Pleased To Meet Me: MUSEUMS
Introduce yourself… (Where are you from, what band do you play in etc..)
Lou: Montreal - but DONT say West Island. I play guitar in the band.
Anthony: Originally Montreal - then Calgary - then back. I play bass in Museums- and once in a while, they let me play other stuff.
Ali: Montreal born and raised!! Did someone say something about the West?.... I sing and play guitar in the band.
Nic: My name’s Nic, I was born in Montreal and I play drums for museums.
Why do you play music?
Lou: I have to!
Anthony: It’s been a gift that keeps on giving.
Ali: It would feel very wrong to not play. Can’t imagine life without it.
Nic: I play music because I’m fortunate enough to be able to.
What was a major influence on you as an Artist/Band?
Lou: I have to say it…the Beatles. Also people like Bjork, PT Anderson, Yayoi Kusama, Gorillaz, Nick Drake, and lots of friends I’ve met along the way who inspire me.
Anthony: The Beatles, Indie rock from early-mid 2000s, Smokey Robinson, Anderson .Paak, Mac DeMarco. Etc Etc. My bandmates & other collaborators.
Ali: An endless list. Some majors are Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Moby, POLICA, Feist, Arcade Fire, Nilufer Yanya, MGMT. And definitely the friends and the artists I’m surrounded by (not to be a broken record…)
Nic: A couple names come to mind: Coldplay, Brian Eno, Bombay Bicycle Club, MGMT. e all seem equally moved by Radiohead as well.
What’s a favourite book or film?
Lou: Book: East of Eden by Steinbeck. Film: It’s been Glengarry Glen Ross recently. Let’s go Mamet!
Anthony: I’m reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and enjoying it.
Ali: Book: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, or Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (this one I come back to frequently). Film: Yellow Submarine
Nic: Every time I watch the notebook I cry. I know what’s gonna happen and I cry. That says something.
Do you prefer the recording process or performing live?
Lou: Recording, always recording.
Anthony: Both. Recording is about creation and live is about connection. Both offer unique ways to explore songs.
Ali: I agree with Tony. It’s a tough choice. Performing always leaves me on such a high. It’s immediate, chaotic and intense. BUT, there’s also nothing like cooking in the studio with these boys.
Nic: They both feel exciting and get you into a flow state. Hard to choose.
What would be a dream collaboration?
Lou: Jeff Tweedy? Like if he could produce for us. I’d like to make music with Will Westerman one day, he’s a great songwriter.
Anthony: Lennon, if resurrection is an option.
Ali: How about a feature on a Charli XCX track? That would be absolutely wild.
Nic: Probably working with Brian Eno. I feel like he’d extract a lot of material out of us.
Describe a favourite album.
Lou: If I tap into the formative ones for me, going to either be Exile on Main Street or Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet. That’s what 16 year old Lou’s taste was craving. Exile’s just so ALIVE. Nowadays maybe something like Sun Tub by ML Buch. She really crafted a world for that one.
Anthony: Reconstruction Site by The Weakerthans. One of my first “favourite bands”. A poet by trade, John K. Samson’s lyrics say so much while serving the songs perfectly. The album feels human, full of all the emotions we all feel. His quirky voice makes it all the more poignant.
Ali: Pleasures by Feist. It’s soft, but it’s got grit, and feels so raw. Her voice is haunting and playful and there are so many interesting textures throughout the album. It’s one of those albums where I’ll lie in bed with my eyes closed and put it on and let her take me where I have to go.
Nic: A Rush Of Blood To The Head. Artwork sets the stage. Inside you find an uplifting rock album crying out themes of sorrow, insecurity yet assurance. Really good stuff for my developing brain.
What's your favourite local haunt?
Lou: For food? Maybe Depaneur le Pick Up. Great sandwiches and burgers. For drinks? I do love Star Bar mostly because of the pizza! Big fan of picnics in one of the choice parks in this city too. Don’t get me started on the egg sandwich at Osmo.
Anthony: Sans-Taverne & Casa Del Popolo.
Ali: Esco or Turbo Haus for shows. Messorem in the summer (slushie beer on the terrace yum). Street Monkeys for great Cambodian food. Lulu Epicerie not only for their manakeesh’s but also for their Lulu after dark parties. Jean Talon market on a late Saturday afternoon, an hour or so before closing.
Nic: La bande au coin is a bridge away but you’ll find the best snooker in Canada there. Sozo Sushi on Saint Denis. Nothing like a movie at the forum on Tuesday night.
What's your strangest experience while performing live?
Lou: One time Nic was robbed at Escogriffe. He’ll probably say more about that. I remember a time when Ali (accidentally) unplugged me from my amp right before an important part. Was it a subconscious sabotage? I also fondly remember the time we played in Guelph when the sound person was staring down at the board with her palms facing up in one big shrug as though she didn’t know what the hell was going on. “Can I have more vocal in my monitor please?”
Anthony: That one time I had to run to the washroom in the middle of the song many years ago.
Ali: Breaking my toe at Piranha bar and not even realizing until the next day. I still don’t know how. And it was NOT a sabotage!!!!!
Nic: Probably playing to a crowd at a town hall. We barely had enough material to cover time. We struggled playing the songs we just began writing. Strange but developmental milestone for the band.
If I were pursuing anything other than music it would be…
Lou: Something I could do with my hands. Plumbing? Woodwork?
Anthony: Probably building apps, I am working on a music-tech one right now.
Ali: My answer to this question would likely change quite frequently… I always seem to be into something new. These days, maybe fashion design?
Nic: Urban Planning/Environmental Engineering?
What are some of your favourite aspects of being a musician in Montreal?
Lou: Endless amounts of interesting people to meet. People who do music completely differently, people who like to rock out, quiet people, loud people, people from all over the world. They all love being here and it's infectious. There are so many circles of music from raves to Barfly to the Wheel Club and they all offer genuine, real communities gathered around music and dancing. I don’t know if it's because Montreal exists in more than one language, and is therefore just culturally kind of plural, but there are just endless amounts of niches to explore. It informs my taste for sure.
Anthony: There are countless artists, scenes and circles. The city feels alive every night. People care about the arts. It feels like there’s a hidden genius on every block. Humbling and inspiring.
Ali: Art exists everywhere here. It’s so easy to meet artists of all kinds, and it’s a very fluid and collaborative city. I’ve met and worked with so many talented people, from visual artists to fashion designers, stylists, videographers, and of course so many incredible musicians. My taste has been so informed by what I’ve experienced and who I’ve met in Montreal.
Nic: I feel so lucky about where we get to play and share our music. People here seem to like anything and everything music. There isn’t a lack of feedback or support. Even more so than playing I love attending a concert in Montreal. Best crowd on the North American Tour for bands!
If you weren’t playing music in Montreal where would you be ?
Lou: Maybe I’d go somewhere completely out there, like Ljubljana - somewhere with a different connection to music histories as I’ve come to know them. I heard Slovenia was cool anyway.
Anthony: I’d still be in Montreal (I do love it here!)
Ali: Berlin! Or Vienna. I felt very connected to those two cities. The music scenes are incredible, as are the art worlds.
Nic: Hopefully somewhere alive and well where same laws of physics apply
Any sage advice for young musicians?
Lou: Don’t stop. Even if the music isn’t where you want it to be yet, just keep going. The work of art is your whole life, not any one album / release / show alone.
Anthony: Never compare yourselves to others!!! Your voice is your own, and finding it is worth the journey.. and practice your ears!
Ali: Have fun and don’t take yourself (or anything) too seriously.
Nic: I feel like I’m a young musician. Not sure if I know any better than the next. See your ideas through. Be very curious. The only thing making your music stand out is you. Bleed all over your work.