PHOTO GALLERY BELOW
After the Kenekt songwriting camps held in June this year at the Francos in Montréal and in Los Angeles, followed by ones in Mumbai in August, Pender Island (B.C.) and Nashville in September, and Québec City at Le Pantoum in October, the ultimate, exceptional music experience for SOCAN gatherings of 2025 took place in Montréal, from December 8 to 10, at Uniq Sound Studio.
Gaby Gauthier-Durand, SOCAN’s Creative Relations Representative, co-ordinated this final Kenekt camp of 2025; with valuable support from Tessy Pokuah Paquin, who oversees awards shows, programming and partnerships; as well as the involvement of Marie-Michèle Bouchard and Thalia Chaput from SOCAN’s Communications and Marketing team.
As Gauthier-Durand explains, “For this edition of the Kenekt Camp, I wanted to connect with creators from Montréal’s Anglophone music scene and surrounding areas, and offer them a unique space for creativity and networking. We brought together 12 songwriters and producers from Montréal, Québec City, Halifax, Toronto, and Gatineau – some with extensive songwriting camp experience, and others participating in co-creation for the very first time. This range of backgrounds led to 12 excellent songs, and helped forge strong collaborative ties among the participants.”
The 12 participants, divided into four different teams each day, were randomly assigned themes to spark their creativity, as they had a single day to compose, write, and record songs. According to producer Will Lamoureux, it was an intense and highly energizing creative exercise: “It was a true privilege to create in a setting that brings together, uplifts, and connects Canada’s artistic community the way the Kenekt Camp does. It’s a rare space that pushes us to go beyond our limits, and become better versions of ourselves. Thank you, SOCAN!”
The camp wrapped up with a listening session for a group of key industry players, and the camp brought together an impressive lineup of songwriters, composers, and performers: Eadsé (publisher: Musique Nomade), Fernie (publisher: Secret City Records), Gäelle, Julyan (publisher: Rosemarie Records), Laraw (publisher: Bravo Musique), Rose Adam, Sara-Danielle, and Willa Owen.
To complete the teams, four SOCAN member producers also took part: Funkywhat, KingAlexBeats (publisher: Bloc Notes Musique), Maze, and Will Lamoureux.
SOCAN congratulates all the participants who took part in the Montréal Kenekt Camp, and warmly thanks the music publishers for their support.
