INTERVIEW MONSTRE: Gene CHAMPAGNE: "I felt like when I found the Ramones I found MY band."
Si la récente reprise de Let's Pretend des Barracudas a été plébiscitée par les membres du blog, le reste de la production de Gene Champagne est vraiment excellente. Il nous propose un rafraîchissant et addictif mélange de power pop et de punk
Suite à notre sollicitation, il a accepté de bonne grâce de répondre à nos questions pour notre plus grand plaisir.
Taste question: Which artists have influenced you the most, and what examples can you tell us about this influence? Who is the artist you dislike and why will he/she never influence you?
I would say and handful of bands really shaped me. I was influenced by bands that were local growing up. Oddly enough the bands that inspired me were never huge bands but rather club bands and one of those bands is Teenage Head. They were a big part in my record collection and played a huge role in my musical journey. I have been playing drums with them for the last decade.( If only my 15 year old self could see into the future). The Ramones too were a huge influence on me. I felt like when I found the Ramones I found MY band. They also spoke to me in a way that supercharged me musically and I found my way from there. As far as an artist that I dislike? That is a tough question because I am open to a lot of genres but after some consideration I would have to say mostly anything in the new country genre. I just find it to now be pop music with generic lyric themes sung with a put on twang vocally that I find myself turning my nose up to. That being said I do like some old school country and my first concert ever was Loretta Lynn a country singer that my mother took me to.
Intellectual question: Which non-musical artist (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way you evolved…
A non musical artist that played a role in the way I evolved. This question I assume you mean musically. I am afraid I am not much of a reader and never have been. I wish I was though but I do find myself a visual person. If I look at this question from my musical evolution I would look at the pop culture side of things and movies that fit into that roll while I was growing up. All the John Hughes movies like Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Weird Science etc. they had great soundtracks that were in tune with what was popular with us teens at that time. A piece of that stuck with me and that youthful energy that I wanted to keep. For a long time in my younger years I wanted to write in a way that my music could ‘fit’ into a popular teen film. Later in the 2000’s there was the same vibe with the American Pie movies where music and teen culture met.
History question: Can you sum up the life of your career?
I started playing drums when I was 11 years old taking lessons. About a year later, I was playing in a school performance when I was later approached by a couple older guys that had heard about me playing. They asked if I wanted to join their band. I said yes and we started by playing our own music because we were terrible trying to do other people's music. We kind of did it backwards and thankfully we did because we learned a lot of writing music and we did a few small shows. By high school, I was in another original band and we had my original bandmate join us. We played together and wrote for a few years until that singer quit. Mike my friend and very first bandmate took the lead in that band and we continued on to morph into a band called The Killjoys in the very early 90’s. That band went on to sign a record deal with Warner in Canada and we toured constantly and made 3 studio albums and a live album and were on many compilations and reissues of or original releases. By this time I had learned a bit of guitar and contributed on our second album with a solo acoustic song. I continued getting better at writing and playing the guitar so when The Killjoys took a long hiatus I really didn’t know what to do so I started writing and made my own record with a band I put together and fronted called Junior Achiever. That record was released in USA, UK and Japan and we were lucky enough to tour Japan.That band went on for a few years before life got in the way and we went our own ways remaining friends. In the last decade The Killjoys played a few reunion shows and we reissued our first record on vinyl with a small run of shows. I also stepped in and subbed for Teenage Head’s drummer that fell ill for a festival show. After that show I remained the drummer for that band and we have played tons and tons of shows filmed a documentary and released a Best Of record called ‘ Fun Comes Fast’ along with re issues of their biggest albums. I also during this time dug in and recorded my own solo EP called ‘Let’s Jet’ and released it.This was the opportunity to write record and mix the record in it’s entirety. I enjoyed the process and am continuing with that as I just released my latest single called ‘I Can’t Pretend’ which I think will land on an LP I plan for the fall. Next up is a 7 inch of two original songs I will release on German label Lighthouse records that will be out in March. So onward we go.
Selfish question: Why did you prefer a solo career than being in a band?
These days I am enjoying doing the solo thing. I have been in bands for many many years and some of the best days of my life really. Doing this solo though is an opportunity to be a bit selfish and do some things I have always wanted to do. In a band there is always times you give in to compromise because it is for the greater good of the project and to keep things moving along. I enjoy just getting to work creating from writing through to the recording and mixing process. I enjoy seeing how far a song or album can go to find an audience and this keeps me busy. It is something I just need to do.When I do play live I have a band and they are great friends I have know forever and we have a ton of laughs.
Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution?
I think the person that helped me most in my musical evolution was Gordie Lewis of Teenage Head. He was a dear friend and eventually a bandmate yet he never knew that he was the one that taught me so much. As I said before Teenage Head was a band that enormously influenced me and I learned how to play guitar by listening to Gordie on those records. When I finally started playing drums with them and did some recording with Gordie I really got to watch and listen and started to learn how to do some lead guitar which I have alway wanted to do lifting pieces of his style although he could never be duplicated. He was also very kind and complimentary to me about my musical ability when we played together and that alone coming from your hero gave me great confidence.
The dumbest thing that has happened to me musically is some trips and falls on drum risers in front of audiences but the absolute dumbest was one time I was playing drums on a show and my seat was needing to be looked at and tightened so I took it off the base but then proceeded to sit down on the same seat that I just took away. Needless to say I tumbled backwards off of the stage in front of an audience.
Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your career, and can you tell us about it?
By far the biggest benefit form my musical career is the travel. I have been able to see all of my country here in Canada but I have been able to travel other countries as well. All of the USA, Mexico, Japan and I will be doing Spain in May. Getting to travel with your friends is a great experience.There are still many countries on my wish list and if music can take me there that is a special bonus.
Art question: What book, film, record and current band do you really like?
I have been listening to some older bands as as late and really been digging the older Queers records. I have been going down the rabbit hole listening to a lot of their older records.
Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?
Funniest thing is is always the embarrassing public face pants into the stage like the story I mentioned earlier. The road when touring was full of so many funny stories some blurrier than others.
Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese? (you're allowed to Google it, the theme is rock and underground culture).
I have never been to France but very much want to visit. When I think France it makes me think cafes and old 60’s and 70’s style French music with lots of reverb that could be set into a spy movie. And of course the Eiffel Tower and great history and architecture. Being from Canada we have nothing that has the old history that France and Europe has.
Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them?
I think Les Monsters Sacres should interview Brad Marino if you haven’t already. I just played drums for his new record coming out in March and I think it is a really great record. I really like his stuff even before being asked to play on his newest record. If you dig what I do you will love Brad Marino too. He has great pop and rock roll songs. I will touring Spain in March with him so there is lots to talk about.
Patriotic question: Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made par artists of our country.
I had to do some listening as I am not as familiar with many French artists but here it goes. I really like the old punk bands.
Daft Punk ( obviously)
Gorjira. ( I am friends with their one of their road crew so this is a must)
Guilty Razors
Starshooter
Les Wampas
Asphalt Jungle
Patriotic question 2 : Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of your country.
These are just some of the Canadian artists with some really great records.
The Forgotten Rebels
Teenage Head
The Shakers
Sum 41
Simple Plan
We thank you, Gene !
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