Interviews

Rachel Bobbitt’s voice carries the mastery of a trained jazz vocalist, yet remains strikingly unique. She sings from a place of truth, weaving intimate stories and memories of home. Though her new album, Swimming Towards the Sand, has yet to be released in full, the promising singles are rich in depth. Her songwriting evokes powerful visual scenery, supported by production meticulously decorated with chopped vocal samples, expansive synths, and guitar tones reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins, blending folk and jazz into a singular sound. She will be taking the stage for Pop Montréal, where she and her band will weave out the emotional core of this new material. As one of Canada’s most promising musicians amid the rising popularity of folk, this is a show not to miss. In this interview, Bobbitt talks to us about her influences, her memories of her grandfather, and the trust she shares with her band.

PAN M 360: After seven years in Toronto, how do you now remember growing up in Nova Scotia?

Rachel Bobbitt: I remember it very fondly. I think especially because all of my extended family is also in Nova Scotia, a lot of my memories of being young there are at my grandparents’ house, or at the lake, or swimming in the ocean. I would eat dulse, which is essentially seaweed that you dry on rocks. It doesn’t sound very good, but when I was eight it was the best thing ever.

PAN M 360: Speaking about family, you mentioned that your grandparents are an important influence in your music, and that your grandfather was also a musician. Are there any songs or melodies that you still carry from his memory?

Rachel Bobbitt: Yeah, there is. I mean, he was the kind of musician that never took a lesson in his life but could just pick up any instrument and play it. He would play “You Are My Sunshine” all the time, and he knew that one on accordion, on piano, and on guitar. He loved Hank Snow—who I believe is also from Nova Scotia—and other old country artists like Hank Williams and the Carter Family. So that type of music will always kind of take me back to his playing, his singing, and his musicality in general. It was very casual, very off the cuff. It’s funny because I’m not sure if he would even consider himself a musician. I think music for him was just a natural form of expression. He didn’t see it as, “I am a musician”; it was just like, “well, there’s people gathered and we might as well have music.” But yeah, a lot of those older country artists remind me of him.

PAN M 360: Did you ever have a chance, apart from singing along, to maybe play some of the instruments with him, even if you were very young?

Rachel Bobbitt: Yeah, totally. I remember… well, he was also the type of musician that would just bang on anything he was playing. He was a very loud musician. When my sister and I were both kind of learning how to play the guitar, we would play with him. He was so proud and supportive, but I just remember his advice was always like, “really giver ‘er.” So I think whenever we played with him, that was the wisdom he imparted onto us: to just really get in there and give it all of your energy and all of your attention. I have not learned the accordion, but I really want to. So that’s kind of on the docket for the next year or so.

PAN M 360: So let’s talk about production, because your album is right now being released. It’s a really beautiful album; I was listening to it all morning, and it was very pleasant, very touching. What I noticed is your songs carry this feeling of intimacy. It’s very personal, talking about your family, for example. How does it work out in the studio when you’re working with producers and bandmates? How do you manage the delegation and trust while still protecting that sensitive integrity?

Rachel Bobbitt: Yeah, I think honestly, for me, it’s just being really particular about who I work with and who I record with. The core band that I’ve worked with, it’s been that band since I was in second year of university, so it’s been six years now. They’re the people that I trust so deeply, and I trust them as human beings. So it’s like a perfect mix. With them, I can give them a song and say, “make it your own and play how you would hear your own parts to be sounding,” and they will create something I love because I love them as musicians, and I trust their instincts. Also, anytime there’s a song, or maybe a part of a song that’s a little more personal or intimate, I just know them so deeply. We’ve toured together, we’ve spent weeks on end with each other, and I think we just know each other so well that they know how to navigate that really respectfully. They’re very adept at asking questions if needed, and kind of just stepping back if needed, as well. They’re all very humble and amazing. I’m lucky that I work with the people I do, that I don’t have to think about that too much. I also think, you know, Justice, who plays guitar, and Isaac, who plays bass and triggers certain samples—they are so much better at their instruments than I am. So to me, I’m like: “whatever you come up with for the live context will be better than what I could imagine.”

PAN M 360: So you’ll be working with your band when you’re preparing a live show, and when you’re writing your songs, it’s just by yourself?

Rachel Bobbitt: Yes.

PAN M 360: When you’re writing on your own, how do you decide if a song is finished?

Rachel Bobbitt: I’m the type of songwriter where I produce as I go in terms of demos. So I use Ableton, and I try to make it sound as much like the finalized version of what I envision it may sound like down the line, with proper mixing and proper recording and all that stuff. I try to get it as close to that as possible. So I’m adding a bunch of different parts: drum loops, recording all the layers, doing all the overdubs. I’m really spending a lot of time in the recording world because sometimes I feel like I can get a little bit free about just throwing stuff out if I don’t love it immediately. So I think it’s been important to me to see a song through as much as I can and really give it a chance, and take it to the natural end zone where I’ve created the world I want it to live in. If at that point it’s still not grabbing me, and it’s still not something that I feel drawn to, then maybe I either toss it out, or I keep poking at it and try to adapt it with different instrumentation. But at a certain point, just for my peace of mind, I have to see it as, this isn’t me saying it’s done and it’s perfect. This is just where I feel I have naturally ended my relationship with the song, and I’m releasing this version of it. Maybe in another world, there would be 10 different versions of it, but right now in this world, this is what I’m releasing.

PAN M 360: Well, that brings up a bunch of new questions, but going back to playing this music live. Because I didn’t know that you actually did the production beforehand and worked on the drums and everything—it’s impressive. I’m sure there was a lot of work done with Chris in LA, but the production of the latest album is grand, precise, dynamic, and rich. So how do you go about arranging the songs with your band when you’re going to play live? Are you aiming for the same preciseness as you do in the studio?

Rachel Bobbitt: I think about that question a lot, and I’ve definitely found that to be something I labor over. The way that I’m approaching it now with the band is trying to find the emotional core of every song and letting that spread outward. So, there are some songs where I feel like there are synth lines that really carry a lot of the emotion, and so that will be important to add to the live show. Or maybe there are samples that come in at a certain point that carry the emotional center of the song, so we’ll add those to be triggered. But then maybe there are certain elements that are less important or can be adapted differently; maybe synth parts can be played by the guitar or vice versa. I think just returning to the emotional message and using that as the guiding light is the only way I can maintain a sense of direction.

PAN M 360: So I’m curious to know about some of your influences. You mentioned in an interview that Leonard Cohen was a big influence for the airy backup vocals, and there’s a bit of that feeling in the album. But there are also hints of Americana, and vocals that remind me of Jessica Pratt, Lomelda, and Big Thief. So, were there any influences that you intentionally brought to the studio with you?

Rachel Bobbitt: You mentioned Jessica Pratt; she was definitely an influence. Actually, at the time we were recording the album, maybe a month or two prior, she had come out with Here in the Pitch. With Justice, who came with me to LA to record the instruments, we would just drive around and listen to that album constantly. So that was a huge influence; I love the way that album is mixed, and I love her voice—it’s so haunting and beautiful. That was definitely a big influence. Beach House is a big influence on the record, especially with Chris having worked on some of my favorite albums of theirs. That was a common touchstone for both of us. Yola Tango was a big influence for some of the percussion and dreamier aspects. I was also listening to a lot of Sharon Van Etten at the time; her vocals are very forward and powerful in a way I loved. Also, Imogen Heap—her harmonies are just really beautiful, and how expressive her voice is, is really beautiful. So yeah, kind of a bunch of different influences running the gamut.

PAN M 360: It’s great hearing all of this after listening to the album. Super inspiring. I hope that people will also be just as excited to listen. As a final question: if you could play on the same bill with an artist that’s alive today, who would it be?

Rachel Bobbitt: Oh, it’s so hard. It would probably be The National. I just love their music so much, and I feel like it’s kind of selfish because I want to see their live show so bad—I’ve never seen them live. It’s been on my bucket list for a long time; next time they come to Toronto, I’m going to be there. But yeah, I just feel like their music is so completely beautiful, in the same way that Bon Iver’s music really moves me. So honestly, either of those two would be on my bucket list of people to open for.

PAN M 360: Well, it’s great music and I have no doubt we’ll be hearing more from you. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I’m looking forward to seeing the show!

As Rachel Bobbitt prepares to share her complete musical vision, the anticipation for Swimming Towards the Sand continues to build. The album’s themes of home, memory, and trusted collaboration are sure to resonate deeply in a live setting. If you missed POP Montréal, Toronto fans can witness this convergence on October 17th at the Monarch Tavern.

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The American singer-songwriter and producer cultivates dense atmospheres and a changeable mood that has led her to collaborate with Dean Hurley (David Lynch’s collaborator), J.G Thirlwell (pioneer of experimental industrial music), M83, and Former Ghosts. Invoking electro-gothic spirits for nearly 20 years, she draws inspiration from pop, lo-fi, and cold wave, in a perpetual desire for renewal and artistic curiosity. To learn more about her journey, I spoke briefly with this unconventional artist, who wants to bring her own universe to life.

Zola Jesus is on stage Thursday September 25, Sala Rossa, 8PM

PAN M 360 : Coming from classical training, you started crafting a musical journey of avant-garde pop. What draws you to these unconventional and often dark soundscapes?

Zola Jesus : That’s a good question because I would like to know as well! (haha). It’s a question I’ve been asking myself for a long time. It’s not on purpose, that’s for sure! I’m just drowning in the depths of the darkness in a sense, it’s always been that way.I think there is just a need in me to understand the unseen parts of myself, and that comes through my music. Sometimes I try to be “not so interested” in these things, because they can be isolating or alienating, but I just can’t help myself, so I always come back to it.

PAN M 360: You appeared with lo-fi quality vibe albums (The Spoils, etc), showcasing your powerful voice, with time evolving toward a more polished sound (Taiga, etc). You can go everywhere and anywhere with your production, from opera to electro, you are always seeking something different it seems. What fuels you to go in a new direction?  

Zola Jesus : Maybe I get bored very easily! (haha). When I make an album, I really mind the caves of that experience, of that sound, that atmosphere. And so, when I make a new record, I almost want to do the opposite. I did the darkness… What if I make things very clear and clean? And then I get bored of that also so I’m like : “OK, I want to play with textures now!.” It’s basically just evolving from one extreme to the next.
PAN M 360 : What are you wanting to experiment, musically within these everchanging directions?How does this exploration of the extremes impact your art?

Zola Jesus : Well it keeps me really hungry because if I keep on making the same things over and over it starts to feel kind of stale…then I go, “this is easy for me, I can do this.” When I go in another direction, it’s a challenge for me as I have to learn a whole new way of making music and a whole new way of expressing myself, a whole new palette that I am unfamiliar with. It’s keeping me on my toes, keeping me curious. I like to challenge myself and go out of my comfort zone.


PAN M 360 : You are very passionate about visual arts and their imbrication within your pieces, what binds the two together for you?

Zola Jesus : For me, I always feel like I’m creating sound for a space, so sound can not exist in a vacuum. And especially my training in opera, which is an acoustic way of singing, you need space to be heard so for me the space is very important. What does that space look like, sounds like, smells like? How do you feel when you are inside of it? And so when I create music I’m creating music for a space, whether it’s just an atmosphere or an image or even a building (haha). It could be anything. There’s always something visual, immersive attached to the sound. For example on Arkhon, it felt very much like being in a cave, in an ancient prehistoric cave. Each of the songs kind of explored their landscapes in their own way.
PAN M 360 : You are particularly engaged with societal, spiritual and emotional topics, particularly on Arkhon. Is it part of your journey to try to help/heal listeners?
Zola Jesus : Yeah it’s strange because this was never an intention originally but I think that by nature, my music is very soulful, it’s about feelings. There’s also this feeling of wanting to connect with others. I’m a really big introvert so I always feel like connecting with people, while it also comes very naturally to me can also be a challenge. So to me, it is also my way to connect to the universe, to this humanity who connects us all, even to total strangers. That’s why I love music, you get to have a conversation with the world, with humanity and I do feel there’s also this “empathic” quality to my music. I wanna hold space that I am going through but also connect that to universal struggles and experiences.
PAN M 360 : What are your main artistic inspirations ? Do you find other artists who you resonate with, on a similar path ?
Zola Jesus : I love Maria Callas, she’s one of my greatest idols. Just her dedication to her art is really inspiring to me. Marina Abromovitch, a performance artist, and the way she distills her own experiences and her culture as well as pushing up against her comfort zone makes her art very inspiring to me as well. Musically, I would say one of my heroes is Diamanda Galas, who was very uncompromising and who has created her own universe with her music : there’s no one else like her.
PAN M 360 : What are you looking for in your collaborations? I know the Canadian Joanne Pollock is someone you like to go back to?
Zola Jesus : I like to work with people who I respect, like Joanne, and who can challenge me and put me in different contexts. That’s really fun for me because I create in a vacuum, my process is so solitary that collaborations are a way for me to grow and to try on other people’s processes and creative ideas, to find myself in these ideas.
PAN M 360 : What would you like to accomplish, within your life as a creator?
Zola Jesus : My ultimate goal is to do something like writing an opera, to be able to express all the different emotions and musical ideas that do not really fit into a pop or a rock album.  I would also like to have a show that is very audio-visual, because so far in my career I have never been able to have a big visual show, it’s always been very conservative because that’s what I can afford.
PAN M 360 : A little word for Montreal’s fans before passing by this week?

Zola Jesus : I can not wait to come back to Montreal! I actually was living there for a little bit because my husband was living there for a very long time, so I have a lot of friends in Montreal. I love it so much, if I could move there I would! Je parle un peu français…mais pas bien! (haha)

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Dan Seligman is the founder and creative director of Pop Montreal, Montreal’s premier fall music festival. He leads the team that booked the artists and bands scheduled to perform from Wednesday, September 24 to Sunday, September 29. As it does every year, PAN M 360 asked him to identify the five daily must-sees from his artistic direction. Here they are!

Mùm

The Icelandic band is definitely a must-see this Wednesday. Post-rock in the vein of Sigur Rós, but also ambient and glitchy. It should calm things down during this heated period.

Michel Pagliaro et invité.e.s

“Pag is a must-see. I’ve been interested in his more acoustic shows in recent years, where he does something more intimate. But… all his songs are hits, he’s an excellent performer, and he embodies a part of Montreal’s musical history.””Pag is a must-see. I’ve been interested in his more acoustic shows in recent years, where he does something more intimate. But… all his songs are hits, he’s an excellent performer, and he embodies a part of Montreal’s musical history.”

Anas & Itran

“A Montrealer of Moroccan origin, Anas Jellouf had applied to the festival under his stage name at the time, Sidi Blue Moon. He was supposed to open for another artist who did not show up. The group then reworked their set and played more traditional Gnawa music. The experiment continues under the name Anas & Itran, which also blends other influences such as chaabi and rai, as well as more modern sounds such as Afrobeat, funk, and trance. It’s a fusion.”

Nora Kelly

“The Nora Kelly Band hails from Mile End. The frontwoman is a talented singer, I think. She plays alt-country, with slow burners, foot stompers, but also space rock and more. She’s playing at our opening party and later at Quai des brumes.”

Thanya Iyer

I saw the launch concert for her album Tide/Tied. Indian music, Western pop, jazz, experimental pop, ethereal chamber music. Magnificent! She never stops reinventing herself, the bar keeps getting higher, Thanya Iyer is set to become a major artist on the Montreal scene.

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Honeydrip is one of Montreal’s most prominent electronic music artists and has been for many years. While her DJ sets cover a broad selection of genres and influences, her style is uniquely kinetic and translates in her own musical creations as tracks you’d like to hear between 5 and 7 am. She has been a part of the underground culture for years since her debut 10 years ago, and still makes time for this scene despite her growing international demand.

In this way, Honeydrip has made a name for herself not only by crafting a sound unique to her identity but by nurturing a community with her audience and peers. She has evolved into a powerhouse DJ and innovative live musician, but also a pioneer speaker builder as part of the woman and queer sound system MORPH, which she founded. In this interview, Honeydrip talks to us about her upcoming live performance at Making Time XXV, the importance of DIY venues and her latest musical project.

PAN M 360: You’re currently in Philadelphia at the Making Time festival. How would you describe the overall energy at Fort Mifflin right now? Were there any sets that stood out?

Honeydrip: The energy was eager! I think we were all very happy to be there and be a part of this experience. I have rarely experienced a festival like this, where I do not know where to go because the music is so good everywhere at all times. I did not get to make it to all of the sets I wanted to see, but my standouts were Aya, Conducta, and Al Wooton.

PAN M 360: For Making Time XXV at the S.A.T., you’ll be playing live, is that correct?

Honeydrip: Yes! It is fun to have had the opportunity to DJ at the Making Time festival in Philadelphia and now do a live set here in Montreal.

PAN M 360: In your last live performance at MUTEK, you dubbed the tracks, meaning you sent out the stems to effects pedals in real time. What kind of musical devices are you bringing on stage this time, and can you briefly describe what they will be doing?

Honeydrip: My live setup for this show is pretty much the same as the one I used at MUTEK: Ableton Push, a Venice mixer, and a set of pedals. I’ve been gradually integrating new material into the set, but I haven’t built an entirely new one from scratch just yet. That said, I really enjoy evolving the tracks over time as it is a way for me to reflect where I’m at musically in the moment, and share that ongoing growth with the audience.

PAN M 360: In March 2025, you posted on Instagram celebrating your 10th year as a DJ. You’ve journeyed from smooth lo-fi beats to bass music, dub, and left-field techno. Where are you now?


Honeydrip: Lately, I’ve been exploring vocals and I’m releasing a single next month that marks the beginning of this new direction. I used to sing and perform when I was younger, so revisiting that part of myself feels like reconnecting with my inner child. Even with this shift, my sound remains rooted in Caribbean sonorities.


PAN M 360: Is the music you play live and as a DJ the same music you listen to daily? What is your favourite context to listen to this music?


Honeydrip: I like many styles of music, so I alternate depending on what I feel like hearing. My favourite context to listen to the kind of music I play is either on the dancefloor or alone at home, where I can move freely. It definitely inspires movement in me.

PAN M 360: You’ve been part of Montreal’s DIY scene since the very beginning of your DJ career and are still very involved today, playing at the Parquette space on October 11. What, to you, is the importance of DIY spaces in the musical ecosystem, and do you have any ideas to ensure the scene’s longevity?


Honeydrip: I am a part of a collective called MORPH Sound System which was born out of a desire to see more women and queer folks embedded in sound system culture and through our workshops, give them the power to reclaim the technical spaces they deserve. October 11th is our first fundraiser, where we have programmed workshops, talks, music, and more. I will be performing but also presenting an interactive workshop with my friend Rían Adamian on “How to build a Speaker.”

I think Parquette is the perfect example of the power of the underground and how it is a representation of our community’s wants, needs, desires, and dreams. Through surveying and being active parts of the DIY culture, they established what Montreal needed most and created it so we are honoured to be hosting our event there. DIY and Sound System culture go hand in hand. Many people work together to achieve and the same amount of people benefit, not just those at the top. You find love, friendship, purpose, and magic (not to sound cheesy). I have no idea what the future looks like but it is worth it to keep living the special, real, and inspiring moments the DIY scene brings me.

PAN M 360: I loved reading your definition of a sound system, with the sound being the speakers and the system being the community of engineers, selectors, and audiences around the sound. With this definition in mind, what is your vision of a perfect sound system?


Honeydrip: I’ll answer this one in keywords: diverse, open source, boundary-pushing.


PAN M 360: For those who don’t know, Making Time XXV at the S.A.T. is a condensed version of the festival happening in Philadelphia, where Honeydrip played on Saturday. How did it go?

Honeydrip: It went great! I was playing at the Lot Radio Stage so my set was live streamed and will be posted soon for those who would like to rewatch it. I was invited by House of Paurro and she bought a bunch of bunny ears and distributed them to friends and people in the crowd so during my set I was wearing some bunny ears too which was fun and cute. The crowd was packed and receptive!

Photo by Felix Bonnevie

An untouchable figure in contemporary Canadian culture, renowned worldwide for four decades, Daniel Lanois could be satisfied, sticking to managing his immense reputation. That would be misunderstanding him: he prefers to continually pursue the quest for innovation and transmission that he has always followed.

A multi-instrumentalist and master producer (U2, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Neville Brothers, etc.), he is now focusing on his art. And his art is back with us to showcase his recent progress. Released in 2021, the songs from the album Heavy Sun could provide the platform for the launch of concerts that promise to be inspired in Quebec, starting with the one presented at the Palais Montcalm, this Friday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m.

Given his gigantic status, Dan Lanois could have avoided interviews, but it was quite different because the friendly conversation that follows reminds us of his humility and good nature.

Daniel Lanois : Bonjour Alain (in French)

PAN M 360 : Bonjour Daniel, ça va ? 

Daniel Lanois : Oui, tout va bien. Je suis à Toronto. (in French)

PAN M 360: Do you live in Toronto now?

Daniel Lanois: It’s a little complicated. I have a studio in Toronto, a house in Jamaica and another location in the USA.

PAN M 360: Are you in the USA a lot these days?

Daniel Lanois: I have one agenda, wherever I am: to try to reach the highest level through my music and my songs. I always hope that the content and emotion of this music can touch hearts and maybe change people’s lives a little. That’s my contribution to the world. Otherwise, I could just stay on the patio talking… But I don’t have time for the patio, I’m still trying to do the best I can.

PAN M 360: For your return to Quebec, you will be with Jim Wilson and Jermaine Holmes, a trio that excels in harmonized singing and in the execution of your excellent blend of gospel, blues, folk-rock, Americana in the Lanois style, with a touch of reggae. All in the spirit of the album Heavy Sun (2021) with a touch of Rockets (2021)?

Daniel Lanois: You took the words right out of my mouth! I’m going to drink my coffee then (laughs). There will be all that and also, I’m bringing a whole electronic set on stage that I’ll use in addition to this music played with my musicians. I’m very excited, because we do things in the studio that are fascinating but that are not usually presented on stage, not in the same way anyway. It’s more expensive to produce on tour, but I still made the decision to do it, because I want to evolve my show by spreading some of my electronic experiments.

PAN M 360: Can we find out more?

Daniel Lanois: Yes, absolutely! This gear on stage is a bit like the Jamaican dub artist Mad Professor who can work with an 8-track on stage; you have the bass, you have the beat and you add things. With my gear I can mix on the spot, but more than that, I dub I have my pre-recorded echoes, the groove is for example classic Jamaican groove, I have effects and samples to add to it in real time. I organize the echoes myself, the samples and the dubs are mine.

I take songs and present them in a distinct context. Every night, different songs are played. Sometimes the dub will express itself in a certain way and I might think, wow, I’ve never had that before! So we’ll have a little fun with the electronics.

PAN M 360: We’ve seen it again since 2022 with the albums without sung lyrics (Player, Piano, Belladonna, Goodbye to Language, The Omni Series) You’ve always been interested in electronic and instrumental music, effects pedals, echo chambers, creative studio processes. In many of your productions, for other artists as well as for yourself, there’s often this dub / ambient attitude that colors the instrumentation and the Americana expression.

Daniel Lanois: Yes, it’s an area of ​​expertise for me. It’s my devotion to this art form, so I’m very excited to bring these electronic elements to the stage. I think it will be entertaining for everyone.

And yes, it’s an important part of who I am, as you mentioned.

I dare to think of myself as an organic producer, and that goes back to the ambient production days with Eno. It’s very technological, but that doesn’t come to mind when you hear this music. 

PAN M 360: Indeed, it is part of a whole. Holistic!

Daniel Lanois: I like your word “all” because we like things that fill the whole body. I like to perpetuate what I’ve done, while also leading new experiences. Exploration occupies a large part of what I do, but you have to be intelligent, that is, not just make sounds, noises. That is, find this useful posture where everyone benefits.

PAN M 360: You can count on a very large repertoire. Recent material as a priority? For example, if you take the electronic aspect, you recently made a beautiful album based on keyboards, perhaps you could also draw from the Heavy Sun album?

Daniel Lanois: I don’t know if we should expect anything specific. In any case, I’ll also have my pedal steel guitar with me, the same one I’ve had since I was young. I love playing it! There will surely be some beautiful vocal harmonies because my musicians are really capable of them – I’m thinking, among others, of Silverado, a song I wrote for my brother.

And since I’ll be in Quebec, I’ll possibly do Jolie Louise or O Marie, une chanson de tabac. You know, these bilingual songs have made their way to the southern United States, musicians from New Orleans have done their own version of Under A Stormy Sky, which delights me and encourages me to continue in this vein.

PAN M 360: No wonder the American Deep South likes it!

Daniel Lanois: I’m actually going to Nashville very soon to join Emmylou Harris. I plan to do a version of Jimi Hendrix’s May This Be Love with her. Emmylou Harris is celebrating the album Wrecking Ball with us. Malcolm Burn is also with us on stage. We’re doing a few dates there, including the Ryman Auditorium.

PAN M 360: The repertoire is vast, wherever you are: Jamaican roots and dub, electronica and North Americana.

Daniel Lanois: I can appreciate the Americana label because I come from this North American roots music. And I take responsibility for creating music of the future. It’s a bit like what you did with journalism by deciding to move away from what you were doing before.

PAN M 360: Exactly. Age is no excuse for ceasing to change. Today, for example, recommending music is becoming more difficult than criticizing it. You have to understand where you’re going, and you stop changing when you die. You’re 72 and you’re still searching, aren’t you?

Daniel Lanois: As you rightly say, criticism comes easily to mind, but… recommending and explaining music that you believe in and that can improve someone’s life, that’s journalism at its best for me. You always have to stay imaginative. You still have to explore and think about the possibilities that are open to you. That’s why I’m still here, I guess.

PAN M 360: And, I imagine, you have to do something else in life to nourish your music.

Daniel Lanois: Yes, I have other creative activities, such as photography. I am also involved in environmental issues, such as the plastic problem. I also work on multidisciplinary projects, notably with the writer Margaret Atwood.

PAN M 360: Can we talk about a major tour that will take you to Quebec and Montreal?

Daniel Lanois: As we speak, we’ve done about ten dates in Ontario, very nice little towns by the way. We drove rather than flew, because planes didn’t go where we were going. We saw the country, the rhythms of life, the farms, the speed of the cities… And soon, it will be Quebec and Montreal.

PAN M 360: Most artists your age and stature manage their own musical legacy until their death. That’s not exactly the case for you!

Daniel Lanois: We’ve already talked about the responsibility we have for both, our legacy and our explorations. You remain a researcher, and as long as that interest remains alive within you, every day is an opportunity for a new discovery. What can we do that’s new today?

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Codes d’accès, a Quebec organization dedicated to emerging composition since 1985, opens its 2025-2026 season on Monday, September 22 at the Sala Rossa with a program built around vocal music. In the first part, soprano and composer Rebecca Gray will offer a “recital of adventurous works” for solo voice, including pieces by renowned composers (Luciano Berio and Cathy Berberian) and two of her own compositions. More specifically, Rebecca Gray’s piece WTFJane Eyre is based on her connection with Charlotte Brontë and her fictional character Jane. The Montreal-based composer (originally from Ottawa) also worked with playwright Sarah Danielle Pitman, for whom this is her first opera experience.

In the second part of the program, new works by a collective of composers and performers draw inspiration from Barbara Strozzi’s (1619-1677) Baroque vocal work Lagrime mie to express their feelings about today’s reality, four centuries later. Dialogues avec Lagrime mie brings together four composers and seven emerging performers from the Montreal scene. Through the Baroque reference, these emerging artists seek “the translation of the poetic image, the reaction, the deconstruction, even the destruction of the piece,” thus exploring “the tension between hope and despair that runs through Barbara Strozzi’s work and still resonates strongly today.”

Monday September 22nd, SALA ROSSA, 7H30 PM, TICKETS AND INFS HERE

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PROGRAM

REBECCA GRAY

Rebecca Gray “WTF Jane Eyre” for solo voice, 2019 (8’)

Luciano Berio, Sequenza III for solo voice, 1966 (8 min.)

Cathy Berberian “Stripsody” for solo voice, 1966 (7 min)

Sarah Pitman and Rebecca Gray [title to be announced] for solo voice, 2025 (8 min)

LAGRIME MIE

Lily Koslow and Jules Bastin-Fontaine “Dialogues,” acousmatic piece, 2024 (18 min.)

Tom Lachance “Perché non isfogate il fier dolore” for flute, saxophone, synthesizer, violin, viola, and cello, 2025 (10 min.)

Audréanne Filion « and so i hold myself back and swallow the cry of a darkened sobbing » pour saxophone, synthétiseurs, flûte alto et électroniques, 2025 (10’)

  • Alex Huyghebaert, flute
  • Anne-Claude Hamel-Beauchamp, violin
  • Audréanne Filion, composition and cello
  • Felix Gauthier, trumpet
  • Jules Bastin-Fontaine, composition
  • Lily Koslow, composition and synthesizer
  • Magali Gavazzi-April, viola
  • Thomas Gauthier-Lang, saxophone
  • Tom Lachance, composition

On August 28, 2025, Joseph Edgar released The Songs of Parkton Miller Vol.1, his first English-language album after more than 20 years in the business. Having grown up speaking both languages, the Acadian artist has decided to share this other side of his culture with us today. It is also a return to his roots, with country-folk-blues tones reflecting his love of music, which was rekindled by a trip to Brazil. The heart is at the forefront! There are no bossa nova percussion or warm brass instruments here, but rather a desire to return to the essence of what makes playing music so enjoyable: simplicity and emotion. We spent a few moments with him to find out more about his vision, his inspirations, and the collaborations that led to this unique album. Joseph Edgar thus paves the way for his alter ego, Parkton Miller.

PAN M 360: Who is Parkton Miller and why did you immortalize him as the album title?

Joseph Edgar: I grew up in Moncton, in a neighborhood called Parkton, on Miller Street. And since there were maybe three French-speaking families out of about forty houses, when we played outside with the neighborhood kids, I started developing my English vocabulary very early on. And now, when I was releasing an entirely English-language album, I thought, “Okay, but what would my name be in English?” I even hesitated to put Joseph Edgar aside: I felt like I needed an alter ego to give me the right to make this album, solely in English. I finally decided to take that angle with the title.

PAN M 360: What did you want to share on this album?

Joseph Edgar: At first, everything happened very spontaneously. I mean, I went to Brazil for a few weeks (haha) and every night I went to see small local shows where there were these incredible singers and musicians who were overflowing with passion for their art. And who, purely and simply, far from the media and the spotlight, made music with their hearts. When I came back from my trip, the songs appeared and they came out in English, without necessarily being guided by a specific desire to say something, but rather by the feeling of pleasure I found in playing in Brazil. There’s also a synchronicity in that, for personal reasons, I’ve been spending a lot more time in New Brunswick lately, and I find myself launching this album, inspired by my roots in Moncton, while I’m back at my family home. At the end of the creative process, I realized that it was really an album about going back to my roots.

PAN M 360: I listened to it and I really like it! There’s a feeling of intimacy and closeness on the album that makes it all the more authentic. How did the recording go at home, where we sometimes hear sounds in the background?

Joseph Edgar: It came together really naively. I was recording in my living room, getting inspiration on my balcony, and tracking, sometimes in the middle of the night, haha, on a small guitar that didn’t sound too loud so as not to wake up my girlfriend (haha). It was a really intimate and quiet process, and we thought it would be interesting to let the listener experience that closeness.

PAN M 360: How did the album’s production go with your collaborators?

Joseph Edgar: Well, after the “all by myself at home” phase (no one knew I was doing this), I came out of my creative space and sent the demos to Ben Bouchard. And then to Jo, Jo Laf, and Sunny Duval, because I could see myself doing these songs with them. At first, I wanted us to go into the studio and redo it and apply for a grant and all the usual stuff, but everyone was like, “Wow, these demos are really effective, we should get together and polish them up as is right now because otherwise time will pass and you’ll start second-guessing yourself” (they know me well, haha!). Since the essence was already there and the emotion was already coming through, we didn’t want to make the mistake of overproducing and distorting the songs. In the end, this album was a translation of the vibe I had witnessed in Brazil: making music from the heart with a stripped-down approach, close to its original spirit.

PAN M 360: Tell us a little about your collaborators, Benoit Bouchard and Sunny Duval, Jocelyn Gagné, and Jonathan Lafrance.

Joseph Edgar: I met Jocelyn Gagné in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2010 through the Breastfeeders, of which Sunny was also a member. Jocelyn and I really hit it off, and shortly after, he contacted me to say I should come to Montreal to make an album. I went, we made demos for what became the album Interstice—he was the producer—and that’s when we became best friends, brothers. I love him dearly, he’s become my #1 partner in crime in Montreal, both personally and musically. As for Sunny, we get together whenever we can, here and there, on projects when we have the chance. He’s another one of my go-to guys. Then there’s Benoit Bouchard. Since 2018, I think, he’s been mixing all my albums and helping with the arrangements. Finally, Jo is my boy, my drummer for the past 6-7 years and a true friend as well. These are all people I can count on, who have seen me crash, get back up, etc.! They are really the people I share the most with, the ones I confide in the most: my musical family!

PAN M 360: There’s a definite return to country-folk roots here. Was that something you wanted to do at this point in time, or did it develop over time?

Joseph Edgar: Seven songs came to me when I got back from my trip, and then I remembered that there were two songs I had recorded a few years ago and put away in a drawer, waiting for the right moment to release them. Sometimes songs come to you while you’re writing, and you flush them because it’s not the right time! I’d also had the experience of putting an English song on a French album in the past, and I didn’t think it fit, so this time I really wanted to group them together and present them as a collection.

PAN M 360: Does writing in English come as easily to you as writing in French?

Joseph Edgar: It’s important for me to work in French and to be one of those who defend the French language in a minority environment, but at some point, I’ve released eight albums and several EPs, all in French… I told myself that I now had the right to make an album in English, since English is also part of my identity and my expression. I gave myself a freedom that I hadn’t given myself before. In the end, it’s the song that decides which language it will use to express itself, and that’s really what guides me.

PAN M 360: This is your ninth album. Has the process evolved for you over time? Do you have a different perspective on it now?

Joseph Edgar: I think that sometimes you can end up feeling a bit “stuck” with the pressure from labels. The industry has changed a lot, network marketing… On a personal level, we try to do what we want anyway, but there are often constraints. And with this album, I’m really going back to why I started making music 20 years ago… if not 30 years ago with my first band, 0 Degrees Celsius, in the 90s. It’s directly related to the vibe of authenticity that I felt in Brazil, which brought me back to why I started making music. And so there’s a kind of resistance because I did it in exactly the opposite way to how you’re supposed to do it (haha): I did it independently through my production company Cris du Goéland. The cover is from my personal archive and I released the album without any fanfare, letting it gently sink into people’s ears.

PAN M 360: Where did the album artwork, which you mentioned earlier, come from?

Joseph Edgar: This is a photo that was taken of me spontaneously, on my way back from L’Espace Public in Hochelaga, in the middle of the night, by my friend Lili de Grâce. It was during the “blood red moon” in February when I had just arrived from Brazil and was walking back home, so it captures the precise moment of that contrast upon my return. It’s a real photo of me, where, once again, we are close to the essential.

PAN M 360: What are you cooking up next? Where can we catch you performing soon?

Joseph Edgar: In recent weeks, I’ve been playing a lot in the Moncton area, but I’m traveling around a bit this fall, to Rimouski, Edmundston, whether it’s with a band or in more intimate solo shows, which I really enjoy doing! As for new songs, well, there are two dormant songs that I put on this album, but I have plenty more (haha)! Also, naming this album Vol. 1 opens the door for me to develop in that direction. Now I have an avenue for those songs. I like to let things happen, I don’t “chase” songs… I’m always surprised and filled with gratitude when they appear, but it certainly won’t be long before I get back to it. Even if, for the moment, I’m letting this album settle and take its place.

Hermeto Pascoal, who passed away on Saturday, September 13, at the age of 89, is now considered an absolute genius of Brazilian music, with the Montreal National Jazz Orchestra (ONJ) dedicating a full program for big band jazz to him on Thursday, September 18, under the direction of his former collaborator Jovino Santos Neto. Paradoxically, his passing could help to make him better known and introduce him to the pantheon of the greatest musicians of our time. In any case, PAN M 360 is working on it!

From a compositional point of view, his body of work is so vast that it surpasses all of his most famous Brazilian contemporaries, predecessors, and successors, with the possible exception of composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959). Let us state here that Hermeto Pascoal is musically superior to Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Marcos Valle, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Chico Science, Tom Zé, Edu Lobo, Eumir Deodato, Joao Donato, Suba, Joyce Moreno, and others.

Frowning? Good for you! Listen to his music instead, an immersion that could last for months. Let’s make it even thicker: this body of work is as considerable, diverse, and substantial as those of Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Wayne Shorter, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington.

Absolutely unclassifiable, Hermeto was mistakenly associated with jazz fusion because he was once invited, along with his frontline musicians, percussionist Airto Moreira and singer Flora Purim, to participate in the recording sessions for Miles Davis’ album Live-Evil. After that, Flora and Airto were recruited to the famous American group Return to Forever, led by the late Chick Corea, and Hermeto Pascoal returned to his laboratory.

Listening to his music over time, we conclude that he is not exactly a jazz musician, but nevertheless one of the most astute improvisers, coupled with one of the most brilliant contemporary composers in the southern hemisphere.

His creative materials were countless: modern jazz, traditional indigenous or Afro-Brazilian music, samba, bossa nova, musica popular brasileira, noise music, early beatboxing, instrument invention, free improvisation, tonal, modal, atonal, serial, acoustic, electric, and electronic music, to name a few. Nothing escaped him since his modest beginnings as a quasi-traditional accordionist.

An unparalleled multi-instrumentalist, this super-virtuoso has never sought fame, but rather the total freedom of exuberant, downright brilliant expression.

This Thursday at the Cinquième Salle at the PdA, we will be treated to just a tiny fragment of his mind-blowing repertoire, this time composed for big band under the direction of Jovino Santos Neto, whom we contacted as soon as he arrived in Montreal.

PAN M 360: Jovino, you are from Rio de Janeiro, but you have lived in Montreal. Tell us about your journey from Brazil to North America.

Jovino: Before devoting myself entirely to music, I was a biologist. I first studied biology at university in Rio when I was 18, and then I ended up in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue at McDonald College, where a friend’s brother was studying. So I was in Quebec from 1974 to 1977. That was 50 years ago!

PAN M 360: You subsequently became a musician. In fact, you were already a musician at the same time and you chose music.

Jovino: Even in Montreal, I played keyboards in a local band with whom I played keyboards during my stay. We were influenced by Weather Report, Gentle Giant, jazz rock, and prog.

PAN M 360: How did you join Hermeto Pascoal’s group after leaving Quebec?

Jovino: I returned to Rio to continue my biology studies and my research on the forest. I was supposed to join the Amazon Research Institute in Manaus. So I was in Rio to obtain financial support for my scientific work. That’s when I met Hermeto because he was my parents’ neighbor in the Jabour neighborhood—he had moved there after living in the Northeast, originally from Lagoa da Canoa, then residing in Recife.

One day, I took a chance and knocked on his door to say hello and tell him how much I admired his work. His wife answered and introduced me to him. He was alone in his rehearsal room, playing the electric piano. Without hearing me play, he invited me to play with him the following Friday because he needed a keyboardist so he could play more flute and saxophone. I said okay, but I couldn’t always be there because I had to continue my biology studies. He said, “No problem, you play with me for the next concert, then you can leave…” Fifteen years later, I was still there! Yes, I had passed my exam, I had been offered a job in Manaus, and I had said no, thank you, I’d rather stay and play with this crazy albino!

PAN M 360: What was it like working with him?

Jovino: It was a daily rehearsal routine: five days a week, six hours a day. We were always there rehearsing at Hermeto’s house, and he never stopped writing for us. He was an inexhaustible source; the water never stopped flowing from the rock. It was like that for a good ten years. Hermeto didn’t rehearse with us during rehearsals, it must be said.

He composed constantly, sometimes while watching a soccer game on TV, with a cavaquinho slung over his shoulder. We toured all over the world with this group, a lot in Brazil. I was in the group from 1977 to 1992, after which I worked with him occasionally on special projects. When he came to Montreal in 1987 for the jazz festival, I was in the group and accompanied him to his interviews to serve as his interpreter.

PAN M 360: Oh, really?!! I interviewed Hermeto back then, so you were the one translating!!!

Jovino: That’s right!

PAN M 360: Wow! And what did you do after your long stint with Hermeto?

Jovino: I composed and played for Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, among others, as well as for American musicians. Thirty-two years ago, I moved to Seattle in the United States, where I still live. I spent a good part of my career teaching there, in addition to playing and composing. Today, I am a freelance musician. I have nevertheless remained the archivist of Hermeto’s work, which is so considerable and yet still little known. We only know a fraction of it!

In a generation or two, the music world will recognize his genius. He has worked in all kinds of orchestral configurations, instrumentations, and stylistic contexts. Everything Hermeto has accomplished will survive the ages. Today, we are still too close to the mountain; we will need distance to grasp its magnitude.

PAN M 360: How do you explain the relative obscurity of such a giant in the music world?

Jovino: Hermeto never stopped being creative. He gave us the example of Herbie Hancock, who, according to him, was a fantastic musician who had had a lot of success with certain songs, but then became a prisoner to them. Because his audience still keeps asking for them. Hermeto used to say that he would never have those big hits that would become his prison. He dreaded the obligation to play his hits over and over again and stop innovating. And this was always in connection with nature. Hermeto was the most fervent environmentalist of all the musicians I have known.

PAN M 360: So in Montreal this Thursday, we’ll have some very jazzy lighting from the master.

Jovino: Yes. What we are going to do with the ONJ at the Cinquième Salle at Place des Arts is only a tiny part of his work. I don’t think he was a jazz musician; he himself described his music as universal. That said, we will be working with five saxophones, five trumpets, five trombones, piano, bass, drums, percussion, guitar, and keyboard. I will be the conductor and may also play a solo piano piece in tribute to the master who has just left us.

PAN M 360: This synchronicity is incredible. The first time we play Hermeto’s music in Montreal in ages, and he dies just before the concert.

Jovino: Yes! And everywhere Hermeto Pascoal is known, people do the wave in his memory. We need his music so much in this terrible global context, to correct the vibration.

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The saxophone quartet Quasar continues its international collaborations by joining forces with the Zukan Trio, originally from the Spanish Basque Country. This Thursday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m., in the Espace Orange at the Wilder. Quasar thus launches its Montreal season for the 2025-2026 season, co-broadcast with Le Vivier. After a successful first meeting held in 2021 (Quebec-Basque Country), Quasar reunites with the Zukan Trio (percussion, accordion and txistu) as part of the Chambre d’écoute program. This program offers “an in-depth encounter of new Quebec and Basque music in a unique and immersive concert.” Marie-Chantal Leclair, soprano saxophonist and artistic director of Quasar, tells us more.

PAN M 360: Tell us about your relationship with the Zukan Trio:

Marie-Chantal Leclair: I met Trio Zukan during a mission organized by CALQ in 2019 in the Spanish Basque Country. Trio Zukan established itself as our natural interlocutor. Like us, this ensemble is completely dedicated to contemporary music and more specifically to the development of the repertoire and sound exploration. Our first concert brought us together in the fall of 2022. We had to stick to this project to welcome international guests and to travel abroad in a time full of constraints and uncertainties where the borders had just reopened. But it was worth it. The chemistry worked and the mayonnaise took between the two ensembles and we wanted it to continue! Trio Zukan has a very strong stage presence and an intensity of playing that combines perfectly with that of Quasar.

PAN M 360: Can we identify the Spanish Basque identity of this trio through the works they perform on stage or in the studio?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: The instrumentation of the Zukan Trio is deeply linked to Basque identity, as it includes a txistu. This is a traditional instrument that is a flute played with one hand, the other hand being used to strike a small drum. This instrument is a symbol of Basque cultural identity. It is of course used for traditional music, but also now in contemporary music, particularly under the leadership of Zukan. So Basque cultural identity is at the heart of the trio but completely transcended in its music.

PAN M 360: More specifically, how is this identity manifested in the works on the program, by Miguel Matamoro and Ramon Lazkano?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Identity in music is very difficult to define and we can quickly fall into clichés. I would simply say that in parallel with this desire to assert the identity of the Spanish Basque Country, there is in the field of music an artistic freedom that transcends identity. If we return to txistu, it is a beautiful image, because, yes, there is a reminder of the roots, but one that unfolds in modernity and that dialogues with the rest of the world.

PAN M 360: The opening concert will feature the work Chambre d’écoute 2 by Quebec composer Chantale Laplante, which lends its title to the concert, as an international premiere. What justifies the choice of this work by Chantale Laplante and how does it fit into this program?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: I’ve been wanting to work with Chantale for a long time and have been following her work. I admire her listening skills, the refinement of her materials, and how she sculpts sound in space and time. The work she’s presenting is a concert-installation type. This work has profoundly influenced my perception and approach to the other works in the program. And I think it will be the same for the audience. In Chantal’s words, she has imagined “an all-encompassing and dynamic listening device for our listening bodies.” I can’t wait!

PAN M 360: The same goes for the works of Émilie Girard-Charest, whose instrumentation also includes the accordion and the txistu, “traditional” instruments?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: Émilie is a close composer who has been close to Quasar for several years. We have presented her quartet, Bestiaire, around the world. During our first collaboration with Zukan in 2021, we commissioned a work from her for our two ensembles. The members of Zukan were thrilled by Émilie’s work and decided to commission a trio from her, which we will have the opportunity to discover at the concert. You mention the accordion as a traditional instrument, and yes, it is. However, in Europe it is also a “classical” instrument that is very common in contemporary music.

PAN M 360: Several orchestral configurations are planned. Explain them to us!

Marie-Chantal Leclair: The audience will be treated to a wide range of configurations and therefore a great variety of colors and through the play of combinations and orchestration. Works will be presented in quintet (4 saxophones and accordion) with electronics, saxophone quartet, trio (percussion, txistu, accordion) and septet (Quasar-Zukan).

PAN M 360: Roughly speaking, what will be the next steps in your 2025-26 season, which we will be specifically looking at throughout the season?

Marie-Chantal Leclair: The major projects for the season revolve around a music-dance production in partnership with Mexico and the 10th edition of the Electro Series. In both cases, creative residencies bringing together composers and performers will take place in the fall. We are talking about nine new works written by composers from Quebec, Canada, and abroad. We will also have the opportunity to perform our concert “Cinq pièces liquide, Hommage à Vivier” as part of the Conseil des arts de Montréal en tour. Finally, we will be touring various Canadian provinces in the winter of 2026.

INFO AND TICKETS HERE

Program

  • Chantale Laplante: Chambre d’écoute 2 , 2025 pour quatuor de saxophones SATB, accordéon et électronique  – création
  • Miguel Matamoro: Concerto Grosso , 2021 (**Commande par Trio Zukan) pour quatuor de saxophones (SATB), percussions, accordéon, txistu
  • Émilie Girard-Charest: Artefaktuak , 2024 (Création canadienne) pour percussions, accordéon et txistu
  • Ramon Lazkano: Jalkin , 2012 (Création canadienne) pour quatuor de saxophones SATB
  • Émilie Girard-Charest: Quantum Statistical Zero-Knowledge , 2021 (**Commande de Quasar) pour quatuor de saxophones (SATB), percussions, accordéon, txistu

Artists

The SAT and Making Time, a popular niche festival in Philadelphia, are joining forces to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this event, which will be held this weekend in Philly. The Montreal edition will take place from Saturday, September 27 at 10 p.m. to Sunday, September 28 at 6 a.m.

Over the past few years, Making Time has presented a number of events at the SAT, but this upcoming one promises to be much more ambitious. A dozen internationally renowned artists and other local discoveries will take over the SAT’s three floors. 

More specifically, we will be treated to performances by Ireland’s Maria Somerville (shoegaze), DJ Python, James K (deep house, Latin electro), Djrum (avant-garde, contemporary classical), Britain’s aya (multi-genre electro) and America’s Dave P (multi-genre), founder of Making Time. They will perform on the ground floor. Afro-British artist SHERELLE (footwork, ghetto-tech, gabber, etc.), Montreal artist Honeydrip (dub, dancehall, dubstep), and local duo Zillas on Acid (death disco, dub, etc.) will present their sets under the dome. In addition, a new lounge area will be set up on the second floor, where local artists CPR Annie, URA, and Myfanwy will perform.

In a spirit of collegiality. This program was designed by Dave P, the American mastermind behind Making Time, and Alexandre Auché, co-founder of PAN M 360 and senior member of the SAT, to whom we owe this program, which is intended as a celebration of its own eclecticism: shoegaze, electro, hip-hop, and cutting-edge techno.

To learn more and prepare for this entire night of Making Time, PAN M 360 spoke with Alexandre Auché. 

photo: Alex Auché & Dave P

PAN M 360: Making Time, then. What led you to do this project? Tell me about the origins of your relationship with Making Time.

Alexandre Auché: Dave P has been the artistic director of Making Time events in Philadelphia for 25 years.

PAN M 360: How did you meet Dave P?

Alexandre Auché: I met him through friends on tour; I’m involved in much the same music scene as him. We bumped into each other several times in Barcelona, we saw each other in New York, we even saw each other at Coachella, and I ended up attending his festival in Philadelphia. I consider him a very good friend and I think he has great taste in music. For 25 years, Dave P has been hosting these kinds of events combining live rock and DJs; he’s always had a culture of mixing things up. Since his events in Philadelphia are so successful, there are a lot of artists I’ve booked in Montreal that he’s been able to book in Philadelphia.

PAN M 360: Making Time is a signature, then.

Alexandre Auché: Yes, Dave P decided to turn it into a festival three years ago. Before that, it was more of a series of events that he organized in clubs under the banner Making Time. It was even a radio show. He decided to create all this for his own enjoyment, to create the festival of his dreams, especially in North America where it’s more difficult to get this kind of lineup. It’s similar to Sonar or Primavera Sound, but without the scale.

PAN M 360: An American festival inspired by Europe, then?

Alexandre Auché: You could say that, but… David P’s idea was to bring all his favorite artists together in a rather magical location, Fort Mifflin, situated on the banks of a river, very close to Philadelphia airport. A magical, magnificent location. There are vaulted stone rooms inside and wetlands around it. In addition to the outdoor stages, the Making Time festival has set up a 200-seat experimental lounge, visual art installations, restaurant areas, natural wine bars, cocktail bars, and more.

PAN M 360: So, it inspired you, and ultimately you decided to create a Montreal counterpart, is that right?

Alexandre Auché: David P and I had worked together on three events prior to this one. I first invited them to participate in a project under the dome in February 2023. There was Dave P, Priori, and Claire Rousay, an experimental folk musician. It was a great mix. After that, I invited Dave P for New Year’s Eve while the SAT was undergoing renovations, and then he came back last year as a DJ. We talked about a bigger event at the SAT, a sort of mini-festival whose goal was to recreate the atmosphere of the Philadelphia festival at the SAT.

PAN M 360 : Comment reproduire à Montréal l’ambiance du Making Time de Philadelphie?

Alexandre Auché : Ce qu’on a gardé de Philadelphie, c’est l’esprit de plusieurs salles avec des ambiances complémentaires : l’espace SAT au rez-de-chaussée, le dôme, et on va ouvrir aussi notre espace galerie SAT en tant que lounge avec installation vidéo, éclairages et fauteuils. Pour l’occasion, l’habillage visuel de la SAT sera assuré par Klip Collective, en collaboration avec Bloom studio. Klip Collective est une part très importante de Making Time à Philadelphie, ayant fait toutes les installations vidéo/éclairages du festival, tant sur les scènes extérieures que dans les salles du fort. C’est une partie super importante de l’événement. Pour adapter l’événement à la SAT, Klip Collective fera donc une collaboration avec Bloom Studio. 

PAN M 360: What do you consider to be your best catches? M

Alexandre Auché: I would say all of them, actually. I know it sounds a bit generic, but I’m really proud of this lineup. We had the opportunity to select quite a few different artists. We kept the cream of the crop from what was offered to us. We were very selective, so we’re very proud to have each artist. And that’s what’s great about it. The idea was really to mix genres. Not to be uniform. We’re not doing a techno night, we didn’t do a drum & bass night. We’re not doing a shoegaze rock night. We did all of that at the same time.

PAN M 360: Some examples?

Alexandre Auché: Maria Somerville has turned everyone’s world upside down. It’s a bit like the shoegaze revival, with everything that goes with it, everything we loved about that English scene back in the day. Luster, her new album, has received rave reviews internationally, as has James K on the deep house side. Friend is a magnificent album. Aya is coming with a completely crazy live set! I’m not going to compare her to Arca, but there’s something about her… Djrum is one of the most interesting artists in electronic music, mixing jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, and even experimental contemporary music. He’s capable of creating dancefloor hits as well as very sophisticated tracks. British producer SHERELLE is also excellent.

PAN M 360: It starts on Saturday evening at 10 p.m. and ends the next day at 6 a.m. 

Alexandre Auché: In fact, we are taking advantage of this new legislation to be able to pursue the context a little further. But is the legislation weekly, is it always now, or? Yes, you have to request it. We have to request exemptions. From time to time, we get a 24-hour Saturday. We do this for very specific projects that we’ve really worked hard on.

PAN M 360: And you really worked hard on this MTL version of Making Time!
Alexandre Auché: I’m really thrilled with the lineup! I think it’s one of the strongest I’ve put together in my career since the MEG days. With an event like this, we encourage people to get out a little more, to see and hear things they don’t know, to feel the vibe of the night.

Publicité panam
Publicité panam

A few days before the final unveiling of the Polaris Prize, which will determine the outstanding Canadian album of the past year on September 16, we are posting this interview with Lou-Adriane Cassidy, conducted in mid-July in the whirlwind of her absolute triumph on the French-speaking scenes of America, very clearly at the top of this new wave of artists that some call the golden age of this culture, nothing less. Since Lou-Adriane is among the 10 finalists in Canada for her album Journal d’un Loup-Garou, the subject was unavoidable and is now one of the important factors in her current influence. The other elements of “her situation,” just as important, are obviously addressed in this interview.

PAN M 360: Since you’ve been giving interviews about your last two albums since their respective releases last winter and spring, and since I’m the 250th person to talk to you about your own phenomenon (just kidding), we’ll do it differently: by first talking about your nomination for the Polaris Prize short list and then going in-depth about your recent work.

First, I remind you that only one group/artist expressing their art in French has won the Polaris since its founding 19 years ago: Karkwa in 2010. If you win this year, you will be the 2nd. But… as I have pointed out several times, Canadian coolness is not exactly on the French-speaking side these days. Normally, you should be a very serious contender for the prize. So if you win, it is because the majority of the members of the “grand jury” will have understood the importance of your contribution and the new French-speaking wave that you embody. It would then be a historic achievement.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Yes, it’s crazy! It makes you wonder about Canada’s view of Quebec. I think that sometimes it creates such a strong reaction that it could be really disturbing to win. Didn’t Karkwa create a controversy by winning at the time?

PAN M 360: There were still people from the Rest of Canada who said something like Who the fuck is Karkwa???

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: The Polaris is not a popularity award, I don’t see the connection… Yes, there is the language barrier and at the same time several Canadian artists have won in languages ​​other than French or English, Jeremy Dutcher has won twice.

PAN M 360: Jeremy Dutcher, Lido Pimienta, Pierre Kwenders, etc. And… it seems that the linguistic expression that represents 25% of pop has won 5.25% of the Polaris Prizes. And it has little to do with quality and everything to do with perceptions.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: I ​​have nothing against a victory for diversity, I am absolutely for diversity but we can wonder why we (French speakers) are not included.

PAN M 360: We are the first to applaud the victories of Indigenous artists or artists from cultural communities; that’s not the problem. The problem lies in our near impossibility of winning since the prize’s inception. This tells us a lot about the perception of non-French-speaking Canadians who vote on all Polaris juries. Obviously, it’s not malicious, but the results speak for themselves.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: But did Francophone coolness ever exist in English Canada?

PAN M 360: There has already been an interest among some. At the time when Pierre Elliott Trudeau was perceived as cool (before October 70), there was an interest in Francophone culture. Among Anglo prog fans, for example, we were impressed by Harmonium or Cano. But… you’re right to ask the question, because it’s actually very thin. Given our history of the two solitudes, more tense than relaxed, something is being expressed unconsciously, the Polaris Prize selection process is no exception. I don’t think it’s deliberate, however. We’ll know more on September 16!

So let’s move on to other topics. Have you ever lived in Montreal?

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: I ​​lived there for two years and then returned to Quebec City, where I settled. I was born in the Saint-Roch neighborhood and I live in Limoilou. I left the city because I wanted to get away from home. I’m at home in Quebec City; there’s a way to live here and contribute to the community of artists in my city while doing everything else. There’s a way to make ends meet and stay here. And I like to contribute to that too, to the flourishing of my city.

PAN M 360: It’s really cool that you’re from Quebec… Well, it’s worth repeating: this is your year! It doesn’t happen often in a lifetime, such success. Maybe you’ll be able to repeat this feat, it’s impossible to predict. But just to have achieved it is already very big. Did you see it coming? How did you see the heat rise?

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Well no, I didn’t see it coming. I don’t think you can see it coming. I experienced it a little from the outside when Darlène launched Hubert Lenoir. I was part of the tour, it was very intense. I think it was harder than this year because everyone was younger. Hubert was very polarizing too, which made things less easy to live with.

PAN M 360: And this time?

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: I ​​didn’t expect to experience this at all. I had a career I was very proud of, it was still developing. I had an audience, I already felt very privileged, in fact. I was really proud of the album Loup-Garou. I had hopes, of course, we have them all the time. But I hadn’t dared to go that far in my head. That’s why I don’t think these things can be measured or calculated. Dis-moi dis-moi was played on commercial radio… a lot. I really didn’t think this song would have this effect.

PAN M 360: In the vast majority of cases, it’s commercial radio that decides what to broadcast. But sometimes, as was the case with Dis-moi, dis-moi, an “alternative” song becomes too big a hit and exceeds the criteria, and FM is then forced to get on board. A great victory for quality over prefabrication!

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Yes, really. And I’m really happy to be moving to commercial radio. We’re the first to say that there’s no more diversity and openness in genres. So, if commercial radio is starting to open up a little, I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m very happy! I’m still doing what I’ve been doing all the time for the last 8 years: shows, albums.

So it’s not an inner change that explains this success. In fact, I’m happy to be experiencing this, that it’s happening on commercial radio. Because I really did this out of complete love for music and what I wanted to do. We worked a lot and there’s something very satisfying about experiencing this. Because that’s not always the case, in fact! So for me, this work remains independent and this adequacy is a great source of pride for me.

PAN M 360: It’s natural, it’s organic, indeed. Your friends Ariane Roy and Thierry Larose could have had an impact. Whether the sauce takes more for one or the other remains an intangible phenomenon, there are no rational explanations to suggest to explain such success. It’s luck, but you made your luck, it’s fully deserved. That being said, you have more popular success than your best friends with whom you work. So, it’s sure that creates a disparity, but at the same time, there’s no explanation to be had to know why it’s you and not the others.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: I ​​still think we lift each other up. For me, there’s not such a big gap being created. I think it’s more, let’s say, mainstream. But Ariane and Thierry have many loyal fans. They have very successful careers.

PAN M 360: There’s no doubt about it. What I mean is that there’s a difference between a great career and being on the biggest festival bills. It’s still a whole different ball game, but it has nothing to do with quality. We’re as excited about Ariane Roy and Thierry Larose as we are about your work; we don’t see any clear differences in terms of quality. Broadly speaking, you’re artists of equal quality. It’s great that you maintain your friendship in this context.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Yes, I admire them a million times over! I think we contributed to my success together. We built a lot of things together. We learned a lot together. For me, this bond is very strong.

PAN M 360: Clearly, you’re going through a period of intense creativity. Two separate albums in a single quarter!

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Actually, Loup-garou didn’t happen quickly; it was a long gestation period. When we were finishing this album, I still had some of Stéphane Lafleur’s songs that he had sent me over the last few years – he had already written me a song on my second album, we both really liked this collaboration. It helped him, I think, with the creation of his own repertoire, because he said he was having trouble writing for Avec pas d’casque at that time. And he would send me songs from time to time.

I have a lot of admiration for his talent, but it didn’t fit with Loup-Garou. I then started writing the song Adieu, and the idea came to make a different album, in complete reaction to the previous one.

The idea was to make an album where we would have a short production time and everyone would have to play together in the same room. I’m not saying I invented anything, but we don’t do that much anymore.

PAN M 360: Live recordings for the album Triste animal, then.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Yes, everyone together, with the vocals, the backing vocals, all that. Nothing was recorded over it. That was really it, played and sung in the moment, no alterations. I found that process really exciting and really different from what we had done before. I booked the studio in the fall of 2024. I had three songs at the start and I had an album at the end.

Sometimes it’s interesting to test your creative limits a little, to see where you go when you’re pushed to your limits. I almost canceled the studio a few days before because some texts were missing. I think there’s a little masochistic side to it, it’s very uncomfortable but the satisfaction of getting to the end is great and rewarding. What’s going to happen? How are we going to get there? We have anxieties, there are mysteries and… things happen.

PAN M 360: Inspiration remains a mystery…

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: How is it channeled? It’s mysterious indeed. You need an impulse. Then you can develop the work. If you don’t have this impulse, it can become panicky!

PAN M 360: And what happens next after the big summer festivals?

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: A new show is planned for the fall. It will run through 2025 and 2026.

PAN M 360: With the program, mainly a mix of the two albums, is that it?

Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Yes, that’s it, new staging and everything. A mix of both albums and also the essentials. I recently realized that I could count on a real repertoire, and not have the choice of doing this or that song in a show. I’ve like crossed over to the other side.

Editor’s note: Alain Brunet conducted this interview with Lou-Adriane Cassidy in mid-July. We talked about Polaris with the new queen of French-speaking indie pop from Quebec, among other topics covered in this interview, which justifies posting this interview online two months after it was conducted. However, the author of these lines did not know at the time that he would be selected for the Polaris Prize “grand jury”, which would determine the final winner of the famous pan-Canadian prize. The invitation to this “grand jury” thus came AFTER this interview was conducted. The comments made here are therefore in no way colored by the author’s participation in the final jury of the prize and do not constitute in any way an indication of the discussions held within this jury, secret discussions which can under no circumstances be made public.

The Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) presents here the fall portion of its 2025-2026 season and maintains the course set by the current artistic direction embodied by composer Simon Bertrand since Walter Boudreau retired to his land to devote himself exclusively to composition and composer Ana Sokolovic spent a brief time there. Led by Simon Bertrand’s artistic direction, the very conclusive experience of the Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques 2025 festival has breathed new life into the SMCQ, which is proposing a 25-26 season focused on intergenerational dialogue, the renewal and growth of its audience, as well as the embracing of its American identity.

PAN M 360: The intergenerational perspective on creative music is the central theme of the 60th season of the SMCQ. What justifies this choice?

Simon Bertrand: Normally, since we are coming off a year of the M/NM festival, we should be in a tribute season. However, this usually revolves around a single composer. However, since it is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the SMCQ, I preferred to pay tribute to all the composers who have left their mark on the SMCQ, but also to those who are the guarantors of its future. So, it is also about the composers of today and tomorrow, hence this idea of ​​an intergenerational dialogue between several generations of creators, a sort of bridge between the generations which, in my opinion, is essential and which we have often cruelly lacked.

PAN M 360: How is this applied? Retrospective approach?

Simon Bertrand: What I wanted to avoid, precisely, was a retrospective approach with a heavy dose of self-congratulation for a glorious past, or an overly historical approach.

My goal is rather to create a dialogue between the works, and to create a dialogue between their musical and human testimonies. As Varèse said, “to be modern is to be natural, to be an interpreter of the spirit of one’s time.” It’s as “simple” as that! (smiles)

PAN M 360: How then to interweave the repertoires of six decades?

Simon Bertrand: For the October 30th concert, a highlight entitled “au chœur du Québec”, the common thread is of course writing for choir, but with extremely different aesthetic approaches.

In the case of the first Montreal concert on November 15 at the Claude-Champagne Hall, it is a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the SMCQ, but also the 75th anniversary of the Faculty of Music of the UdM. However, it turns out that several composers who played an important role in the SMCQ also did so for the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal. This is how we find Garant, Tremblay, Sokolovic, Boudreau and a creation commissioned by the SMCQ from the young composer Maxime Daigneault in this program.

The concerts for the second half of the season after Christmas will be announced later. We will try to meet the challenge of bringing together several generations and aesthetic approaches. The full program will be announced soon, but I can already tell you that we will have as guests the Éclat ensemble, the Orchestre de l’Agora, the Ensemble de la SMCQ, and also a piano concert of Quebec music with Philippe Prudhomme and Louise Bessette, and that the season will be interspersed with numerous creations commissioned by the SMCQ especially for its 60th anniversary. It is essential to continue to place commissions with composers so that they can give us a precious musical testimony of our time, and that is my hobbyhorse at the SMCQ: to make composers work, and to serve them as best as possible.

PAN M 360: How can we create an intergenerational dialogue between composers, knowing that today’s aesthetics are distancing themselves from contemporary music as it was heard in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s?

Simon Bertrand: Dialogue doesn’t mean putting together works that say the same thing, and in the same way. Otherwise it would be too monochrome.

There is no longer a major aesthetic movement, or dominant school of thought as there was from the 1960s to the 1990s: composers no longer feel the need to affiliate themselves with a specific musical system or language and aspire to integration, fusion and synthesis, and they have very singular approaches.

So I’m not trying to create any links of filiation; contemporary music today is a marvelous Tower of Babel with an abundance of different languages ​​and approaches. Composers are, more than ever, wonderful polyglots!

PAN M 360: Until recently, the audience for contemporary music was aging year by year, without growing. This leads to the question: is creative music truly intergenerational, beyond the interest of young composers and other music students?

Simon Bertrand: Above all, and more than ever, they are multidisciplinary. And that’s where the opportunity lies for developing the audience, that is, by reaching out to audiences interested in visual arts, cinema, etc. In short, finding an audience interested in other art forms and their encounter with creative music. Also, as the boundary between instrumental music and electroacoustic music or written and improvised music is increasingly thin, or even non-existent, this also opens the door to new audiences.

PAN M 360: And here is a first sign of success for this vision: particularly in the context of M/NM 2025, a shift has been made, with the main result being an increase in your audience. Who is your new audience?

Simon Bertrand: It is obvious that a large part of our audience and our community but also by ramifications other artistic communities, but we must not underestimate the need and desire of the public to discover totally unusual and new things and to explore new sound worlds: during M/NM 2025, we saw people at the concerts that we had never seen before, and I think that the collaboration with the visual arts community helped a lot.

PAN M 360: The SMCQ has just presented works by Canadian female composers in Colombia, in Manizales, where the CiMa International Music Festival is being held. Are you now looking for Americanness?

Simon Bertrand: We always thought that the solution was to repeat the European model in Quebec, and to emulate what is done there, for example in Darmstadt, at Domaine Musical, at IRCAM, etc. For my part, I have always had doubts about this approach. I think that contemporary European music is a rather colonialist invention, I don’t think that the future of creative music necessarily passes only through Europe but also through other continents. And that is the impression that this extraordinary trip to Colombia left me with. I think that we must begin by questioning what we ourselves have to say with our own ways of expressing ourselves, that is to say that we need a kind of introspection.

PAN M 360: Are you then seeking to distance yourself from the dominant influence of Europe in contemporary music, on which Quebec composers of the first two generations were largely dependent?

Simon Bertrand: There’s no need to distance ourselves from it; this influence has naturally faded over time. Of course, composers know the music of Stockhausen, Messiaen, Ligeti, and other big names of the 20th century. And sometimes they even assimilate them into their own language, but without feeling the need for a direct connection with a school of thought or a national school. But isn’t this a perfect reflection of the world we live in? It’s not insignificant to see that creators are more than ever seeking singularity in a world where we have such easy access to all information.

PAN M 360: What will be the main vector of your future development?

Simon Bertrand: M/NM 2027 will be dedicated to the music of the Americas, whether it comes from southern Patagonia to the North Pole. It will be an opportunity to question what the music of the Americas and Americanness are, despite the orange monster that is currently raging south of our borders. So, it will be a good time to develop our connections in South America, Central America, the United States (still!) and Canada, and also to give a place to indigenous artists.

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