interview
Charlotte Cardin: ‘Céline Dion has a big place in my life’
The 28-year-old from Montreal opened the 57th edition of the festival on Friday. Catch up a few hours before his concert to talk about his favorite diva, Jim Carrey, and his upcoming album.
Posted Jul 1, 2023 11:39 am
Charlotte Cardin’s next album will be released on August 25, 2023.
media profile
She has a touch of Liv Tyler, with even more sweetness when she speaks. Charlotte Cardin inaugurated the Terrasse Ibis stage on Friday 30 June as part of the 57th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The jazzy and pop voice of the 28-year-old from Montreal won over the audience, to whom she mainly played songs from her second album, which was released at the end of August.
The ex-contestant of “The Voice” in Canada has come a long way since placing third on the Tele-Hook in 2013. Her debut album Phoenix was a huge hit, United States President Joe Biden loves her music and she was named Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards (Canada’s Grammys) in 2022.
While it’s raining, Charlotte Cardin talks to us in a hotel in Montreux about her future album Celine Dion, but also about Jim Carrey, of whom she is a fan.
How do you feel?
It’s our first time at the Montreux Jazz and the setting is great. I can’t wait to play it. I will also present some unreleased tracks from my future album. I am in very good shape.
Searching your social networks, we discover a video of you singing a Celine Dion song as a child. What place does it have in your life?
She’s a big part of my life because I listened to her music a lot when I was a kid. I learned to sing by trying to imitate everything she did with her voice. It really was my first big musical crush. That’s funny because at all my singing lesson concerts I always sang a Celine song. After my 12th concert, my teacher said to me: “Don’t you want to interpret something else?” I didn’t want to at all. (Laughs.) In the end, I still decided on a title by Michael Bublé.
They also have a passion for Jim Carrey…
(laughs) Yes. Jim Carrey is someone I find absolutely brilliant, fascinating and eloquent. I got caught in a whirlpool watching all of his interviews where he talked about ego. He explains how our fears drive us to create characters that prevent us from moving forward in life because we are afraid of being judged. And why in the end? Liked by others? It’s really amazing to hear him speak on this subject. I then wrote a song on that subject called “Jim Carrey” that will be on the next album.
Your second album which will be released on August 25th. what can you tell us
It’s called “99 Nights” because it was written over the course of one summer. I went through a lot of things back then. We started writing several songs with my friends in the studio. Those were really my getaway moments during this bittersweet time. I also think that slightly sweet and sour side is very prominent, but the project remains very much in the present moment. We tried not to ask too many questions while writing. I just wanted to summarize a bit the situations I went through. Ultimately, this CD is a bit like a diary.
The second album is that of pressure, as they say. Does that suit you?
I’ve been asked this question many times, but I don’t see it that way. My first record “Phoenix” was very well received, but I am very happy to present these songs. It’s another part of me that I like to share. So no, I don’t see it as a big push.
Your debut single “Confetti” is about your introverted side. Did you learn to tame it?
Yes, totally. It’s a part of me that I’ve learned to tame, but I still feel it. Because of my job, I can’t afford to be alone all the time. I am often surrounded by many people and only manage to recharge my energy on my own. Many people find their energy when they are surrounded. When I’m at big parties where there’s a lot of noise and crowds, I can get pretty nervous.
With the title “99 Nights” you remember a distant partner.
Right, but that wasn’t the primary goal. When we made the model, we were talking to life, not to anyone in particular. It said I felt isolated for 99 nights and asked myself many questions. First I asked life to give me a sign to make me feel better. We continued to work on the text and of course it turned into a title in which I address a partner.
You have also just collaborated with the German group Milky Chance on the title History of Yesterday. How did you meet each other?
Two years ago I received a message from Milky Chance on Instagram: “We love your music, we should work together.” I was in Paris at the time and told them: “I’m not far from Berlin, we could see each other next week. “ Three days later I took a flight. (She pauses.) Sometimes there are encounters where you feel like you’ve known strangers forever. And that’s really the feeling I had with Phil and Clemens. We wrote the song in a day and a half. We recorded it on the second day. The stars aligned and they became my friends. Since then we have seen each other many times. When they came to Montreal to play, I went on stage with them. It’s a great meeting and a great collaboration that I’m proud of.