An Interview With “Blue to Blue” Artist, Cat LeBlanc
Cat LeBlanc interviewed By Shaylynn Hayes
As an Acadian myself, I’m curious because you’re a LeBlanc, are your ancestors Acadian?
I’m Acadian on my father’s facet. A LeBlanc household tragedy resulted within the language and heritage being misplaced to a big diploma. My mom is Irish. She was born in Grand Falls and have become a French trainer. She lives in Miramichi. I’m fascinated by my heritage on each side.
How have the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada influenced your music?
My Atlantic music influences are diversified: Roch Voisine, Édith Butler, Julie Doiron, Lisa Richard, Debbie Adshade, Jenn Grant, and Lennie Gallant mash-up with my extra international music influences: Dan Hill, Jewel, Kate Bush, Enya, Julee Cruise, Joni Mitchell, Édith Piaf, The Climate Station, Billie Vacation, Sting and Björk.
Are there native artists that you simply’ve discovered inspiring?
There are such a lot of gifted music artists proper in my metropolis and in NB. I comply with and hearken to the next artists, and extra! Colin Fowlie, Debbie Adshade, Cross Reduce, Free to Develop (Jeff Patch), Jaclyn Reinhart, Kylie Fox, Apryll Aileen, Bleum, Troy McLaggan, Younger Devil in Love, Honey Intestine, Frantically Atlantic, Open Strum (Michel Goguen), Brent Mason, The Tortoise, The Hare & The Millionaire (Matt Carr), Ryan Hillier, Maria Bourgeois, Jessica Rhaye, Krista Shannon, Wangled Teb, Peter Hicks, Moon Joyce, Matt Comeau, and ZWERG.
Has it been difficult as an Atlantic-Canadian artist? Do you assume it’s tougher right here than it’s in say, Toronto or Boston?
It’s tremendous difficult to get your music and your model on the market, and get seen. There are such a lot of different music artists doing the identical factor. If I hadn’t been found and supported by individuals who know greater than me, I’d not know go about all of it. It may be very overwhelming. The recommendation my administration has given me is to assume globally. They need to put my music out into the world and diversify it by means of commercials, movies, and creative tasks. I really like that concept, however understanding nothing about it, I want their assist and training. It’s one of the best of each worlds. I might be concerned in my native music scene as I really like my music group and have many mates I collaborate with whereas all the time retaining my eye on the broader Canadian and Worldwide music scene. I’ve been paired with worldwide artists together with Dan Hill who’ve mentored and helped me take my music to the subsequent degree. It’s been eye-opening and an important studying expertise.
What impressed the songs on Blue to Blue?
My debut album Blue to Blue is born out of my fascination with the bloom of friendship, my perception that there’s something on the market past us within the stars, my want to know how love can flip into hate, and my ache at how individuals are handled as they get older. My tune preparations are typically stripped right down to only one or two devices to help my lyrics and vocals, however I additionally favour closely saturated instrumentation in a few of my pop songs that might translate properly into movie scores.
“River Winding By Your Arms” offers me a particular folk-vibe—I’d love the story concerning the inspiration behind this tune. Truthfully, I used to be in tears listening the primary time and performed two instances in a row. Are you deeply religious your self?
I’m religious. I really feel issues very deeply, and I’ve a whole lot of empathy for individuals and their challenges. All my songs are deeply private and mirror my hurts and joys and the hurts and joys of the individuals I really like. Typically individuals inform me they discover my songs mysterious, however that isn’t my intent when writing my songs. They circulation out of me. River Winding By Your Arms is about escaping darkness and bravely venturing into the world as a free soul after being a captive. It’s about with the ability to bend and circulation into a brand new life and survive challenges and heartbreak. The tune may be very reflective of how I really feel personally.
Having an album launch in 2020 must-have its challenges—how have you ever tailored through the COVID-19 pandemic?
I used to be proud of my Blue to Blue EP launch occasion in February of this 12 months. Up till it began, I assumed no person would present up, after which in typical Fredericton vogue, everyone confirmed up directly on the final minute. It was a unbelievable launch, and my mother and mates had been there too, which made it good. My band, who’re terrific, took my songs to an entire new degree in our dwell efficiency.
My greatest disappointment has been canceling my music tour in Italy. I used to be scheduled to go on my first mini tour ever, and I used to be going to carry out as a solo artist. All my venues had been booked and ready for me. Then, the pandemic struck.
Through the pandemic, I’ve spent most of my time outdoors of my job, taking masterclasses with music artists, music managers, and music supervisors, engaged on my guitar, writing, studying extra covers, and strengthening my guitar abilities. I’ve additionally been practising on my new electrical guitar and recording.
What recommendation do you could have for up and coming native artists?
I’d cross on the identical recommendation given to me: treasure your native music group and help it and its artists whereas making your approach on the market into the worldwide music market. Diversify your music, take courses to be taught extra concerning the music enterprise and all of the various things you are able to do together with your music. Do greater than carry out dwell and go on tour, assume commercials, movies, and extra. Be an influencer, have an internet presence, have a model, and promote your model.
Additionally, hearken to totally different genres of music, assume outdoors the field.
Is Fredericton a superb metropolis for a musician? Why or why not?
Fredericton is wealthy with music and music artists. It’s a really supportive group for music, very similar to all of New Brunswick. It could be good to have extra feminine journalists protecting feminine music artists. It could be good to have older musicians and music artists targeted on extra. Exterior of that, I discover the group very supportive and all the time prepared to help to assist one another.
Your voice is haunting, actually. Have you ever all the time identified you had been a singer?
No. I sang on my own in my room and didn’t need to do it past that. My mom inspired me to do extra with my music and had me acting at 5 years outdated. My early and later years had been spent performing, and I didn’t all the time get pleasure from it, to be trustworthy; it was demanding. I recognize how supportive my mom was now that I’m older as I get pleasure from singing now and really feel that my years of singing together with her help have developed my model and helped me hone my tune writing.
Media hyperlinks:
For buy: https://catleblanc.hearnow.com/?fbclid=IwAR1cD3iHyg6WXHIoP-TSjwluGLxMLUrChLnhCx5KQBNbKh9u0nbQapXBchg
Aspect of the Highway music video for the tune of the identical identify on Youtube. https://youtu.be/gmhvIgrJFik
Aspect of the Highway music video on Fb: Fb: https://www.facebook.com/cat.leblanc.9/videos/10158197993995979/UzpfSTU0NzQzMDk3ODozMDYwNjExMjk0OTk0MTQ6MTA6MDoxNTgzMDQ5NTk5Oi0zMjcyOTg3MzU1NTk4MDQ0Nzk3/
One other World Album: https://open.spotify.com/album/6vVmhSf78RdxPWeKEsP1GJ?si=D2O1_5_dT7azGoeZQ3PgbA
Artist Web site: https://www.catmaryleblanc.com
Fb Artist Website: https://www.facebook.com/catmaryleblanc/
Fb Private Web page: https://www.facebook.com/cat.leblanc.9
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catleblancsongbird/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/catinahat
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/catleblanc
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