Meet Quebec’s rising stars as they prepare to hit the UK this spring

13 April 2023, 21:00

(Bibi Club) (Choses Sauvages) (Fernie) (Gayance) (Hanorah) (Ivytide) (Jonathan Roy) (Laroie) (Laurence-Anne) (Odreii) (Vanille)

Eleven artists from Canada’s sole Francophone province are set to play shows across the UK this April and May.

Quebec has been a hot bed of music for over half a century - producing legends from Leonard Cohen, Oscar Peterson and Celine Dion to some of modern music’s most inventive forces: the likes of Grimes, Kaytranada, Rufus Wainwright and Mac DeMarco.

It's no secret that funding for artists in Canada to make their name overseas is among the most generous anywhere in the world and the entire landscape of Canadian music has been changed by its approach to helping musicians thrive in other markets.

Supported by M for Montreal, the Quebec Government Office in London and SODEC, some of the most exciting new talent hoping to emulate the successes of their province-mates will play at four festivals this month and next under the "Quebec Spring" title – including Wide Days Music Festival, Liverpool Sound City, FOCUS Wales and The Great Escape.

Check out a playlist of the Quebec Spring artists below and read on to find out more about each of them.

Fernie

Brazilian/Canadian Fernie (lead image) cut his teeth as part of the Kids From the Underground, a Montreal-based collective run by producer Sam Æther. The 24-year old who began singing as a child makes intimate R&B with an underground edge. His most recent release DOLLA BILL is a collaboration with fellow Montreal resident Magi Merlin.

Find out more on Fernie's bandcamp

Laroie

The solo project of ex-Heartstreets memebr Gab Godon, Laroie dropped her debut EP in 2020. Showcasing a soulful pop sound, she’s due to release her third extended play this spring and recently guested on Tom Ravenscroft’s 6Music show with a selection of tunes and artists from Montreal.

Find out more on Laroie's bandcamp

Laurence-Anne

Originally from the city of Saint-Pascal, Laurence-Anne made the Polaris longlist with her 2019 debut album. Its 2021 follow-up Musivision cemented her visionary take on expansive dream pop.

Find out more on Laurence-Anne's bandcamp

Gayance

Under the Gayance name – the Hatian creole word for joyfulness - Montreal raised DJ and producer Aïsha Vertus has performed across the world over the past decade. Her debut on Bradley Zero’s UK based label Rhythm Section dropped last month and is a journey through her inspirations and heritage.

Find out more on Gayance's bandcamp

Jonathan Roy

With five albums spread three decades, Pointe-Claire-born Jonathan Roy took his cues from the likes of John Mayer, and Ray LaMontagne to make raw, soulful pop that wears its heart on its sleeve.

Find out more on Jonathan Roy's official website

Vanille

As Vanille, Rachel Leblanc’s taken on Franco-pop updates chanson with an indie sensibility and a fine knack for melody. Her debut album Soleil '96 will resonate with fans of Belle and Sebastian and The Zombies as much as Françoise Hardy and Serge Gainsbourg.

Find out more at Vanille's bandcamp

Ivytide

Ivytide’s rugged, country-flecked songwriterly indie sound is the product of two friends (Nathan Gangé and Jamie Snytte) who first met by chance at the same recording studio and bassist Kyle Ruggiero. They released their debut longplayer - the moody but comforting softy – in 2021.

Find out more at Ivytide's bandcamp

Bibi Club

Bibi Club are singer-keyboardist Adèle Trottier-Rivard and guitarist Nicolas Basque (you may know him from his other band Plants and Animals). Coming together in 2015, their debut album was released only last year, following a series of EPss and showcasing a minimalist electro-pop sound that owes as much to the likes of the experimentalism of Arthur Russell as Dean Blunt.

Find out more at Bibi Club's bandcamp

Choses Sauvages

The sound of Montreal quintet Choses Sauvages finds its feet through confident grooves and a nu-disco/electro swagger that's seen them fly to the top of the radio charts.

Find out more at Choses Sauvages' bandcamp

Hanorah

The unique voice of Hanorah - aka Lizzie Hanley - is filled with the same kind of timeless personality as the artists with whom she shares musical DNA - the likes of Joss Stone, Brittany Howard and Etta James. Hanley actually started writing music to process trauma and work through PTSD, and debut album Perennial is a fearless, confident statement of intent from this incredible talent.

Find out more at Hanorah's bandcamp

Odreii

Canadian/Jamaican Odreii studied music in London while living with her father – and played open mics at pubs around the city. Returning to Montreal to launch her career, she dropped 2021's impressive Sweatin' Gold, a club-ready album showcasing a sound that's grounded in her heritage.

Find out more at Odreii's official website

Catch these amazing artists at Wide Days Festival in Edinburgh (13-15 April), Liverpool Sound City (28-30 April), FOCUS Wales in Wrexham (4-6 May) and The Great Escape in Brighton (11-13 May).