montreal. The group toured extensively and recorded two more full-length albums before going on hiatus in 2011, focusing on other endeavours.

Quip sat down with keyboardist François Lafontaine and drummer Stéphane Bergeron to discuss their thoughts on a 20-year evolution before their set at FME. The pair oscillate between English and French, often finish each other’s sentences, and laugh in a way that conveys a vast shared experience, culminating in their most recent studio release, Dans la seconde. It marks the first time in over a decade that the band has written, recorded, and toured.

Ben Lemieux: Les tremblements is going to be 20 next year. That was a big time for music in Montreal and in Quebec. A lot of big artists came up during that time. It was also a moment when the lines between Franco and Anglo music in Montreal were blurred a bit more. How is it to reflect on that time and your place in it?

François Lafontaine: It was a movement. We were young at that time: 23, 24. People our age were tired of what was going on musically. We did things differently, the way we would record indie stuff, the way of promoting music was different.

Stéphane Bergeron: We met the Patrick Watson band at some point, we shared a rehearsal space, and we became friends with them. We felt very good about that and about making music with them.

FL: St. Laurent was the main street where the anglophone and the francophone [communities] would cross over. We started doing [shows] with Marie-Pier Arthur. We met the Barr Brothers, we met the Dears, Arcade Fire.

SB: In some events like M Pour Montreal and SXSW, anglo and franco [musicians] doing showcases together made stuff happen after that.

FL: In the end, it’s just about music. We stayed close with Patrick. One of my best friends is Joe Grass, who also played with Patrick – we have a band together. We made a record maybe 4-5 years ago.

BL: Fans from that era are still coming to shows, they obviously have a nostalgic relationship with your early work and Montreal in that era. Do you see new, younger demographics at your shows now as well?

SB: We see that at some of the shows and we’re very touched by it. Even before playing shows, we see some of the comments on social media coming from [younger fans]. It’s also wild to see the younger generation come to shows and sing the lyrics [to our older material].

FL: The greatest thing about that is when you start a band, you cannot imagine how it’s going to be 10 or 20 years later. So to see that happen, it’s very touching, like Steph said. It’s [bigger than] us, at that point. The music speaks for itself. It’s almost like the music has made a path to somewhere we didn’t expect when we started.

BL: A big change since you started making records is the gradual disappearance of record stores. Most of the market is digital streaming now. How do you find that has changed the way that you distribute or release albums, or the response you receive?

FL: It’s pretty difficult to have an opinion on that. The only thing I know is that there are more ways today to discover music. Back then, you had to go to the music store, and sometimes the album wasn’t there. But now, there are a lot of ways to discover music, and people are overwhelmed. There’s [so] much stuff.

SB: I would say [steaming] comes with a lot of competition, but that’s not the right word. We’re kind of privileged, I would say. Because we didn’t have to think a lot about marketing strategy. We booked M Telus [arena] for one night and ended up selling out five. We didn’t have to struggle, but I can imagine [it’s challenging] for people who aren’t as established. It’s been easier for us.

FL: The only way to put out your music is to go on the road. Even if you put out a lot of studio clips on Instagram –

SB: It’s a drop in the ocean. [Laughs] You need many drops.

FL: You can see a lot of musicians playing in many projects. I think that’s the way to make a living. Back in the day, we used to only concentrate on Karkwa. Like 90% of our time was dedicated to Karkwa. Now people are all over the place in so many different projects.

BL: 13 years between records is a long time. Your new record sounds like a Karkwa album. It feels familiar. But obviously, there are things about your playing or your approach to composition that have changed in that time. What are the things about playing as a band that you find the most familiar and the most different?

FL: We approached each record differently.

SB: For Dans la seconde we decided to come into the studio with absolutely nothing. Nothing every day. Let’s start with a tempo. Some days, something happens. Some days, you think something is happening, and at some point, you say, “Oh. That’s… shit.” [Laughs] We did so many days of improvisation and came up with an album like that. That’s the first time we did this. What’s familiar is [the sense] that we’ve been lucky to meet each other. It’s just easy when we play.

FL: For the album we opened maybe 26 or 27 different sessions or different songs.

BL: Over what period of time?

FL: A year [intermittently]. A week here, a week there. At some point, we sat down and said, “We have to focus on the things that everyone wants to do,” and went from 20-something sessions to nine songs.

SB: There was some good stuff too that we didn’t choose. Sometimes we say: “The vibe is cool, but can we end up with a song out of that?” The fun part is when we ended up with those nine or ten songs, we moved into Wild Studios.

FL: It’s the kind of vibe that Morin Heights had. You’re on a lake, secluded in the woods. After the 7 or 8 months we spent [on composition], we went there for a week and wrapped up the whole album there.

SB: There was also a process of layering parts.

BL: Do you ever think some of these lost tracks may show up on a future album?

SB: Mostly from Chemins de verre (2010). We were touring a lot in France and that means sometimes you have 4-5 day breaks. We had a friend who worked at a studio called “La Frette,” a big house with a studio in it. We thought instead of spending five days in a bar in Paris we could live there. We saw the studio and thought –

FL: Let’s write some music.

SB: We just started recording. We said, “Let’s do a song a day.” So [unused material] mostly comes from Chemins de verre and a bit of what we did lately.

BL: Have you always written as a group?

FL: No. Most of the time, I was bringing in music and we were developing arrangements around that. But like Stephane said, for the last album, you weren’t allowed to come into the studio with anything prepared. Changing our ways of working really helped. There were even times where the root of a song was a drum beat. We started with a tempo, like 125 bpm, and said “Let’s go.” In some cases, we recorded three versions of the same song.

It was a luxury to be able to do this. The studio belongs to Louis-Jean, I’m a partner. To spend this much time in a recording studio, composing, arranging, recording, it doesn’t happen often.

To reconnect, musically, I think it was best for us to get back in the studio. Work differently, put that kind of energy and moments on stage afterwards. It kind of glued the band in a way.

SB: This live set is the best version of the band.

The post Looking back at Karkwa’s evolving career with François Lafontaine and Stéphane Bergeron appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Karkwa

The band was one of the bigger headliners for the festival, wrapping up a year-long reunion tour following the release of their 2023 album Dans la seconde. Playing at the large outdoor Fizz stage, the storied Quebec rock quintet delivered an energetic, crowd-pleasing performance spanning their 20-year archive. The enthusiastically attended set oscillated between newer hits and their early noughties anthems, all presented with a markedly psychedelic slant. It was a delight to watch the local indie darlings approach the set with such aplomb, drawing out their songs with instrumental interludes and solos.

A great headliner to kick off the Festival: the perfect blend of energy and nostalgia.

Mossaï Mossaï

One of the better bills at Le Paramount this year, French prog-rockers Mossaï Mossaï made a big impression with their first overseas gig at FME. Playing selections from their debut, Faces, the quartet wasted no time in getting the walls shaking. The group’s thundering rhythm section and psychedelic guitar work were propulsive in a way that every band opening a rock concert should be, while also never gratuitous or at the expense of musicianship. This band plays its ass off, but also makes time for poetic keyboard & voice interludes, keeps the audience guessing throughout the set. A group to watch.

Galaxie

Headlining Le Paramount, Montreal rock supergroup Galaxie delivered an hour of sheer fun. The members are all veterans of the Quebec indie scene with numerous concurrent projects on the go. From watching Galaxie play: this is the garage rock band they all go to as an outlet. Try new motifs, rock out, play for the joy of it. After 20+ years and six albums, watching the playfulness and zesty youthful energy of the Fred Fortin-led ensemble is infectious and still brings the house down. The set was replete with fuzzed-out guitar solos, cosmic synths, wrapped up in a tight blues-rock parcel. A rare treat for Quebec audiences, who were also pleasantly surprised by the band’s release of À demain peut-être earlier this year.

Peter Dreams and Moonriivr

Best known as one of the driving forces behind Toronto’s July Talk, Peter Dreimanis’ recent collaboration with Moonriivr sees him shifting into a more brooding gear. His husky baritone and black garb invite Cash, Cohen, and Cave comparisons, although these feel facile and reductive. These songs live in smoky, damp, dimly lit clubs. Propulsive rhythm backbone, dynamite guitar work: this band is dialed. Where there’s a roof to blow off, they will. Dreimanis forgoes instruments during the set, his vocals focused, passionate, fearless in their intensity. Nominally, this is an alt-country set, but the group’s stage tightness and range of influences lend a gravitas to the proceedings that eschews genre.

Bearing mention: their 2024 collaborative release is among the top Canadian records of the year. Nocturnal, poised, dramatic, Peter Dreams and Moonriivr lives at the crossroads of country, blues, folk, with the occasional cabaret flourish. Musically and lyrically adventurous, self-produced, a sonically warm album that properly sounds like it’s recorded on tape: there’s so much to love about this record. Go find a copy today.

Haviah Mighty

Although Quebec is home to a hardworking hip-hop scene, FME skews prog heavy in its lineup. Mighty, one of Canada’s foremost hip-hop talents provided a welcome change of pace at the main outdoor stage. Leaning into a spare stage set (just herself and a DJ), Haviah Mighty played an hour of uptempo greatest hits to the opening night crowd. As ever, her set was animated and moved with gusto, leaning towards poppier, festival-friendly fare. In an environment less produced and more theatrical, the mastery of her flow and wordsmithing was front and center.

Delightful to see such an important Canadian voice headlining a smaller regional festival like FME. A worthy reminder of why Haviah Mighty is a national treasure and a joy to watch.

Li’l Andy: The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter

A fixture Montreal’s country scene, Li’l Andy’s latest set was easily the boldest at the Festival. A pitch-perfect pastiche of 20s/30s folk, jazz, and bluegrass, The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter was an enchanting, immersive period exploration that generated a lot of buzz among festival-goers. With glimmering harmonies, period garb, and humour by the shovelful, Proctor is a love letter to dustbowl Americana that straddles music and performance art. Andy’s quartet had their small club audience rapt for a set equal parts playful, surprising, dexterous, meticulously researched, and fun. A highlight for many.

The Brooks

The Festival closer at Le Paramount did not disappoint. Before a room of music industry professionals, The Brooks delivered a technical clinic in jazz-funk. This masterclass had every audience member eating out of their hands and wanting seconds. A tour de force.

Look out for their latest album, Soon As I Can, released on 4 of October (the official launch November 8th at Café Cleopatre in Montreal).

The post Highlights performances from FME are a spectacular showcase of talent appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Much like the past editions of the festival, this year offers a selection of domestic niche and up-and-coming talent and a lineup of acts from around the world. Set in the small town of Rouyn-Noranda, in the heart of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Québec, the festival completely takes over the city making the international and domestic music industry professionals and media feel right at home.

For the 22nd edition of the festival, taking place from August 29th to September 1st, the organizers have recruited nearly 100 artists from across all genres. From the new sound brought to us by Orchestra Gold, to the post-punk group BODEGA, and Montréal’s indie rock band Karkwa day one alone will be one for the books.

The Friday showcases will call attention to quite a few hip-hop acts including GreenWoodz, Joy Ride Records’ protégé, Rymz, and QC’s favourite Souldia. These vibes will continue in the following days with LaF, Haviah Mighty, Loud Lary Ajust, Kaya Hoax, and Lost, just to name a few. In the books is also an old-school hip-hop Block Party, featuring rappers, breakers and DJ Félix B. Desfossés at 5 pm on Saturday.

On the jazzy side of things are jazz and soul-infused futurist pop performers Miel Azevedo and Rau_ze who blend the jazzy undertones in their R&B/hip-hop tunes.

For rock and indie fans, the festival curated an ongoing set of performances by the likes of  Grand Eugène, The Wesleys, Gab Bouchard, Joe Grass, Mexico City’s Petite Amie, NOBRO, Ada Oda, Radiology, Shunk, Angine de Poitrine, and many more.

Learn more and secure passes on fmeat.org.

Cover image: Haviah Mighty at Field Trip 2022, by @katerryna.

The post FME music festival shares another stellar lineup appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Over the 4 years that I’ve visited FME, there have been many adventures. There were joyfully sleepless nights and that one time I’ve nearly missed a flight home because of them. There were nights of experimenting, nights of getting lost in the crowd, and even karaoke nights. There was also that time a bunch of us made friends with a porcupine named Chewbacca and a time I spent the entire industry dinner listening to lifelong stories from a local rock legend. This time was much tamer, for obvious pandemic-related reasons. But it was also the time a fellow journalist and I got tattoos while listening to disco house around midnight on a Sunday. 

FME is an annual highlight for many industry folks from across North America and Europe. It is an event that brings together emerging artists, label representatives, festival runners, publicists, promoters, and media across a wide range of languages and genres. Here we gather, make friends, party, learn, and most importantly – get introduced to new music.

At this point in 2021, it feels as if it’s been forever-and-a-half since we were able to see live music in Toronto so nothing was going to stop me from attending FME, not even an 8-hour bus ride across the Canadian wilderness (it was probably longer). Due to many pandemic-related issues, things were not exactly the same this year – no international media were in attendance, and getting into shows was a bit more complicated – but the overall energy was high because it is better to see live music with limitations than not see live music at all. 

In its true tradition, FME showcased artists across multiple genres and languages. The most language diversity was perhaps seen across hip-hop and rap performances. This showcase, spread out across multiple days, begun with an extremely energetic performance by Maky Lavender. As a multitalented creative, dancer, and an artist who performs in both, French and English, Maky is a common name in the Montréal rap scene. The audience, anxiously seated 6 feet apart from one another, were in absolute awe of this performance, making song requests, chit-chatting with the artist, singing along, and nearly begging for their favourite songs. Lavender’s music ranges from sentimental chill tracks (“Bloom,” “Wont Fall Inlove”) to songs that when performed with a live band gained an unprecedented bass-heavy level that sent him spinning in circles around the stage (“Oh non! Man, c’est la vie,” “Le game a changé”). This energy is contagious and this is an artist you should know about.

Toronto-based, Edmonton-born Cadence Weapon (Roland Pemberton) and most recent Polaris Music Prize winner (congrats!) confidently took the torch from Maky and lead us into his Parallel World for the following hour. Lit up by a bright spotlight between tracks Weapon pointed out he felt a bit like a standup comedian but his banter with the crowd was not all fun and jokes. Song to song Pemberton shared his reflections on the city’s losses, homelessness, issues of surveillance (“On Me”), being alone through the pandemic, and spoke about his various collaborations. The audience was locked in, “going crazy” in their seats to “SENNA” (as requested), and singing along to Pemberton’s rendition of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You” during “Sunrise”. Having played a solid number of songs from his latest album Parallel World, Cadence Weapon made sure to illustrate his full thematic range with older tracks like “Conditioning,” “My Crew (Woooo)” produced by Kaytranada, and “Night Service” from Jacques Greene’s Dawn Chorus during which the lights were turned down to “moody,” setting the appropriate tone for the track.

The biggest night for French rap was Friday at the lakeside stage where fans gathered for Shreez and Souldia, two of the most recognizable names in the Québec rap scene. According to Le Devoir, Shreez is one of the house names that fronts the new generation of local beatmakers. As a recognized lyricist Shreez gathers a fanatic crowd, the energy in the field was ecstatic, people loudly sang along, jumping up and down and nearly creating a mosh pit by the stage.

Souldia’s performance followed in a similar tone, but this rapper had zero interest in engaging with the rowdy crowd, creating a human wall in front of the stage so he can pace along the speakers untouched by human hands (though, I get it, COVID). Souldia has gone through his share of difficult times from “petty crimes to incarceration” and has been recording music since 2009. His latest album, Backstage, is reflective of these life experiences, “What I’m still doing now is 360-degree reality rap” he shared with Panm360 in an interview, “I’m inspired by life, my own life and the lives of the people around me”. A few songs into the set I felt the crowd begin to close in around me in a very uncomfortable way, trying to get closer to the artist and each other. The reality of the “pandemic isn’t over” and “oh shit that’s more people than I’ve been close to in a very long time” begun to set in making me back out and seek comfort with the rest of my festival crew elsewhere in the city. 

On a separate night, a smaller group of people gathered for a more intimate indoor show by the Montréal four-piece Ragers; the band is known for their engaging eclectic mix of hip-hop and live instruments. Ragers gained niche international recognition with their 2018 LP Raw Footage, and have since released a range of singles and most recently, a new EP Tant Qua’y Y Etre. Ragers were actively engaging with the crowd, getting people to dance and squat on-demand to collectively jump up to the drop of the next song. Small groups of people swayed with cold drinks in hand, breaking into an occasional unrestricted dance, laughing, and making friends. Admittedly, this event felt the most normal, in the traditional sense of seeing live music that is, a feeling I have been starving for since March 2020.

When it comes to hip-hop this year’s lineup lacked in female representation with the only female genre representative being Montréal lyricist, singer, rapper, and songwriter Emma Beko. Beko took the stage at a smaller indoor venue for a more personal and occasionally sensual hip-hop performance. Her solo project debuted with BLUE earlier this year (you might know her as half of Heartstreets) and with this record, she came into her own as a solo artist in a whole new way. The stage was heavily decorated with stuffed toys – on the floor, on the mic stand, everywhere – and a giant teddy bear was resting on the left, framing the mic center stage. She opened the set, accompanied by an injured DJ, with “Demo” setting a very laid-back atmosphere in the room. As a projection rolling through her childhood videos begun to play above the stage Beko grabbed an empty stool from the front row to sit down for “Alma,” a song written for her sister. This song has been stuck in my head since that day and I am not even mad. Beko has a very soothing voice that delivers well on her clean, melodic rhymes and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes from her next. 

Canadian treasure Lido Pimienta took the stage for a headline performance on Friday night, playing tracks from her latest release Miss Colombia and highlighting some of the older favourites. Colombian-born, Toronto-based “global beats trailblazer” Pimienta is a Polaris Music Prize winner (2017), a nominee for Latin Grammy Awards, Grammy Awards, and most recently took a well-deserved spot with the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Most importantly, Pimienta is a truly unique artist, adored in fantastical dresses in which she floats around the stage, telling stories through a blend of music that can only be described as a hybrid of electronic and cumbia. Québec was not ready for this but they embraced Pimienta’s anthems with open arms and were quickly absorbed into her magical universe through tracks like “Eso Que Tu Haces,” “Nada,” and “Agua”. 

Many artists perform multiple sets, as scheduled or through surprise pop-up events (an FME signature) and so an artist’s first performance might make them talk of the town for the rest of the weekend. In this manner, one of the biggest highlights on the electronic side of things were multiple performances by Montréal’s DJ and music producer Aïsha Vertus who performs as Gayance. Influence by her Haitian roots, UK Garage, and Detroit / NY house Gayance spins engaging, melodic sets that can get quite heavy late-night with that classic wub-wub sound that throws you back into a dark nightclub, dancing into the sunrise. Vertus is currently working on her debut EP Not Toning Down, and has been teasing her fans with singles like “Sirens” (feat Kallitechnis), the release date is yet to be announced but we are waiting with anticipation.

The following day a smaller outdoor stage also hosted Krimer (a.k.a. Simon Bertrand), an up-and-coming bass music producer. It was a rainy day and an early show but a small young crowd created a mini dance floor, headbanging and vibing to Krimer’s trap-heavy beats suspensefully building into heavy synth rhythms on tracks like “Blitz” and “Brute Force”. 

One of the annual highlights at FME is the Bonsound BBQ. As a prominent Québec label, Bonsound are always actively involved with FME and this event is an opportunity to meet the crew, mingle with artists, and enjoy a pool-side performance. This year the spotlight was on Paul Jacobs, a Montréal-based artist fronting a five-piece band whose latest release, Pink Dogs on Green Grass, dropped earlier this year. It is an album that showcases his range of influences and production skills within a tight pink package, one that if listened in the right environment might feel quite psychedelic. In the daytime, under a clear blue sky, Paul Jacobs and the band were a perfect house party soundtrack. 

In the evening the psychedelics started on a high note with Yoo Doo Right, an experimental trio from Montréal. The band played a pop-up show earlier in the weekend and so the word-of-mouth spread that YDR was a band to see. According to their bio, YDR play with “elements of shoegaze, post-rock, and psychedelia, crafting a unique sound that could be described as a car crash in slow motion” (listen to Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose, you’ll understand). The trio spread across the stage, backlit by hypnotic visuals in various shades of red and orange, their set is mostly instrumental, occasionally accented by minimal vocals, so the psychedelic visuals really do drive the music home. For their last track, “1N914,” the band invited us all to practice breathing as they went into a 7-minute instrumental adventure. Past halfway into the track, my festival companion noted that he hasn’t taken a breath in a solid two minutes. I realized I was a bit short on air as well, “Ah, I see” a thought dawned on me, “it’s an exercise in breathing”. 

Back in the smaller space, following Ragers, another weekend favourite took the stage for his second set – Robert Robert. During the first decade of his music career, Robert Robert made people dance (“Coolest Place in the Universe” from Welcome to Finetown, 2017, is how he got on my radar). Over that decade Robert collected many, many stories, so now he is telling stories in his mother tongue (French). His latest release, Silicone Villeray, is an upbeat indie-pop record based on personal experiences, somewhere “halfway between confessions and fortune cookie sayings” or as Robert Robert describes it: “a cloud of sun and grass, an eternal teenage story, and confused days of love and boredom”. It was a perfect way to end a Saturday – fun, relaxed, and in good company with a cheerful crowd. 

Each night as the shows ended (earlier than usual) small groups of people lingered around open festival spaces, sipping on their drinks, swapping friends, debating who’s afterparty to go to. All throughout the week artists were meeting other artists, discussing collaborations outside of Chez Morasse poutine, making plans for studio time, and complementing each other’s recent work. The festival weekend may be over but the connections made here can have a lasting impact. See you next year Rouyn-Noranda.

The post This is major: FME returns with performances by Cadence Weapon, Lido Pimienta, Emma Beko, and many more appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Dominique Fils-Aimé is a singer-songwriter from Haiti, currently living in Montreal. Not too long after her performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival Dominique and I met for a chat in Rouyn-Noranda, prior to the above-mentioned performance at FME. The theatre was still closed, we sat in one of the booths at the front of the theatre, a room that would soon fill with diners and anxious concert attendees. Wearing all black with subtle silver accents, Fils-Aimé is friendly and well-composed, radiating joy, and positivity.

“I was not in music at first, I was working in psychological support for employees and autistic kids two to four. And, I burnt out,” she admits. Music became her therapy, a meditating escape during which she could slowly create. “I realized that if it can heal me and make me feel better, it possibly can do the same for others. And I guess the turning point was when I did The Voice and realized that there was actually an interest from people.” Knowing that putting herself out there could bring back positivity, that people out there, including The Voice, found and appreciated her music was a motivation to keep going and pursue the life of an artist.

Fils-Aimé did not win The Voice, but as we approached that part of the conversation, she leaned over and whispered: “Not winning is winning” and smiled. “Because the contract is intense, but at the same time you get to take all the experience without the implications of what comes next, it’s a lot of attention, it’s very intense and I don’t think I would have been able to sustain that kind of attention right off. It’s too much pressure, too many eyes looking at you at once when you just discovered a new world. So, I was happy to dabble into it, learn a few things and then get to reflect and meditate at home for two years over what I really wanted to do, build my team, create a concept for my album and now I feel more comfortable in what I’m doing and ready for it, you know. Like I chose the timing for things rather than things just happened.” Having the time gave Dominique room to choose her own direction and create her own lane in a healthy way. “It’s exactly what I needed,” she continues, “It also allowed me to have a team that has the same vision as me when it comes to music. The goal is not to make a one-hit-wonder, for example, it’s really about building slowly but in a healthy way, all together and make the journey worth it.”

The goal has always been to make music that matters by taking the time to “meditate upon a message.” So far, Fils-Aimé is two releases deep: Nameless (2018) and Stay Tuned! (2019), both intentionally released in February, during Black History month, and as a way to break up the winter. Stay Tuned! gained her a Short List nomination for the prestigious Polaris Prize.

The themes in her music are not of a light, gentle nature, despite the smooth sound: “We try to tackle things that need to be addressed, you know, to talk about the things that really stood out to me when I started looking at the world we live in and the music – the kind of legacy it gives us. Black music has so many messages and so many underlying themes that are still current. Bringing them back to today’s reality felt like the right place for me to stand up for what I believe in without being too aggressive.”

“When I started looking into black history [I realized] that there’s a lot I didn’t learn in school, but whatever I didn’t know from school I had learned from the music.” During this discovery, Dominique saw a clear vision for a three-pillar album trilogy: “Each are linked to primary colors and to specific emotions, musical movements and historical times,” she explained. “You have the blues that is heavy, that is water, that is nighttime, that is slavery (Nameless). Then you had the red of jazz that came with the women, the blood, the fire that was inside the people craving change and setting fire – people were actually setting cities on fire,” she points out (Stay Tuned!). “And then once a few freedoms were acquired, you fell into a lighter type of music that was more generalized, like funk – they would talk about falling in love and partying, you know all these things that are more universal in a way. Just because they had a few freedoms and it was enough to celebrate even though we’re not done. So discovering that gave me a plan – it felt all laid out already. I was like, well there it is, those are the things I would like to explore and I would like to have as much time as possible to explore each of them because they’re all very heavy and complete in their history and they are my roots. This allowed me to dabble into all the different musical genres that raised me and make sure that I understood what I liked in each so I can create my own musical sound, influenced by each of them.”

Two out of the three releases are out and we are now waiting for the warmth. I asked if the next release is going to be yellow, and as her eyes lit up she responded with an excited and protracted yes: “It is going to be the sun… the joyful side of glittery disco and soul. I like the element of how deep soul music can connect and even when it’s talking about things like falling in love, it really goes to a deep place that kind of rings with the blues, in a way, so connecting all of them is going to be a perfect [end to the trilogy on] a happy note.”

Dominique grew up in a home filled with music, and even though her sister was a performer, she didn’t see it as a potential career. Now, having dove into it, gently but head first, Fils-Aimé is enjoying the slow and steady discovery of her musical self. “It’s a lot of training…a lot of hours going Oooa oooa, oooa oooa at home,” she laughs again, “it’s like meditation.” After sunset is clearly her favorite time to create, “The whole city is sleeping, everything’s quiet, so it’s perfect time to record your ideas and it’s also a perfect time to take it wherever you want not being worried someone can hear me going in my random places, you know? ‘Cause you can feel a bit shy sometimes, in the creative process. So nighttime is the right time.” She laughed at her own pun.

That shyness she speaks off has also been something to breakthrough when it comes to performing live: “I learned to love playing live,” Dominique reflected slightly whispering: “I’m not a big fan of shows but I’m learning to create a show that I like. So now I’m becoming a fan because I allowed myself to create a space that I felt comfortable in. At first, I didn’t like doing shows [but that’s because] I don’t like doing shows like everyone else does… So we created a safe space in a way whereas the people enter the bubble we ask them to hold the applause until the end so they can really sink in the music. Doesn’t always work but it’s okay,” she smiled.

She began her FME performance just the same – asking the people to hold the applause till the end of the show, to which the crowd immediately responded with applause. But as the show went on, the audience learned to stay still and quiet, letting the music wash over them. “Having people think about the preconceived notions that we establish socially to me as a win already and doing it in the show in such a gentle way, it’s not aggressive, it’s pretty peaceful, but it still put a little seed to grow. Like food for thought really, for after they leave the show,” she commented on breaking the traditional concert-watching behavior.

In the past, Dominique spoke about the lack of women in the music industry, within bands in particular, and how it has been a challenge to add more women to her band so we circled back to that topic. “When I look around in all the bands, it’s still a struggle, but at least it’s a struggle we talk about now and that people are actually doing active steps, even I had to do the actual step of being like, ‘Hey, wait a second, let me look around. Maybe I could make a few changes,’ you know. It’s hard and it hurts a few people along the way, but for a good cause, and eventually, everybody gets over it and realizes that it was not about them as a person. It was about respecting the integrity of your artistic thought and process and the things we want to change.” Commenting on the “boys-club” reality of the music industry she insisted that like all change it needs to be done one step at a time, for example by “getting people to not be scared to enter a room that is not necessarily welcoming to them, [because] eventually by being there it will make it less strange for people to see them there.”

In some way, making the room has been her own personal struggle: “Learning to… trust myself and to believe in myself,” she admits, “without thinking that it [could be seen as] cocky….Sometimes you feel like [that] doesn’t even exist: you’re either cocky or you’re humble, but you can be confident and just know what you stand for and feel comfortable in your skin. And that’s something that transpires, I think, something people can connect with. The struggle is not over and let’s face it, it’s probably going to be a lifetime struggle, but realizing that having that moment where you realize, Okay, yes I’m different. Yes, I am not necessarily what people are used to seeing or hearing but I am allowed to do this and I’m allowed to feel welcome.” Admittedly like many women I could relate to the feeling, we both pondered about it, that feeling of self-doubt, and how it seems to be a girl thing.

At the end of the day, however, for Dominique Fils-Aimé every day is a highlight that presents a new challenge, “this whole year was nothing but highlights and people have been supporting and encouraging.” That upbeat, positive attitude, immense natural talent, and lady-like conduct makes her an artist to watch. Stay tuned for the closing album coming next year.

The post Dominique Fils-Aimé on meditating her musical journey and the three pillars that make up her album trilogy appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The first addition of FME took place in 2002. That year, 22 bands performed and the festival was run by a small group of friends who shared all of the jobs amongst themselves. Today, FME sells out every available room in town and fills a campsite of artists just nearby. “What has grown the most over the years is that fans and people [from] the community got engaged… So now the festival is almost running by itself because it’s really, really organic,” comments festival director Jenny Thibault. Walking around town, FME volunteers could be seen everywhere, it is this region’s TIFF and people do come from across the globe to participate. But FME is not a big festival business and there is no red carpet (although admittedly some of us did get there on a charter plane). FME is a well-run, beautifully designed, community event that fosters discovery, innovation, and coalition.

On Friday the main outdoor stage was home to some of the best French rappers starting with KT Gorique, and Montréal’s Sarahmée. The evening began with Sarahmée, who drew an early and very enthusiastic crowd to the cold outdoor stage. A few people in the front row had been waiting since soundcheck and as the artist took the stage the crowd roared. All of those in the front row got a uniquely personal experience, making conversation with the performer between tracks. Still riding the wave of her most recent release, Irreversible, Sarahmée delivered a clean and powerful performance, hitting the high notes with some of the more popular tracks from the album like “Le cercle se rétrécit“ and “Fuego” with Souldia. On the side of the road is an elevated VIP area, with a scoping view of the stage. Filled with the who’s who and the who’s who’s guests, the patio was a hot location. Intoxicated attendees were cheering and dancing, tightly gripping to their FME mugs while the front of the stage was having small talk with Sarahmée.

Up next, carrying us into the night was KT Gorique, who traveled all the way from Switzerland to perform on the FME stage. Gorique is the first (and only) female champion of End of The Weak, an international freestyle rap competition which she won in 2012. Since then the artist’s main focus has been on music. Her stage presence is open and friendly, and despite the sharp lyrics she was smiling almost the entire set. For each performance, Gorique wears her “most beautiful face” – subtle face paint celebrating her African origin. Gorique took the audience on a music adventure from hip hop to dancehall and reggae and as expected, “Kunta Kinta” (the title track from an album by the same name) and “Outta Road” brought the ‘house’ down. Throughout the performance, she danced, praised her band, and repeatedly thanked the crowd for their affection.

The rest of the weekend showcased a set of heavy hitter rappers like Loud, who has been touring through Europe and Québec and returned to FME for another, near soldout set on Friday. A thick crowd of people singing along to Loud sounded like a stadium anthem, an epic way to end the outdoor performances for the night. Saturday stage hosted Montréal’s rapper FouKi and Koriass, both of whom are incredibly hype. FouKi, sporting a signature yellow tracksuit, was pacing the stage spitting Latin-inspired rhythms while Koriass (bottom image) ran a bit overtime – by audience demand – and at the end of the show jumped into the photo pit to get closer to the fans who were nearly tearing up shouting for an encore.

One of the biggest discoveries in the electronic genre for this addition of FME was Millimetrik – Québec City’s composer Pascal Asselin (image below). Playing a more intimate outdoor stage right after the rain, Pascal was joined by a drummer (cover image) and the two of them went on to play a colorful selection of ambient beats accented with heart-thumping bass and melodic drums. Songs like “Coucher de doll dans Sandoval County” came to life with a fantastic air of disco causing the audience to stomp and swirl on the wet grass. Our shoes got soaked but the cloudy Millimetrik dance party was worth it. For the rest of the weekend, smaller outdoor stages hosted an array of dance DJs creating a small rave around the DJ booth, dancing to the likes of veteran vinyl master Miss USA and a local Shagass Disco who wrapped up the festival at 5 am on Monday morning.

Late nights at FME are a special experience. Hoards of people wander from venue to venue, sipping out of their open containers and festival mugs, meeting new friends over cigarette breaks and hoping not to lose anything. Many nights at FME end at Bar Des Chums, a local staple joint with poor decor and minimal service but hospitable to whatever kind of frenzy your group might be up for that night, from catching a breath on the patio to doing a group karaoke performance after losing quarters at the pool table. 

The musical variety continues even during the day with various pop up shows around town. São Paulo’s Sessa played a surprise morning show at the public market on Saturday. Nested in the sun with three backup singers who performed in admirable sync and played quite a few small instruments, creating layers in the music. Sessa’s most recent release, Grandeza, is psychedelic Brazilian pop, “an album about the natural gesture of love and the softness of the human body,” shared Sessa. It’s the kind of music that makes you appreciate music, grab your portable record player and spend a day drinking champagne on the beach.

Later in the day, Scene Paramount welcomed Montréal’s Dominique Fils-Aimé to the stage. Recently nominated for a Polaris Prize, the singer-songwriter performed with impressive control, creating silence around notes, and matching the strings with her smooth voice. Dominique put the room into appreciative silence, first by request and then out of awe. Standing center stage Dominique gently swayed side-to-side singing her original songs and favourite covers like Nina Simone’s “Feeling good”, weaving a pattern near the microphone with her silver nails. Dominique Fils-Aimé’s poetic narratives are also not light, covering quite a bit of African history as seen through music, but more on that can be found in her interview.

Carrying on the joyful sadness into the evening was La Force, aka Ariel Engle, a vocalist and the most recent addition to the Broken Social Scene. The bio describes La Force as “godless devotional music that comes straight from the beating heart” which may be hard to grasp but can be definitely observed live. Engle was joined on stage by a drummer and a backup singer who complemented her perfectly with a wide range of vocals. Between tracks, La Force shared stories about her music, commented on the themes and pointed out the heavy topics they cover, like postpartum depression. Her tracks range from danceable, like “You Amaze Me,” to straight-up tear-jerkers like “Lucky One.” Engle had the crowd’s dedicated attention, watching her every move for nearly an hour.

Among other more musically-relaxed artists was Pierre Guitard, who played a late afternoon set on Sunday at Stage Evolu-son, a mid-town two-level concert venue. Lit up with blue lights and performing with a full band, Pierre Guitard is pop-rock with a spark of string and a few impressive guitar solos. At this point of our recount of FME, Guitard seems like an appropriate segue to what was seemingly the focus for most festival attendees: rock, indie, and a dash of punk mixed weirdness that cannot be defined as a genre.

One of such bands was Ellemetue (above), Mingo the Indian and Nunu Metal, who played a packed room at the Cabaret – a staple venue at FME. The duo played a mix of experimental electronic rock with an occasional electric keys undertone; their music “rings out like a wild cry from the murky depths of an imaginary swamp” the band writes in the bio. At the opposite end of the festival were FET.NAT, a performance nearly everyone was looking forward to and no one could describe to me. What I’ve learned is FET.NAT (second last image) are experimentalists known for their bizarre strangeness and incredibly entertaining performances. It’s a four-member psycho-jazz punk-funk band that played with the audience as much as with the music. The lead singer’s voice is shockingly scratchy but between the rough vocals, an oddly melodic moment would come through to only be followed by an intensely challenging saxophone solo.

Admittedly, the above account of the festival covers a small portion of performances because it is simply impossible to see them all. As an average attendee, you dance, drink, party, and inevitably take daytime naps knowing that there is always a late-night street or house party you may want to attend. For at least the first two days most people’s diet transforms into rounds of poutine and BBQ served with local brews and gin and tonic coolers. As the perpetual hangover begins to set it the weekend comes to an end, most likely at sunrise. When you get home, a quiet nostalgic reality replaces the music and crowd noise. Merci FME, till next year.

The post Rave, rock, rap, break for a nap: Attending FME, Quebec’s not-so-secret music festival appeared first on Quip Magazine.

For anyone who likes electronic music across decades and sub-genres, this is paradise. ADE takes place across various venues in Amsterdam hosting lectures, workshops, art installations, and of course dance parties. This year the festival will feature 2,500 artists and 550 speakers in almost 200 venues so if you are interested in meeting the who’s who of the electronic genre this is the place to be. The exact dates and line up are yet to be announced but to illustrate the level of royalty and variety here in the past years ADE brought out Lee Burridge, San Holo, Adam Beyer, Afrojack, Soulwax, George FitzGerald, Gui Boratto, Actress, Voodoo Children, Leafs, and over 500 other names across the globe. In a nutshell, ADE is a cultural movement: 

Bilbao BBK live
Basque woodland, Kobetamendi, Bilbao | July 11-15

A Spanish festival located in a clearing in the Basque woodland, “Basoa invites discerning revelers to get lost to the finest in electronic and experimental sounds amidst the idyllic woodland surroundings” – sounds pretty damn good to us! Bilbao brings together world-renowned artists to emerging young talent. So far the 2019 line up features Laurent Garnier, Honey Dijon, The Strokes, Octo Octa, Todd Terje, Thom Yorke, Princess Nokia, Bicep and more.

Elements Lakewood Music & Arts Festival
Lakewood, PA, USA | May 24-27 

Over the Memorial Day weekend Northeast, PA will become home to a solid line up of performers and campers in search of a unique festival experience. In its 3rd edition, the festival brought together the likes of Disclosure, Big Gigantic, Damian Lazarus, FISHER, Justin Martin, Seth Troxler, Shiba San, and more.  The campground will also feature what they call “immersive environments” and wellness and summer camp activities. 

EXIT Festival
Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia | July 4-7

The location is in a forest on a bank of a river EXIT had originally started as a student protest against political change and freedom in 2000. Today, EXIT is an award-winning annual festival that continues to spread positive vibes, promote change and positive educations while supporting humanitarian missions and communities. At the end of the day, however, EXIT is a party. The line up for 2019 is already making waves: Carl Cox, Tom Walker, The Cure, and Elioh, are already on the bill, to name a few. 

FME – Festival de musique émergente
Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada | August 30 – September 2

The festival takes over the entire town of Rouyn-Noranda for indoor and outdoor shows, special performances across various venues, and pop-up events in the most inconspicuous places. Members of the music industry across the world gather in this small town to talk about music, eat poutine, and meet new people. The artist line up is to be announced soon but typically features performers across various genres and countries. 

Reggae Sumfest
Montigo Bay, Jamaica | July 14 – 20

With nearly a week full of special events, parties, park-wide festivals and special performances across Mobay, this festival brings the island to life unlike anything else. Presented by Downsound Entertainment Sumfest it is the world’s biggest Reggae Festival and the most prestigious one. The line up is yet to be announced but it will undoubtedly be an epic one. 

Vujaday Music Festival
Barbados | April 3-7

Vujaday is entering their second year in 2019 and the lineup is already a promising one: Bob Moses, Lee Burridge, Octave One, Nitin, and many more! To offer up a unique experience each day the festival events will take place in different venues across the island. New to the schedule this year is a daytime party series details for which are yet to be announced. 

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This year marks Canada’s 150 anniversary so FME chose the season’s theme as the Spirit: celebrating the indigenous roots, local talent, and emerging musicians from abroad.

An annual tradition at FME is the Bonsound pool party which takes place in a house on the lake, just outside of the Rouyn-Noranda downtown. As the industry folks gathered, standing in the sunny pockets of the yard and sipping on Boréale beer, Duchess Says was setting up by the pool. The band played a show last night and the hype from that set was still spreading across the crowd. We were in for a treat and seriously considering taking bets on whether or not Annie-Claude Deschênes would drop into the pool during the set. Some call Duchess Says punk, but they call themselves Moog rock. What really makes the band worth seeing, however, is Deschêne’s theatrical performance. The band opened with “Negative Thoughts,” seemingly a favourite to many and a good portion of the crowd knew the lyrics word-for-word for most songs. Deschênes immediately took on her stage persona, working the crowd, touching people’s faces, throwing red berries into the audience, sharing wine, and pulling stranger’s hair. This set was undoubtedly a memorable one.

Montreal-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Geoffroy took the stage for an early set at Scène Évolu-Son later that day. Having recently released his debut album Coastline via Bonsound, Geoffroy has been gaining attention globally. The album featured a mix of percussions, guitars, analogue keyboards and synths, and woodwind instruments, some of which made it out to the show. Dimly lit by single colour light streams he worked through the album leaving the best to the end. Being an up-and-coming artist, however, he seemed a bit startled by the size of the crowd. During the second half of the show, he admitted he was only expecting 30 people while the room he was performing in was filled floor to balcony back to back, a pleasant surprise no doubt.

On a much heavier note and in high anticipation Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers took the bigger stage at Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda later that night. Riding a fine line of psychedelic and experimental rock APTBS definitely knows how to host an impressive show. The stage was lit by multi-coloured directional lights only leaving room for moving shadows. Dion Lunadon (bass) primarily stayed in the same spot, leading the vocals, while Oliver Ackermann (guitar and vocals) was cruising the stage and breaking guitars (3 in total, but I might be wrong). The whole thing felt like The Crow meets the season finale episode of Stranger Things when shit really goes South, and it was awesome.

It’s hard to pinpoint a highlight from a full weekend of shows but one often finds its way to the top. This weekend, the show that was the biggest surprise and best discovery is AeroBrasil, an electronic duo from Paris with Sidoine on drums and Vincent on electronics.

One of the outdoor stages at FME historically has been a corner of two walls built from old televisions top to bottom, a site to remember as is. AeroBrasil set up their drum set and equipment there earlier in the day but did not go on till shortly after 11 on Friday. The background music stopped, the lights lit up, and Sidoine hopped up on stage and began vigorously beating at the drums. As in many instances, the sound is much more impressive live, the volume and spread of it take you in. Their music is hard to describe, it is a mix of electronic and instrumental, drawing on retro European sound (see N. Sokolov “Safari”) and new age electronic; sometimes it reminds you of Soulwax and other times of early Air. The band is quite new and only has a self-titled EP out but have already been around Europe and made some solid impressions. Looking forward to what comes from them next.

As the weekend went on the themes kept on changing. Sunday afternoon was highlighted by performances from Kroy and Mat Vezio, both musicians relying heavily on their voices. Kroy is Camille Poliquin, you may know her as one hand of Milk & Bone. Her debut album Scavenger was in many ways a self-discovery, the sound is a mix of synth-pop melodies and lullaby trip-hop. Her inspired melancholy comes through quite clearly in the life performance as well. Joined on stage by two other musicians she gently rocked from side to side while playing keys and letting her soft yet assured voice fill the room and the neighbourhood.

Mat Vezio is a drummer to a few Quebec performers (Louis-Philippe Gingras, Dany Placard, Francis Faubert) but his solo act is all about voice and guitar. Joined by two backup singers his intimate set at a cafe down the street was a pleasant afternoon delight. It’s the kind of music you can sleep under a tree to or recover from heartbreak, which is likely how Vezio wrote his debut EP Before the Death of the Picked Flowers (Avant la mort des fleurs cueillies).

A switch to world music was made on Saturday afternoon with a performance by Afrikana Soul Sister, a quartet of multi-skilled musicians, led by Djely Tapa, who make organic-electro-afro-house (have listen to “M”). Their performance is upbeat and engaging, with band members dancing, swapping drums and spreading their contagious energy with smiles and positive vibes. Afrikana Soul Sister was a free show and drew out families and recovering concertgoers out on the street (Friday was a rough night for many), bopping and dancing in the hot hot heat, the one-time sun truly came through this weekend.

The weekend wrapped up with a set of performances on the outdoor stage, floating at the foot of Lake Kiwanis. The chilly evening and floating stage was a suiting atmosphere for Klô Pelgag (Chloé Pelletier-Gagnon), a Canadian singer-songwriter from Quebec. Pelgag came up in Quebec by performing in various contests, has been nominated, and won, a handful of emerging artist and writer awards. To her fans, she is also known for her artistic oddity: the quirky costumes, the eccentric dance moves, and the weird music videos. Pelgag’s performance on the stage was augmented by an orchestra while she floated at the centre of it, wearing a loosely shaped oversized red sweater coat.

A few other club performances took place on Sunday night but as the weekend was wearing out and the energies dwindled the evening was mostly a welcome break to bond with newly acquired friends, have drinks, and make plans for post-FME.

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Born José Louis Modabi in Kinshasa (Congo) Kwenders retained a lot of loyalty to his heritage. His most recent album, MAKANDA, is a great example of modern African music coming together with Congolese Rumba into a bouquet of postmodern pop. You’ll notice Kwenders sings on 5 different languages, but as Noisey points it out “don’t call it world music,” it is not a term he finds particularly endearing. Quite frankly, there is a lot to be said and learned about Pierre Kwenders so we figured the best way to get to know the man is through a chat.

Kateryna Topol: Hello José, how is your summer going so far?

Pierre Kwenders: Fun and busy and very exciting except for the ever-changing Montreal weather

KT: Definitely not the kindest cities in terms of weather… Do you recall the moment you decided to take up music?

PK: I remember the first time I recorded, back in the summer of 2011. It was scary to hear my own voice on recording, but from that point on I knew that I needed more of those scary moments. The song was titled “Treehouse”.

KT: You have a new album on the way, MAKANDA, how long has that been in the works?

PK: This album took two years to be done. It was definitely a new adventure full of surprises. The biggest challenge was to record a full-length album in a city far from home while still touring with the previous album. Seattle was inspiring and became my second home for the moment.

KT: The new album was produced by Shabazz Palaces’ Tendai Baba Maraire, how was that collaboration?

PK: Working with Tendai was as exciting as anyone can imagine. I’ve admired his work for such a long time and being able to collaborate with him was a dream coming true. To top it off, the connection between us was natural. We had the same vision which made the work easier.

KT: Ish also appears on the record in “Makanda” – how did this collaboration with Shabazz Palaces begin?

PK: My manager and I reached out to Tendai a few months after my first album came out. Being a fan, I’ve always dreamed of one collaboration with Shabazz Palaces. Tendai answered back and seemed to like my album. He invited us to Seattle. Got there, worked on a song. From that point, we just knew that we needed to make a record together. Having him on it was just the icing on the cake.

KT: That’s amazing! … I’ve read you draw quite a bit on your Congo roots, where else do you turn for inspiration?

PK: My family and friends have such a huge effect on my life. I believe that they’re my everyday inspiration.

KT: How has Montreal been treating you, I understand you are quite involved in that music scene?

PK: Montreal has shown me love since day 1 and I try to give back the love every time. With my collective Moonshine, we contribute to Montreal nightlife and joie de vivre. It’s all about creating good vibes, sharing good music and making memorable souvenirs.

KT: What’s next for Pierre Kwenders?

PK: Once the album’s out, I have a few tour dates in the province of Quebec and Ontario. In October, my band and I are flying to the UK to support Ibibio Sound Machine then on our own to France. More dates to come.

KT: Exciting! One of those upcoming shows is at FME, have you been before?

PK: I’ve played FME d’hiver as Pierre Kwenders, then played the summer FME with ABAKOS (my side project). It’s always a fun festival. Good vibes, good people, nothing can go wrong. I’m looking forward to present some of new songs to the public, make them dance and wave their hands in the air and act like they just don’t care.

KT: And a few quick questions: What are you listening to this week?

PK: Douk Saga (Genious of Coupé Décalé)

KT: Favorite spot to eat in Montreal?

PK:  Marché Meli-Melo (best Haitian food)

KT: Best show you ever played? 

PK: The best is yet to come

KT: Ah! All right, thank you for your time and have a great show at FME!

Photo by Neil Mota

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