SOCAN spent the nights of March 23 and 24, 2024, in the media room of the JUNO Awards Galas, where most of the winners come after they win, to reply to questions from a roomful of journalists. Here’s what some of them said…
William Prince: “Coming up in a home where it wasn’t always easy to express yourself, free of anger and frustration, I was raised in that kind of situation. So Stand in The Joy is a proclamation of the good. That we’re going to revel in things that are real, and present here in front of us… Part of that exercise is telling you when I’m excited and happy; today, I’m excited.”
Charlotte Cardin: “I think I felt just a little bit more confident in my performance [at the JUNOs] this time. It’s always nice to be in a territory [where you’re] a little bit more known, and it was a big celebration tonight… “Confetti” is a song that I love playing, and it was so great to play it at the JUNOs.”
Jordan Miller (The Beaches): “None of us went to post-secondary school, and that was the most difficult thing for our parents to accept. But they also are the most incredibly supportive families any artist could ask for. We’ve absolutely run my dad’s car into the ground, driving it across America. To provide them with a JUNO felt like giving them a graduation diploma.”
Maestro Fresh Wes: “I established the Maestro Fresh Wes Scholarship for Black youth who want to learn skilled trades. I don’t feel we’ve got a shortage of MCs, but we’ve got a shortage of Black youth interested in learning how to use their hands. As MCs, we have the power to influence people beyond the parameters of music.”
Élisapie: “It was very emotionally demanding to record the album [of cover songs, sung in Inuktitut]. I realized it awakened memories that I thought I’d buried deep enough. I did not, however, think too much about how it would be received, we were just focused on creating the right mood to tell a story. It was only afterward that I saw how much it resonated with people, whether they’re Indigenous or not. I was surprised, but on the other hand, I guess they’re songs that belong to all of us.”
Tegan and Sara: “Sara and I, our first concert was at a mall, seeing k.d. lang, in 1985 I believe it was. Sara and I had really long hair, and after that show, we begged to have all of our hair cut off. It’s significant to look back on that now to see how important representation is… I think we saw something in k.d., and it really influenced us.”
Jérôme Dupras (Les Cowboys Frignants): “To us, the symphonic album is truly a meeting of two musical worlds, but of human beings as well. That starts with conductor Simon Leclerc and the hundred or so musicians of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. It was a very original and pleasant journey with them. We’re honoured and flattered that this album even exists, and that it was celebrated by ADISQ last fall, and now by the JUNOs.”
Alexandra Stréliski: “[Les Cowboys Fringants frontman] Karl Tremblay’s death had huge impact, because he was so young, and so loved, and such a humble guy. He touched everyone, from all social classes in the province [of Québec]. When he died, it was a big shock, and [people were] filled with love… I was very glad to represent him tonight [with a tribute performance].”
Karan Aujla: “I came to Canada in 2014, and that’s when I actually got serious with music. When I was back home, I didn’t have any music studios to go to, or any of that. When I came out here, it showed me the real world; this is how you actually make music, and that’s how people fall in love with you. Canada played a big role in my career.” (Photo: CARAS/Stephanie Montani)
TALK: “I decided to be everything I wanted to be, and fully myself. Sometimes it’s a mistake, and sometimes I’m too much, and sometimes I do the wrong thing, but at least I can go to bed at night feeling good about my choices, and staying true to myself.”
Aqyila: “When I’m songwriting in my room, or if I’m in a session, or if I’m in the studio, I’m always just pulling inspiration from what’s going on in my life. I don’t think I can ever really run out of ideas, ‘cause life is always going. Even with social media, I think people will still remember, ‘This girl wrote a song that really resonated with me.’”
Maxime Goulet: “I’ve always wanted to make a symphony, and I figured Québec’s ice storm of 1998 was the perfect theme to evoke the fragility of the environment, and the vulnerability of human beings. That’s why I decided on a symphony in four movements, each representing a theme from this landmark storm in Québec’s history: turmoil, heat, darkness and light.”
Logan Staats: “I’m a firm believer that every one of us has a special gift from Creator. Right now, we’ve got to use that gift, direct that gift, towards the fight for our lands, and our waters, and our planet. There is no music on a dead planet.”
Allison Russell: “Hope is a practice, and it requires community, in order for us to stay encouraged and to stay hopeful, and to believe that we can change things. We feel powerless when we’re divided. There’s only one tactic of all fascism, of all bigotry, throughout our human history, and it’s ‘divide and conquer.’ If we resist ‘divide and conquer’… we’re going to reduce harm.” (Left to right: Logan Staats, Shawnee Kish, Allison Russell, Aysanabee)