Venus Virus
by Léna & Carine
You’ve never heard about Venus Virus ? Open your ears and be warned, influenza A(H1N1) isn’t the only contagion these days! The band who played with Mathieu Laberge and Dog Bless you on July 28th at le Quai des Brumes for Memoz’s concert, released their first album, Notre futur n’existe qu’au passé, on June 17th, through Itunes and Zic.ca. Karine Maisonneuve and David Goulet, leaders of Venus Virus, invited MEMOZ for a trip across their universe.
Venus Virus was born two years ago. Karine, singer, writes the songs, while David, guitarist, composes the music. “I started taking singing classes, by chance, explains Karine, and I liked it. I met David and it was an artistic love at first sight! He introduced me to great musicians, and the band was born”.
Full, colored and elaborated arrangements, jazzy brass accompaniments, Venus Virus loves the cabaret. “It’s an aesthetic, says Karine. This is not a typically 30’s burlesque cabaret, we broadened the meaning of it with our 60,s, 70’s, even 80’s inspirations. There is something cynical in the cabaret, up to the punk-trash, and we like to put it together with our jazzy universe”.
Music, like a virus
“I’ve always been a music lover, my dad had a lot of vinyls I listened to when I was young, The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones… “ The Venus Virus singer then took interest in electronic music, going to raves. “Four years ago, I decided to launch my jazzy cabaret project”, she sums up.
“My father is an accountant, playing guitar in the evening on the balcony while drinking coffee. When I was young, I asked him to show me the chords”, remembers David Goulet. “He bought me a guitar for my birthday, during my sixth year of school. In high school, we were THE school’s band, playing three tunes, not ours, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam… Then, I played punk-rock. I wore a hat, whatever the weather was, sunny, cold or hot, inside or outside. It turned into a big bad metal band”, he remembers, laughing. “After that, I played prog-rock, but we stayed in the basements. I was a graphic designer, I jammed and then I realized I wasn’t good at it and that I had to become like my father, playing guitar with a coffee, at night, coming back from the office! So I went back to Cegep to learn music, and life became beautiful again. THE END!”
The band defines itself as “retro”, “swingy-jazzy-pop”, and explores every musical spheres. “But there is a Venus Virus musical signature with David’s arrangements”, explains Karine. By the way, why this name? “I studied in fashion design and created a collection named like that. People nicknamed me Venus Virus, so I kept the name. There is a girly and mischievous side in it, it stays in your mind like a virus!”
Words flowing from Karine’s pen are not always tender. Her acerbic, cynical French texts drive mankind into a corner. “I look at you and I want to change/ I want the superior version “, she sings in Soul Mambo song, or “Wise men, keep me totally cold/ And I don’t want to speak about marriage”, in J’aime les voyous.
Hey Karine, do you bear a grudge against men? “Not at all! It’s part of my personality, I’m a bit teasing. I draw my inspiration from the French song and Boris Vian, I love his cynical side, when he tells the truth straight out with a little half-smile”.
