Over the course of my stint as guest host for July, I talked a lot about myself and my band – and our sweltering studio! So today I'd like to shine some light on the people who made me what I am today.
There are several artists I've encountered by chance (or fate, depending on what you believe) who have gone on to secure their influence on my brain. They've made an impact without the influence of a press release or PR rep.
I've mentioned these artists many times on Radio 3. But what I've never talked about is why their music stuck with me. It's one thing to love a song and remember the moment it marks, but it's another thing for it to change your life.
No need to limit it to music. What made a teacher your favourite out of all the ones you've had? Have you ever read a book and thought "that's it!"?
These artists haven't just made music that I like. Their work has actually seeped into my daily practice and impacted how I write and perform songs.
Here they are:
Local Rabbits: I used to go to my college radio station CHUO 89.1FM to listen to new tunes and print my essays for free (shhhh). Late one night, I heard the Local Rabbits for the first time. That kicked off everything. I met them. I interviewed them. I pretty much insisted on making friends with them. And it led to musical collaborations with their singer/guitarist Ben Gunning: I sang on his solo records and he produced some of my early R&B demos. I also sang backup for his bandmate Peter Elkas. My style of lyric-writing can be traced directly back to them. Common, clear stories, told from an unusual perspective. And singing with Pete, I encountered another one of my main influences. . .
Feist & her crew (Gonzales, Mocky, Renaud Letang): If you read any Bonjay interview, chances are that Leslie Feist will pop up at some point. But I’ve never fully explain why. While singing with Pete Elkas, we opened for Feist in Ottawa. I remember she walked on the stage with just a spotlight and a guitar and almost whispered the intro to (then-brand new) "Honey Honey". You could have heard a pin drop. At the time, my involvement with music consisted of a weekly gig covering Aretha Franklin, Danzig and Jethro Tull where I powered my way through every song. What I wanted to do was sing gently, but wasn’t entirely sure how. That night I witnessed the power of subtlety. Until then, I was just another R&B singer.
In both cases, these artists demonstrated that I could do it. I could write my own songs (Local Rabbits) and I could explore the different sides of my voice (Feist).
From then on, I trusted myself as an artist and felt encouraged to dig deeper.
Honourable mentions: Talking Heads, St. Vincent, Caribou's Swim album.
What music did you fall in love with immediately? What moved you about it? What effect did it have on you?
Getting deep today! This and other sentimentalities on today's show.
***It's Friday. I know the discussion will almost immediately switch to weekend plans. Don't think I don't know you guys. . .