“Still, what I mostly find in my mailbox are demos from folk songwriters. I don’t know if it’s because of the growing popularity of competition shows like La Voix or Star Académie and their focus on solo singers, but we seem to be going through an individualistic period. It could be that social media are helping people believe in their own talent, as if people preferred to work by themselves instead of going out to play as part of a band.”
Besides the quantity of rock demos being sent to CISM, what impresses Poirier even more is the quality of the music itself. “This spring, Oktoplut came out of nowhere with a first album (Pansements) complete with their own distinctive sound,” he says. “And it rocks, trust me.”
“There are still lots of rock, punk and metal concerts being played in all parts of Québec.” – Jessy Fuchs of Slam Disques
For Jessy Fuchs, art director and president of Slam Disques, the label that signed Oktoplut, the Québec rock scene shows no sign of slowing down. “There are still lots of rock, punk and metal concerts being played in all parts of Québec,” he says. “Montebello’s Rockfest attendance records are going through the roof. Osheaga sells out each year. Rock music is still in great demand.”
Out in La Sarre, in the Western Québec area of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Lubik band members are amazed at their fans’ acceptance of their abrasive rock style. “We played in family-friendly festivals on two occasions this summer,” singer Alexandre Picard boasts. “We even played in the middle of the afternoon in front of tons of families, baby carriages and grandparents. We thought they might run for cover, but they stayed to dance instead!”
“All the Québec rock scene needs right now,” label president Jessy Fuchs claims, “is a driving force. Galaxie and Gros Mené are occasionally cast in that role, but I still believe that there is no flagship band of the ilk of Grimskunk, Vulgaires Machins or Malajube right now. This might suggest that rock is dying, but the foundation remains strong. As long as things continue to move below the ground, the Québec rock scene will continue to enjoy good health.”
Reminded that Les Trois Accords and Marie-Mai have reached the top by channeling a rock-like energy, Fuchs admits, “This is true, but they’re not representative of today’s breakaway scene. Most young rockers don’t identify with Marie-Mai. It’s like in France – you wouldn’t assess the current state of the French rock scene based on Johnny Hallyday’s continuing success.”
Fuchs, a former eXterio member and the current Rouge Pompier singer/guitarist, takes his argument a step further. “Mind you, these new rockers are glad when their songs play on commercial radio, but popular success isn’t what many of them are after,” he says. “They’ve found a comfortable place in the underground, on the internet and in smaller venues. The rock scene has become self-sufficient, and it’s no longer aiming at wider industry recognition.”
What if the key to success actually lies in this newfound independence? After all, most music revolutions can be traced back to artists who did their thing outside commercial trends. “Once a music scene stops waiting for the industry at large to develop,” Poirier weighs in, “musicians tend to get in touch with their own individuality. They stop trying to follow fashions and are more likely to explore. This creates a diversity that, in this case, could well bring rock back to the fore.” We’ll just have to rock and see.