“I’m not used to speaking up about myself or what I go through. I’m more the type to just agree with whatever someone else in the band says,” says Karolane Carbonneau over the phone, audibly nervous about this first long solo interview. “I’m usually in the shadows, and I like it there… except when I’m on stage; that’s a different ballgame.”
Carbonneau is a guitarist, mixing engineer, producer, and sound technician who splits her time between two bands with absolute opposite vibes: groovy pop-folk septet comment debord and punk rock outfit NOBRO. Even the typography of those bands’ names exemplifies the difference in their repertoire.
“In the case of comment debord, when we play live, we adapt to the crowd,” says Carbonneau. “We’re not going to play the same stuff if we’re playing in the middle of the afternoon for kids than if we’re playing at night for adults. But one way or the other, it doesn’t feel like we’re playing a game. Often, you’ll catch us chit-chatting about our weekend between songs… But in NOBRO’s case, it’s different. We almost always play the same show and people have no choice but to get on board! The only difference is if there are kids in the audience, Kathryn [McCaughey, the band’s singer] will apologize to parents for talking about drugs.”
Born in 1993 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, a borough in Montréal’s East end, Carbonneau has always – well, almost always – been drawn to music. She has countless memories of family parties at her aunt’s place: dancing, belting out karaoke tunes, crowding around the TV to watch live shows and concerts. Her father, who played in a rock band, introduced her early on to the many facets of making music. “One of my earliest memories is playing around with a four-track recorder in the basement where my dad used to record with his band,” she says. “I was always fascinated by what went on behind the scenes, and that’s why I wanted to become a sound technician.”
Carbonneau’s passion for what happens behind the scenes is actually what sparked her interest in her instrument of choice. “I started playing guitar around 7 or 8, but I found it too hard,” she says. “I was a perfectionist and quite impatient. When I was about 12, I got my hands on a tape recorder, and that’s when I started wanting to record myself singing over guitar arrangements. I liked the idea of recording myself, not just playing the guitar.”
After formative experiences playing in a rock band during her teens, Carbonneau enrolled in a digital music program at university. “I didn’t want to do the jazz guitar program because I didn’t want to be the centre of attention,” she says. “Auditioning stressed me out, and I just didn’t want to put myself through that. Basically, I’m a very anxious person, but I’m trying to open up, to put myself out there more,” she confides.
During her university years, she cut her teeth on Montréal’s indie scene. “I wanted to work in live venues because I was sick of rando jobs that had nothing to do with anything. It just felt like a waste of time. I wanted a job connected to music so I could meet musicians,” says Carbonneau, who worked as a sound tech at Montréal venues like Sala Rossa, Quai des Brumes, and l’Escogriffe. “That’s how I met Antoine Corriveau: he was looking for a tech for his tour.”
Aside from Corriveau, Carbonneau has worked – whether as a tech or a guitarist – for other artists, such as Jonathan Personne, Safia Nolin, Laurence Hélie, and Alix Fernz, to name just a few. She’s also involved in two more left-field projects: Stucco, a math rock outfit, and Mario 2, a tongue-in-cheek rock endeavour. It’s the combination of all these projects that allows her to make a living. “I think we have no choice but to diversify for things to work out,” she says. “Maybe if you’re lucky, but even then…”
It’s hard to say how much luck really plays into it, but Karolane Carbonneau currently plays in two bands that are doing quite well these days, which means spending a lot of time onstage, and consequently, coming out of her shell. “My social anxiety was often overwhelming,: she admits. “Like, it took me a long time to feel comfortable playing solos on stage. That changed when I joined comment debord, because the other members really wanted me to play solos.”
It was thanks to the women of NOBRO – especially the aforementioned lead singer Kathryn McCaughey, a true force of nature on stage – that Carbonneau discovered a whole side of herself she never knew existed. “The first show I played with the band was in 2018,” she explains. “Kathryn told me, ‘Don’t be afraid to jump around and scream!’ I still remember how amazing I felt after that show! It’s like a whole other part of me comes out when I’m with that band. I’m not that fired up in everyday life, but I live my emotions very intensely.”
A whirlwind of big news keeps coming for NOBRO, not least of which is the fact that the Montréal-based band recently expanded to include three new members: Josée Caron, Tara Cohen, and Andy Silver. In March 2025, NOBRO pulled off a surprise win, taking home the JUNO for Rock Album of the Year – beating out, among others, Canadian punk legends Sum 41. “What was wild is that all the cameras were pointed at Sum 41, way over on the other side of the room,” says Carbonneau. “Even for us, it seemed obvious they were going to win. So, when we heard our name, we were completely shocked… and the only person I managed to thank on stage was my dad. He passed away recently – I was thinking about him. I was happy we won, but at the same time, it’s hard knowing he didn’t get to see it.”
After such an emotionally intense period, Carbonneau is now focused on a packed summer of 2025, juggling shows with comment debord and creating new material with NOBRO. “I need both bands because they both give me a sense of accomplishment; a feeling that I’ve done something good for people. Even though the energy in the music is completely different, they share a sweet spot… Except my T-shirt is way more soaked after a NOBRO show!”