Interview with Silent Soul

"A song is like a little movie" - Silent Soul – by Mel in Toronto

With an immediate appeal, Silent Soul presents accessible, catchy and melodic rock music, rounded up with an incredible visually appealing and involving live performance. The fun this Montreal based band brings to the stage is contagious and was very well received by the audience at their debut performance in Ontario during Indie Week Toronto this October. "The scene here is really good, we really enjoyed it," lead singer Pat says while sitting next to guitarist Sam in a restaurant in downtown Toronto.

Silent Soul are Patrick Bouchard (lead vocals, lead guitar), Samuel Gauthier (vocals, rhythm guitar), David Arbour (vocals, bass), and Michel Francoeur (vocals, drums). The band has been together since 2004. For almost two years, Silent Soul only rehearsed: "There is a certain quality that we were looking for and after we had it in rehearsal, we decided to bring it on stage," Sam says. Silent Soul is a strong, well rounded band, both in their live performances and song writing.

Influenced by bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, The Used, Fall Out Boy, Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Sum 41, and A Perfect Circle, it is Pat who does most of the song writing. Writing the lyrics "is the hardest part in song writing, I have to be inspired to write lyrics, more than when I write music," Pat says. "The stories in my songs are about my own life, my ex-girlfriends' lives and the people around me. And there is fiction too. You don't have to forget something, a song is a story too, a little story. And not all stories have to be true. There is fiction, there is thriller, and there is comedy. A song is like a little movie and when I write lyrics, my approach is just like this."

While explaining the meaning of the song STILL WAITING, Pat starts to sing in the middle of the restaurant "You don't know my name, but I know all about you. You don't know my face, but I am going to let it show," and says with a big smile on his face "That's all I have to say."

The song EVERYDAY is about "something you live with everyday. It can be applied to whatever you live with in your life," Sam says. About NELLY Pat says that it is "a fictive name of one of my ex-girlfriends who cheated on me." The song TURN ON THE LIGHT deals with a dark issue: "It's about when you feel very sad," Pat says. "It's about help, about when everything seems black and you are completely lost and you need help. You are asking somebody to turn on the light, because I cannot do it by myself, it's too hard. I am sitting on the floor and the switch is too far."

Silent Soul is a very ambitious band, who tries "to pass on emotion to people" with their music, as Sam puts it. "I think music is something you have inside of you and it's great to make it heard," Pat says. "When I was a teenager, I really liked music and I had posters on my walls and it was just amazing in my head." Their love for music is evident in every single song, in their live performance and in their enthusiasm. Make sure to check out their video, and when you see them live, you will immediately like them.

"In your own words" – ONE on ONE with Mel and Pat and Sam

Mel: What does it mean to you to be an indie artist?

Pat: It means a lot, but sometimes it's pretty hard, because you don't have any money, you don't have any help to make things happen. Being an indie artist often means playing small shows, small venues, and sometimes when you know that your product is well done and your songs are great, I hope so (smiles), it can be hard to live in that kind of world. But I think it's just a road every band has to take.

Sam: There are many definitions about indie. Some are taking indie as a style, but from my point of view, it's a state. You are indie because you are independent, you don't have a team working for you, the team is you.

Mel: Which opportunities do you see with indieSolo?

Sam: There is probably way more than we think. It's a window to the world. People are going to hear us. I think it's getting a really interesting tool in the industry for everybody. Even for us, as an indie band, we are promoters of our own shows, so when we are looking for new bands, we are looking on indieSolo to hook up with other bands. Because you pre-selected them, they are already good. So that's a good thing. Especially now that you are starting to be promoters also, and you are trying to push that a little bit more. We hope we are going to be considered in your choices to be playing your events. We are looking to play way more in Toronto, in Ontario now than in Quebec.

Mel: Could you please tell us about the indie music scene in Quebec?

Sam: It's very different there than in Ontario.

Pat: The rock scene is very small.

Sam: The thing is that in Quebec, there is the French and English clash. There is always something going on. And here, we are accepted right away because we are playing music in English, even if we have an accent when we speak English.

Pat: I don't think I have an accent when I sing. I think that is important, but when I speak, I think, it doesn't really matter. But in Quebec, it's always been hard to promote our band, because we have to fight. You have to fight every time. Why don't you sing in French, you are French? Just because, that's all, there is no other reason.

Sam: That's the major part. We'd really like to play in Ontario. I don't know about you Pat, but I do feel accepted. I do feel accepted here and more invited. The people are kind, I don't have to fight, I don't have to prove anything, I just have to play and have fun.

Pat: I just want to say that we really like and that we really appreciate our fans in Quebec, because there is a big fan base right there for us. The fact is not about the fans, it's about the industry. I just want to be clear about that.

Sam: Because the industry is very French oriented, it's really hard for us to find a team in Quebec.

Mel: So, you've always sung in English?

Pat: Yes.

Sam: Except in my shower, I do sing in French, but I am drowning every time, so I have to stop that (laughs).

Mel: Where do you see Silent Soul in five years?

Pat: Just listen to me! We are going to be an international band, we are going to be everywhere and all you kids come listen to our music and you'll have posters on your walls.

Sam: That's pretty much the same for me: around the world.

-end

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