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Known for his emo-rap and rock anthems, GreenWoodz recently unveiled Malgré la tempête, his second career album, marking an assertive transition to folk-pop tinged with both new country and rap. A successful gamble for the 25-year-old artist, who shines for the authenticity of his lyrics, the sincerity of his approach and the coherence of his project.
Whether on 20e avenue, where he tackles consumerism, or on Désolé pour ça, which deals with a difficult break-up in love, Tommy Boisvert presents himself as a veritable open book. People recognize themselves in the ups and downs of his life; the storm GreenWoodz speaks of is a reality common to many, no doubt what makes his music so accessible. Listening to his songs is a bit like catching up with an old friend who’s playing his latest creations around a campfire.
One thing is certain: the art of the chorus is one of the most precious tools of the native of Mandeville, a small village in the Lanaudière region. The formula is simple but effective, giving life to catchy, guitar-driven tracks like Hôtel Saint-Charles.
Vocally, the 7th Heaven artist is more composed and melodic than usual. This acquired maturity blends perfectly with his delicate, minimalist productions. “I chose to listen to myself and make the music I wanted to make,” he says.
At the Francos on Friday, June 13, GreenWoodz will perform Malgré la tempête for the very first time at Studio TD. To purchase tickets:
A few days after the album’s release, Pan M 360 chatted about his creative process, his artistic change, his influences and much more.
PAN M 360: Just over a week ago, you released Malgré la tempête, your second career album. How are you feeling at the moment?
GREENWOODZ: I’m pleasantly surprised by the good public reaction to the album, especially as I’ve undertaken a change of direction with this project. It’s more folk and pop than what I was doing before. It’s great to see that people are coming out in droves. Right now, I’m cranked up to start putting on my show and defending my new album on stage. I love working and making music, so I’ll be working on my next project very soon.
PAN M 360: Tell me about where you come from and the origins of your passion for music.
GREENWOODZ: I come from Mandeville, a small village in the Lanaudière region. I’ve always been drawn to music. When I was young, I took dance lessons. Let’s just say I wasn’t very good!
I started listening to music at a very young age. As a teenager, music was a good escape for me. One thing led to another and I discovered rap, then emo-rap. I quickly identified with it. That’s when I started creating and releasing different projects.
PAN M 360: Judging by your lyrics, you seem to have had a busy and eventful past. Is this true?
GREENWOODZ: I wouldn’t presume to say that I’ve lived a difficult life, but let’s just say that I’ve made some rather atypical life choices. I often say that I feel like I’ve already lived several lives. I’ve been in so many different environments in my life. I think that comes across in my songs; it allows people who have lived that kind of reality to connect with my music.
PAN M 360: Are the experiences you describe in your songs something from the past or do they reflect your everyday life?
GREENWOODZ: Heavy drinking, like when I was young, left my life a while ago. I’ve always had depressive tendencies, and it’s something that still follows me. It’s something I struggle with every day. I’d say yes and no: what I say in my music still follows me.
PAN M 360: What does Malgré la tempête, the title of your new project, mean?
GREENWOODZ: Malgré la tempête, it means that the storm is kind of permanent in life. I realized that in life, you never fall into a zone where it’s absolute happiness and everything’s fine. Malgré la tempête, it’s about accepting the things you can’t change and focusing on the things you can.
PAN M 360: You spoke earlier of a change of direction for this second album. How would you describe the sound of Malgré la tempête? Is this your sound for the future?
GREENWOODZ: It’s very hybrid; it’s got rap, folk, country, rock and pop. My aim was to find my own sound. With this album, I decided that from now on, I would listen to myself and make the music I wanted to make. I decided to stop appealing to a narrative where I’m supposed to make a certain style of music. 20th Avenue is a track that helped define the direction of the album.
PAN M 360: Would you say your inspiration for this second album has changed?
GREENWOODZ: My inspirations have changed, that’s for sure. During the creation of TPL, I was greatly influenced by the punk-rock, grunge and emo-rap scene. For Malgré la tempête, I reconnected with the Quebec folk scene that’s been playing at home all my life. I’m talking about Les Cowboys Fringants, Les Colocs, Plume Latraverse and even Bernard Adamus. I’ve also immersed myself in the American new country and modern folk scene, with the likes of Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Shaboozey, Noah Kahan and others.
PAN M 360: This was the second time you’d gone through the process of creating an album. What was the biggest difference between the conception of Malgré la tempête and TPL? Also, what was the best part of this recent creation?
GREENWOODZ: TPL was the first album I’d released, so I certainly wasn’t used to working professionally at the time. Malgré la tempête was much simpler to make; it’s an album that came together on its own. The best part of the process was when my team and I rented a cottage in Charlevoix. That’s where we put together the vast majority of the project. We stayed there for a week; it was a defining week for this opus.
PAN M 360: The song Crash is one of the most authentic tracks on your latest project. Tell me the story behind the creation of this track.
GREENWOODZ: During the creation of Malgré la tempête, I was in a relationship. I hadn’t been in a relationship since my first love, and that was four years ago. Crash was the realization of all the patterns my former relationship had left behind and how they affected my daily life. It helped me understand how it could be damaging and what I needed to work on in the future.
PAN M 360: At several points in the album, you can hear sound extracts from parties and dialogues between friends. Why was it important for you to fill your album with these kinds of samples?
GREENWOODZ: In the last year, I’ve reconnected a lot with the village where I grew up. Before that, I was in a bit of a whirlwind through my relationships and music. I had drifted away from the people who had been by my side in the early days. Since the album deals a lot with this theme, I thought it would be interesting to include little nods to my friends in the project. I got them from videos I’d sent to my producer of parties with my boys.
PAN M 360: As part of the Francos, this Friday, June 13, you’ll be launching your album at Studio TD. What can we expect from this evening?
GREENWOODZ: The style of Malgré la tempête is different from my previous projects, but my show will keep the same energy as before. It’s a more folk, pop and mellow album, but it’s going to be a mean party as well. It’s going to be my biggest show ever, and I’ve got a big guest list for the occasion. I can already tell you there’ll be rappers Rymz and Shreez.
Photo Credit: Disques 7ième Ciel
