![]() The other challenge had more to do with themes: where would the boundaries be for this common musical world shared by the duo? “That was also a challenge: writing ‘we’ songs,” says Archambault. Maybe bus is a bad example, but there are worse words than that to try and fit in a song.” ![]() If, for example, you’re going to use the word bus in your song, you better make sure it’s believable. It has to flow, and the listener has to believe every word you sing. Add to that the fact that not all words can be easily sung. But when it comes to a song, it’s a space that needs to be filled, and you must respect the meter, the right rhymes. I don’t have any difficulty writing about a flower pot for a whole page, it comes to me naturally. “I can write a fifty-page story much easier than I can write a song. “It’s incredibly hard to write songs,” he admits. Yet, for Gasse, writing a song is harder than writing a book. He’s got this knack for analyzing someone’s work in an objective and critical way, to see what works and what doesn’t in a song. As for the lyrics, I would often find the spark, a rough idea, and Gasse would fine-tune it. I have a hard time expressing everything that’s in my mind in a clear way.”Īrchambault jumps in: “The melodies came easily. As for me, I’m not totally confident in what I can accomplish on my own, with only a guitar in my hands. “First of all, it’s not split 50/50: we realized that Chantal is excellent for finding a lead, a direction, a melody – she is an outstanding melodist. “Once the writing period for the album was over, we’d found our work dynamic,” explains Gasse. But now, with a record contract and a first album expected in October of 2016 – scoop: It’ll be called Fleur – the duo had to get to work last January. Only two of those five songs were recorded together the remaining three came from their respective archives. Their first five-song EP was recorded in a jiffy because they had gigs already booked, but nothing to sing. “We’re still learning to compose together,” says Archambault. And they’re the first to admit that it’s harder than it looks. They’ve created two distinct, established creative universes that required harmonization. As for Gasse, who was previously in the band Caloon Saloon, he’s better known as a writer – with two novels published by Tête première – and a bass player for the likes of Vincent Vallières and Dany Placard, to name but two. Archambault has released three solo albums, and she’s made a place for herself as a mellow and reassuring presence on Québec’s folk scene. In that sense, Saratoga is a complete project: the combination of his stage presence and my songwriting.” His strength is interacting with the audience. It’s mostly Gasse who tells the tale, because, as Archambault says, “My strength is composing the songs, writing. ![]() “We take almost 15 minutes during our concerts to explain the details.” “Well, the story is a bit more complicated than that,” Archambault giggles. “We got drunk in our motel room, and that’s when we decided that we were going to get this thing going.” That village was Saratoga. “We stopped for the night in a small village,” says Gasse. Last fall, Gasse and Archambault drove to New York City. ![]() “They were saying, ‘My God! It’s so beautiful when you two sing together like that!’” “People came to talk to us after the show,” adds Chantal. “I was right next to her with my acoustic bass, and I sang over her shoulder, so that the only mic on stage would catch my voice, and… well, I think it was charming.” “Very restrictive!” insists Chantal Archambault, sitting next to her partner. And the day after one of those concerts, on a very small stage, with very limited technical means…” It sometimes yields beautiful projects, as Michel-Olivier Gasse explains while we sit on the terrace at a café: “Chantal had started doing solo concerts, but didn’t quite enjoy being onstage alone,” he says. In this edition, we meet two endearingly bonded artists: folk singer-songwriter Chantal Archambault and her man, songwriter and musician Michel-Olivier Gasse, together known as Saratoga.Īs the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Archambaud musique series#Here’s the latest edition in our series about those happy creative meetings between two songwriters. ![]()
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