Orchestrated by SOCAN and presented by Desjardins, the KENEKT X Francos camp welcome 32 artists and gave rise to 22 original songs in just four days.
How? By putting songwriters, composers, and producers together in a recording studio and asking them to create a song in under seven hours. At the end of the exercise, they had to play the result for their peers—an experience that can feel vulnerable, but one that pays off richly on both an artistic and human level.
“I write plenty of bad songs when I work alone, but when I go to the KENEKT camp, I try to push myself; I go into survival mode. I’m wiped out by the end of the day, but it’s so worth it,” says songwriter Mantisse, who is already used to collaborating with musicians from a wide range of styles.
Mantisse with Shah Frank during SOCAN KENEKT X Francos camp. (Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard)
This was singer-songwriter Kamilou’s first experience at a SOCAN KENEKT camp. At the end of her first session on Wednesday, she explained that she had stepped outside her comfort zone: “I rarely do sessions with other people. Most of the time, I’m on my own. Recording vocals with others was a challenge.” People, it should be mentioned, she barely knew at the start of the day, but with whom she clearly felt comfortable with when 5 p.m. rolled around.
Toward the Charts
The KENEKT X Francos camp took place in the basement of the Chinese Community and Cultural Centre, where the studio UNIQ Sound is located. The very special, almost timeless building where everything on the bulletin boards is written in Mandarin is right in the heart of Montréal’s Chinatown, and many friendships were forged, like at day camp, with something of childhood’s easy immediacy.
Kamilou recording her voice during SOCAN KENEKT X Francos camp. (Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard)
Gaby Gauthier-Durand, SOCAN’s Creative Executive for Quebec, assembled the three-person teams by following her instincts and a genuine sense that, together, these artists might create something beautiful. She was right.
This modus operandi led to unlikely musical encounters, bringing together sonic and musical worlds that, at first glance, seemed to have little in common.
A perfect example: country songwriter Gabriel Fredette, who generously agreed to record sexy ad-libs on a pop scorcher by Emmanuelle Querry and, at her request, subverted gender codes in the process. The day after the creation of that indeed very, very good song, Gabriel’s publisher, Diane Pinet, heard it during the listening session at the Rendez-vous Pros des Francos and was convinced she was hearing his next hit. Anyone looking to argue the point would be ill-advised.
From left to right (second picture): Kat Pereira, Emmanuelle Querry and Gabrielle Fredette during SOCAN KENEKT X Francos camp. (Photos by Marie-Michèle Bouchard)
Overall, the songs born of the KENEKT X Francos camp are impressively fluid and cohesive. The chemistry truly clicked and there’s little doubt that some of these songs will find their way to radio and/or rack up tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of streams.
The participating artists were Statzz, Jacky Levare, Jeremy Lachance (Délicieuse musique), Wamen (Universal), Félix Dyotte, Ariane Moffatt, Irdens Exantus, Soraï (Rosemarie Records), Majosty, Shah Frank (Disques 7ième Ciel), Astro, Romane Santarelli (YTK Publishing et Allo Floride Publishing), Kat Peirera, Juste Shani, Myra, John Adam Howard (Joy Ride), Melowithdaheat, High Klassified, Billie du Page, Aujourd’hui, Junes (Urbi Ed), Marco Ema (Rosemarie Records), Roselle (Let Artist Be), Hypno, Shiine (Nouvelle Vague), Samant, Adam El Mouna, Mantisse, Kamilou, Emmanuelle Querry (Éditions Monsieur Oscar) et Gabriel Fredette (Bloc Notes Musique).