Did you know that Vincent Vallières would have left the world of music if his album Everyone in their own space, had no success? That Mara Tremblay agreed to sing on the title track out of friendship with a musician friend of the singer? That we hear Louis-Jean Cormier's voice in the song Tommy and his electric guitar 1986? The newspaper spoke to the singer-songwriter about this work – available again in vinyl format – that propelled his career 20 years ago.
Vincent, what does this record mean to you?
“It was my third record – and not the first like a lot of people think – and for me it was kind of a last chance record. My producer had the patience to allow me to do another one after two albums didn't really work. I had my back to the wall wondering what I would do with my life if the music didn't work. My friend suggested I give myself a real chance; We moved to Montreal and I wrote the entire album. There was the critical reception and especially the shows where we really built an audience that recognized themselves in the songs. Then it started.”
I feel like you remember the making of this album like it was yesterday, right?
“Really! I reconnect with that era when I listen to it now. I was 24 years old, I sang about my current lifestyle on a record with almost no retouching; the first apartments, the first blondes. Everything was new. The People in the audience became real friends. I see this time as THE defining moment for me and the real encounter with the public. That has always remained my job over the years: closeness. It is one of my most valuable memories.”
What do you think was the reason for the good response to this album?
“I think there was a sense of urgency. When I wrote the song “The Future Is Closer Than Before,” I was fully aware that it had to work or I would give up. I realized I had a certain instinct for writing songs. Jean-François Pauzé, who signs the text behind the record, and the Cowboys Fringants inspire me with their ability to tell stories. He told me: Write about what you know, what you like. That's what I did.”
What are you most proud of in the last 20 years of your career?
“I have managed to maintain and persevere in a kind of truth in my work. To write songs that fit the time, the present moment, and feel like I can still take my old songs and perform them with joy.”
your first book, bitumen and wind, achieved great success. Does that surprise you?
“I am happy and touched about it. I find intimacy with a reader crazy, completely different [de celle] with a spectator. Reading a book is the action you take; Go to the store to buy the book and set aside hours to read it. It's an investment. I’m very happy that the book is making progress.”
Photo provided by Éditions Mémoire d'encrier
What's coming up for you?
“I have plans to write a new album that will keep me busy in the coming months. I hope to release a few songs in 2024. For me, music must remain a place of permission and risk. I'm faced with a blank page and see many opportunities to get better and do things I've never done before. It makes me feverish.”
- The album Everyone in their own space by Vincent Vallières is available again in vinyl format on the singer's Bandcamp and in all good record stores.