By Léna
Strange and sweet melodies have been travelling all over your ears for three years now, thanks to underground label La Confiserie. Born from an alliance with GSI Musique, La Confiserie supports French-speaking and indie-crazy artists, and MEMOZ likes that!
“It’s my fault”, confesses Jean-Philippe Fréchette, well known as Navet Confit, his artist nickname. When he launched his first album LP1, in 2006, it came to the ears of GSI Musique. “While talking about the contract, we went on and created a label together”. Mr. Confit dropped the independent underground label he managed at that time, Disques Dry & Dead: “Dry and dead, indeed they are!”, he says, laughing.
The resourcefulness of the musician attracted GSI Musique “which wanted to develop an alternative branch in their record company”, appointing him artistic director of La Confiserie. Émilie Proulx and her melancholic folk, inspired by Ani Difranco and Joni Mitchell, reminiscent of “the way [she is] feeling at a precise moment, trying to say the unspeakable”, the rock singer Carl-Éric Hudon, Navet Confit and his “nursery rhythms for schizophrenic people”, and at last, Polipe and their colorful pop, make up the La Confiserie catalogue. A French-speaking artists lineup, “because we have trouble being heard, and it is not to look pitiful, but we need it and it is poetic”, says Navet Confit.
Polipe, one of the most original bands from La Confiserie label.
“I meet the artists, choose them and see what is possible with them. I often fall in love during shows or working with people. We supervise the production, the promotion and I manage all of this. I’m a bit like a super hero”, jokes Jean-Philippe Fréchette, office man by day and musician by night.
-“It is amazing how you play both roles well”, notices Émilie Proulx, beside him during the interview, who met La Confiserie because of Carl-Éric Hudon, her neighbor at the time.
-“I make REALLY beautiful Excel documents”, Mr. Confit answers, with pride and derision. “You worked in a music store”, he says to Émilie Proulx, “you received LP1 and talked to me about my music”.
-“Oh yeah? I don’t remember!”
-“I listened your music on Myspace and the songs on it really hit me!”
Maybe have you seen the band and their guests on stage the 7th of August during the Francofolies, for a free hand formula where everyone played their own songs and their guests’ ones, in a free-spirited and funny atmosphere! If not, the label will play more shows following that idea, keep and eye on MEMOZ to know when…
“Having the facilities and the GSI team working with us, calling people for special projects, having these human resources and this supervision made all the difference”, explains Jean-Philippe, who experienced the hardships in running his own independent label. “Since I signed my contract, I saw a quick change in the marketing of albums, because it is more and more difficult to be distributed when you are independent. Being attached to GSI Musique makes it possible to be distributed in all of Canada, even if we focus on Quebec”.
For the record, the third album of Navet Confit will be available in September, while Polipe’s first full-length will be out in October. For a candy-sweet sound distribution, go on the brand new La Confiserie website and open wide your bubble gums, colors and sparkling nuggets guaranteed!
