Name a popular Quebec singer, aged 35-45, who has just released an album or is on tour.
Posted at 5:00 am
Much luck.
There are very few left. The only two women in this age group to break the list of Quebec’s 20 Most Listened To artists last year are Marie-Annick Lépine of the Cowboys Fringants and pianist Alexandra Streliski – who doesn’t sing.
Where have the others gone?
Many took a break from music. Or added other strings to her bow. Marie-Mai, Annie Villeneuve and Marie-Ève Janvier are animators. Stéphanie Lapointe is a children’s book author. Others simply gave up the profession.
Sally Folk is one of the few resistances. In 10 years she has released four albums and one mini-album. Twenty of his songs are regularly played on the radio.
She also just wrapped up a tour amid a pandemic while looking after two young children. An impressive CV.
We meet in the afternoon at the restaurant L’Avenue in Laval. Her look is groomed, like her stage character, inspired by the Supremes singers. I invited her to understand her longevity in this industry, where 15 minutes of fame rarely exceed fifteen minutes.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Sally Folk
Her past as an entrepreneur helps her. At 20, she became co-owner of a popular Montreal bar, the Sofa. The money flowed. “It was super cool. I thought I knew everything about business. Except I was too young. I made mistakes. I have tens of thousands of dollars in debt. »
This experience shaped her. Sally Folk learned the value of hard work, the importance of marketing and the importance of saving. In her opinion, three essential requirements for a successful long career in the music industry.
“You have to surround yourself well and work really hard to succeed in this job,” she explains. Album sales have plummeted for 10 years. To make a living from their art, singers need to do more shows. Separate yourself from your loved ones more often. Spend more time marketing.
“Before, she says, the record company invested $20,000 to promote you. She was responsible for public relations and the advertising campaign. It’s different now. When you release a song, you have to produce content for TikTok yourself. There are companies that manage their artists’ social networks, but the customer [préfère] that there is an authentic side. »
Sally Folk has always had a talent for marketing. She therefore lends herself to the game.To promote the release of her latest album, she wrote humorous capsules in which she starred with Laurent Paquin. There are dozens of hours of work behind this project. But not all artists of his generation appreciate these tasks.
“Some people give up because of that. They just don’t care about social media. It’s hard to sell yourself, so remember there were even artists back then who refused to tour! »
Today ?
“We earn the money with the tours. »
Touring, she says, “is the fun part of the job. The candy “. But it’s also exhausting, especially for young parents.
“Balancing work and family is difficult. Actually, it is not compatible with my work. Luckily I have a super flexible spouse. Our mothers are young and dashing. The little ones can keep them. »
You want to be there for your children, but you also don’t want to give up on your dreams. I did a whole therapy block with it…
Sally Folk
A few years ago, after losing little Elizabeth six months pregnant, she wanted to quit music. “I thought my career caused my perinatal loss. I don’t think that was entirely wrong. I was overworked. During my next pregnancy I did nothing. I didn’t even open my computer.
“What got you hooked on music?”
– Therapy. I was too frustrated trying to be pregnant while pursuing my career. I thought about leaving everything. My therapist said to me, “What do you want your daughters to watch later? A [femme] who gave up on her dream of becoming a mother, or who rushed like crazy to complete her wish list?” »
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Sally Folk
Sally Folk returned to the stage. However, she knows several singers who have decided to put their careers aside. “This morning I spoke again to a singer who gave up her career because she had children. Me, I made the decision [de repartir en tournée] willingly. i love the stage Nothing tops it. But if I miss my daughter’s first bottle, it picks me up. I don’t feel guilty towards her. I’m angry with myself for missing this moment. »
Is the job more difficult for women than for men?
” Absolutely. I’m not saying this to throw men under the bus. We just expect the mother to be there more. That’s right. That’s our role too. A man and a woman who go on tour are two completely different things. A father who isn’t there, we won’t ask why he’s absent because of work. A mother? We’ll tell him: Hey, that must be important…”
Sally Folk has long wanted to pursue an international career. “I still dream big. But when my daughters came into my life, I got a slap in the face. I asked myself: do I really need all this? It remains a dream, but I am no longer dependent on the realization of this dream. »
Today she is interested in the paths of artists who have a long career behind them. She thought they all had something in common. “No one just makes music. It is impossible. All these artists one day put music on hold to do something else. To discover another universe. Even Madonna wrote children’s books! »
Just making music doesn’t feed me. If I don’t see anything, I always feel like I’m rewriting the same song. I need to meet new people. That will make it possible to write a new album.
Sally Folk
Hence his humorous capsules. Hence his interest in fashion. Hence his visits to elementary and high schools to bring Quebec music to children. “I would also like to do radio. I understand the singers who do that. There are even some who animate from their homes. That’s great. It allows you to meet your audience while staying close to yours. »
And the place of music in all of this?
“Music will always be part of my life. But will it remain my main source of income throughout my career? I don’t know. »
Questionnaire without filters
Sally Folk in a nutshell
- Born in Montreal in 1982.
- His first French language album (2013), containing the songs Joyeux infidèles and C’est vrai, sold more than 40,000 copies. It also earned him mentions on ADISQ in the Reveal of the Year and Pop Album of the Year categories.
- Since then she has released three more albums: Second Act, Third Act and Ô Psychologue.