Annie-Claude Deschênes performed during Sled Island on Sunday, 9pm at Palomino (Main Floor).
Interview conducted in collaboration with Reverie Magazine.
TRANSCRIPT:
Emma (CJSW)
So this is Emma from CJSW, sitting down with Annie. Do you want to introduce yourself?
Annie-Claude
Annie-Claude Deschenes or AC for my closest friends. And I’m a musician. I was in Duchess Says, and playing also in PyPy. And tonight, I’m gonna play at Sled with my solo project.
Emma (CJSW)
Amazing. Yeah. So how long have you been in Calgary for? Have you gotten to see any of the other bands?
Annie-Claude
Three days. Yes, yesterday went to see Otoboke Beaver. It was amazing. Yeah, it was super good. Yeah. And, no, not that much. In fact, no, only this band.
Emma (CJSW)
Just that. Yeah, cool. So I guess you kind of just touched on this, but I want to get into it. So you’ve mentioned a few of the bands that you’ve worked with. I’m wondering, what are the biggest differences between being in a band and then a solo project?
Annie-Claude
Oh, my God, that’s a big question, but it’s mostly because I like to do solo projects, because I’ve got the control of everything. I don’t have to argue or just to discuss. I can do whatever I want on stage. I can dress whatever I mean, so that’s different. But I also like being in a band, because I’m with friends, and it’s more like a gang trip.
Emma (CJSW)
Yeah, yeah, it sounds like you have more creative freedom when solo.
Annie-Claude
Yes, yes.
Emma (CJSW)
Cool, yeah. This next question is only if you’re comfortable with chatting about it. But I read online that you began this solo project during the pandemic after you took a break from music because you became a mother, so did becoming a mother shift your creative lens in any way?
Annie-Claude
I’m sure it did, because now I’m not the center of my life anymore. I have to take care of this little human so I have to choose, really, I cannot be in a total chaos like I was before, because I’ve got responsibility. So the project I’m working on right now are projects that I can like, fit in my mother life. Yeah, sorry for my English this morning.
Emma (CJSW)
But no, I understand that’s totally fair. And so your first album, I don’t know how to pronounce the name?
Annie-Claude
LES MANIERES DE TABLE, Table Manners.
Emma (CJSW)
Table Manners, yeah, so it’s, it has domestic roots. So it’s like, you sampled utensils and that kind of thing. Yeah, I’m curious, can you take me through your process and coining the whole concept?
Annie-Claude
Oh my god, it’s so abstract. But I was by myself. It was a little bit depressing, and I just opened the cutlery drawer and I saw the spoons, and I was like, that’s beautiful. They’re beautiful. So I just started doing a video with that edit, and I said I could put like, some maybe sounds on it, and it just went like that. And Heavy Trip, a booking company in Canada, asked me to do an art performance at the Phi Centre. So I just thought could be fun to do, like a live restaurant and serve food to people, and, you know, have this kind of restaurant vibe.
Emma (CJSW)
Yeah, super it’s super creative. Like, it’s very cool. There were some places online saying that it was almost some way to push back on on societal norms of table manners. Do you relate with that?
Annie-Claude
Yeah, I relate on the pushing all limits. So that’s one of them. But it’s pretty fun. You know, it sounds pretty cool.
Emma (CJSW)
I’m curious as well, I guess, a little bit more intricate. How did you go forward with the recording and the producing of that album?
Annie-Claude
It was a work in progress, because, like I said, I was asked to do an art performance that was during 20 minutes, so I had to just record at my place in my studio. And then after I had another request for 40 minutes art performance, so I recorded in my studio, then after I went to my friend’s studio so he can mix everything, and it just ended up that Italians Do It Better, Johnny Jewel decided to just produce the album.
Emma (CJSW)
So cool, neat. You describe it as being the most punk thing you’ve done in what ways is the project more radical than your work with Duchess Says or PyPy?
Annie-Claude
Because I’m going in an area that I never been before. I’m doing, like, more electronic music, techno music. And I really have to talk to myself, because I’m not used to of being that. So I’m in danger all the time. You know live, I’m by myself. So when I’m composing and I’m only in my head. So for me, that’s punk, because it’s just, first the idea is punk as fuck, because there’s no sense in it. It’s just, it’s just crazy shit. And, yeah. So just for, with me that I think it’s fun to do that with my personality. Just going for doing it.
Emma (CJSW)
Super cool. What have the major challenges been moving forward with a solo project?
Annie-Claude
The technical stuff, and also just to have confidence and doing just do it. Because when you you have a kind of reputation, and people know you for a way, you know that you are on stage, and then I presented something completely different. So, yeah.
Emma (CJSW)
Breaking out of that box.
Annie-Claude
Yeah, exactly. Thank you.
Emma (CJSW)
Yeah, no, seriously, it sounds like, yeah, super cool. I’m curious if there’s any other like themes or concepts or materials you’re interested in exploring?
Annie-Claude
Yes, I’ve got a ring that is a midi ring that I can that, it’s a controller, in fact. So the way I move my hand, I move the music with my hand, so I would love to build a show on this concept of instruments.
Emma (CJSW)
That is so cool, yeah? That’s pretty cool. Like, spatial, atmospheric, cool. That’s, I would love to see that awesome. And then coming from a band to now, coming from being a mother. Now, how has your definition of success changed from when you first began your career.
Annie-Claude
You mean, what’s the difference between how I saw success before and how I see success now?
Emma (CJSW)
Yes, like, what were your goals before and then what are your goals now? Like, what would it mean for you to be successful then and now?
Annie-Claude
Just to be able to express myself like correctly, and that my vision I’m able to express my vision of music, and that people in the community are understand and have an interest of what I’m doing. Okay, that’s it for me, and I’m able to play like here instead and travel. For me, success is that, yeah, just having fun and be able to travel with your music. So I’m still doing it right now. So it didn’t change that much.
Emma (CJSW)
Okay, yeah, so it’s been the same thing, cool. I’m really glad that you’ve been true to yourself in that way, and that that’s happening for you, yeah.
Annie-Claude
But I didn’t know, I was not expecting to get back to music when I stopped in 2016 I was like, I think that’s it. I went to study permaculture. You know what it is? Okay, sorry, okay, and yeah. So I was, I had the fertility treatment during six years, so I was really into that. I was not able to play music that much. So, like, at like I said, I was not expecting to get back, like, in the rock and roll the world and like, you know, traveling like that.
Emma (CJSW)
Did you ever move forward with with that education or?
Annie-Claude
Not that, no. Just in my garden.
Emma (CJSW)
Still useful? Yeah, that’s super rad, that it kind of just came to you, though, like something you can’t, you can’t avoid. Yeah.
Annie-Claude
I had, I had to connect to myself, my heart, you know, yeah, because I was always in music.
Emma (CJSW)
Try something new, cool. And so do you have anything coming up for after Sled? For after Sled Island, after this performance?
Annie-Claude
Oh yes, I’m playing at Osheaga.
Emma (CJSW)
Oh, cool, yeah.
Annie-Claude
Also Jazz Festival. I’ve got a European tour in October like three weeks. Things in Montreal. I’m from Montreal, and so on.
Emma (CJSW)
All of it, yeah. Oh, that’s amazing. Playing Osheaga will be super cool.
Annie-Claude
Oh yeah. I played with Duchess Says like many years ago, but that would be fun to play with PyPy.
Emma (CJSW)
See the differences? Cool. That’s all I had for you today. Oh, yeah, thank you so much. Thank you. Yeah. Is there anything else you wanted to add?
Annie-Claude
Come to the show, but maybe this would be this after?
Emma (CJSW)
Be there, or be square.
Annie-Claude
Yeah.