Additional Information
JACO may be a latecomer to the scene, but Plan F, a deliberately self-deprecating title for his 38th birthday, could be the start of a great fireworks display. One thing’s for sure, this flamboyant late bloomer is driven by a firm determination to make a success of his Plan F. He’s obviously mastered the codes of synth-pop and knows how to write solid rhymes, and he does it in a good-natured Québécois that every French-speaking person on Earth is capable of kiffer.
His biographical profile tells us that he recorded the EP Vies et presque mort d’un chérubin in collaboration with seven classical musicians, then negotiated a pop turn with housy and dance accents at times, with a first homonymous EP (Jacques Rousseau, in 2014), then enrolled at the École nationale de la chanson de Granby.
A queer artist with a strong sense of self, JACO is a magnetic creature, as sensual as he is clever, with an eye for form and substance. Before crossing the Atlantic, as he is working hard to establish himself in the French market, JACO grants us this generous interview conducted by Alain Brunet for PAN M 360.
PAN M 360 : Hi JACO, let’s get to know each other! Why did you choose this nickname in the first place?
JACO: Actually, JACO is a bit of a nod to the past for two reasons. My legal name is Jacques. When I was young, my godmother had affectionately used the nickname Jaco in front of my father, who was rather rigid, and had rebuked her rather sternly: his name is Jacques, not Jaco. So she stopped calling me that. Then, in high school, I was bullied by a group of kids who were having fun singing Jaco… Jaco… Personally, I like the diminutive. To me, it evokes something rather candid and joyful. So, as an adult, I made it my own, and it became my most common nickname for everyone.
PAN M 360: How did you get into pop? Self-taught? Educated in music?
JACO: When I was young, I was particularly fond of this style. I used to listen religiously to 6à6 on CKOI 96.9, and my first heartbreak was with Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. We also found a letter I’d written to the “fairy godmother”, in which I told her I’d be a very popular dance singer when I grew up.
On the other hand, I’ve had the impetus to tame a number of other musical styles, with French chanson, opera and classical music (Danny Elfman, Philip Glass) being my favorites…
I studied drama after high school, but soon started singing. I had a short stint as a performer after graduating, but soon felt the need to write my own material. I collaborated with several trained musicians to bring my first song inspirations into the world together, while I was self-taught.
Then one day I realized that if I really wanted to understand my creative impulses, know how to communicate them and become master of my creation, I had to do my homework. So I went back to school at the École nationale de la chanson, and just after that, my JACO project was born.
PAN M 360: Does the song Moi define you, or is it a virtual character narrating himself? The song’s narrator is 33. How old are you?
JACO: I wrote this song at my desk at ENC. It’s a sincere testimony to the times. During the writing process, it was suggested to us that, in order to create a song with a certain impact and meaning, it’s sometimes a good idea to dare to reveal something intimate about yourself, something you’d even like to keep to yourself. So I gave voice to that part of me which, at 33 at the time, needed to get this confession out. Reminding myself to be me, to be true to who I am, to be just me (in the sense that I’m self-sufficient when I’m in my heart rather than in my ego) is something that’s still relevant today and keeps me on course.
PAN M 360: Why was the title Plan F chosen for this album?
JACO: Once again, the title is taken from the song Moi. Plan A became Plan B, then from B it went to C, D, E…F*CK, how far am I going to get in the alphabet?
So it wasn’t my plan to release my 1st album at 38, but this PLAN F is about a journey of maturation, resilience and perseverance. Today, I’m really grateful that I didn’t achieve the success I’d hoped for before. I’m happy to have matured, to have cured things. Now, I’m more focused on creating for something bigger than myself, and I’m so much better with myself.
PAN M 360: How have you made a living so far?
JACO: I’ve been a waiter in restaurants for over 10 years (the only job I’ve managed to keep, because it’s connected to people… and it’s not too routine due to the multitude of encounters). I used to be a meditation teacher. For 2 years now, my only job has been singing, and I’m fully committed to it.
PAN M 360: What are your career goals? The French keb market or the whole French-speaking world?
JACO: My main objective is to share my art on the great stages of the French-speaking world, with set designs that allow people to dream big, to feel big.
PAN M 360: Who have been your role models as a lyricist? What language are you aiming for? International joual? A mix of normative French and local language? There are influences (and quotations) from Europe, but also from QC. How do you define your own cultural identity?
JACO: In my career, Plamondon left an indelible mark on me, of course, with Starmania, then his work with Dufresne. Orelsan also spoke to me a lot, in his ability to talk about himself in a disarmingly sincere way, often with a good dose of self-mockery. He dares to say things that are usually kept to himself, to expose his shortcomings. His language is colloquial, but I find it very finely crafted.
I want to make sure that my audience understands me. Lately, my life has been oscillating between France and QC, so it’s both. I’m planning to spend most of my life in France in the next few years, so naturally I’ll be using a language that ensures I’m understood by everyone there, while remaining as natural as possible with who I am in the moment.
My identity isn’t deeply patriotic or geopolitical, it’s based more on universal values.
PAN M 360: As a musician, who has really made an impact on you? What are your most recent influences?
JACO: So many different inspirations: Mitsou, Diane Dufresne, Vigneault, Pauline Julien, Claude Léveillé, Supertramp, Juliette Gréco, The Doors, Pink Floyd, La Callas, Jane Birkin, Thomas Fersen, Joe Dassin, Dalida, Abba, Mylène Farmer, church choirs…
It’s hard for me to answer the question of who I’ve been drawing inspiration from lately, because I’m mostly in the process of doing my best to listen to what wants to live from the inside out, rich with everything that’s made up my musical baggage. I enjoy combining my love of catchy pop with my less conventional influences….
I’m not the kind of person who comes into the studio with refs of current artists and says I’d like my project to share certain sounds.
PAN M 360: As a producer/director?
JACO: Max Martin is at the helm of so many hits that I consider to be compositional gems despite the fact that they couldn’t be more mainstream, haha.
PAN M 360: What do you look for in a pop song? Balance between music and words? Pre-eminence of music?
JACO: Earworms thanks to rich melodies, which progress, emotion, a catchy rhythm too. Form and substance. Impact. I think pop is a great vehicle for bringing people together and getting messages across.
PAN M 360: Tell us about a studio session that marked this album.
JACO: Rather than one particular studio session, I’d like to say that this is an album that was made with joy and in a truly happy complicity with producer Arthur Bourdon-Durocher. We created all the arrangements together, and I couldn’t have asked for a better alliance. We laughed a lot, there was a great creative flow and a lot of playfulness. I’m really happy to be in a musical collaboration where I feel understood, capable of expressing what I want while being able to leave creative space to the other, being open while being connected to what seems right to me. In the end, when I listen to my songs, I want my inner kid to be happy, haha.
PAN M 360: Introduce us to your team and your main studio mates.
JACO: So, it was Arthur as mentioned above. Then there was Pascal Shefteshy (who just happened to be NK.F’s assistant on albums by Orelsan, Angèle, Zaho de Sagazan, etc.) With him too, super nice human connection, and a lot of laughter in a meticulous job.
PAN M 360: It’s been said that your highly dynamic shows might even trump your recordings. What do you think?
JACO: It’s quite a challenge to manage to infuse as much energy on record as on stage, when the stage is our most exalted place of expression. When I do my vocals at home (I more often than not record my solo vocals in my home studio), I gesticulate a lot, turn the sound up loud in my ears and imagine I’m singing my song to sb to recreate that feeling of self-giving, broad expression. What’s more, I want to find a way to be even more raw in my recordings, not too smooth.
PAN M 360: Who accompanies you on stage?
JACO: For my last few dates (tour in France, concert in Paris and launch in Montreal), I was solo. When you’re alone and there’s a performative aspect to your repertoire (dance, a certain theatricality) there’s an obligation to constantly be connected with the audience, in a constant dialogue, and I like this constraint. I find it brings me back to the essence of what’s important to me on stage: giving to the audience.
PAN M 360: They tell me you’re going to Europe. What else? Touring? Professional canvassing?
JACO: Actually, I’ve spent 8 months in France in the last year and a half, and then I got my talent passport, which allows me to stay for long periods. On my last visit, I did a solo concert at Les Étoiles in Paris, which was produced by TS3 (Thierry Suc, Mylène Farmer’s manager and producer of shows associated with several great artists). After seeing me on stage, they confirmed their willingness to help me get to where I want to go (the famous big stages). I particularly resonate with the French-speaking European music scene. Electro-pop projects like mine are very welcome there, and all the more contemporary artists whose work I admire can be found there.
PAN M 360: What do you hope to bring to the Keb soundscape with this album?
JACO: A good dose of positive energy, an encouragement to take full responsibility for oneself, and if I can inspire some people not to give up and pursue their dreams, I’m delighted.
