A coffee with… Sally Folk | “Nobody just makes music. It’s impossible “

Name a popular Quebec singer, aged 35-45, who has just released an album or is touring.

Good luck.

There are very few left. The only two women in this age bracket who broke the list of the 20 most listened to Quebec performers last year are Marie-Annick Lépine, of the Cowboys Fringants, and pianist Alexandra Stréliski – who does not sing.

Where have the others gone?

Many took a break from music. Or added other strings to their bow. Marie-Mai, Annie Villeneuve and Marie-Ève ​​Janvier are animators. Stéphanie Lapointe is a children’s author. Others have simply left the profession.

Sally Folk is one of the few resistants. For 10 years, she has released four albums and one mini-album. Twenty of his songs play regularly on the radio.

She has also just completed a tour, in the midst of a pandemic, while caring for two young children. An impressive resume.

We meet in the middle of the afternoon at the restaurant L’Avenue, in Laval. Her looks is neat, like that of her stage character, inspired by the singers of the Supremes. I invited her to understand her longevity, in this industry where the 15 minutes of fame rarely last more than a quarter of an hour.

Her past as an entrepreneur helps her. At 20, she found herself co-owner of a popular Montreal bar, the Sofa. The money was flowing. “It was super cool. I thought I knew everything about business. Except that I was too young. I made mistakes. I got into debt of tens of thousands of dollars. »

This experience marked her. Sally Folk learned the value of hard work, the importance of marketing and the importance of saving money. Three essential conditions, according to her, for a successful long career in the music industry.

“To last in this profession, you have to surround yourself well, and work really hard,” she explains. For 10 years, album sales have collapsed. To make a living from their art, singers have to do more shows. Get away from loved ones more often. Devote more time to marketing them.

“Before, she says, the record company invested $20,000 to promote you. She was in charge of publicity and the promotional campaign. Now it’s different. When you release a song, you have to produce content for TikTok yourself. There are companies that manage their artists’ social networks, but the client [préfère] that there is an authentic side. »

Sally Folk has always had a talent for marketing. She therefore lends herself to the game. To promote the release of her latest album, she wrote humorous capsules, in which she co-starred with Laurent Paquin. There are dozens of hours of work behind this project. However, it is not all the artists of his generation who appreciate these related tasks.

“Some people give up because of that. They’re just not interested in social media. It’s hard to sell yourself, so remember, at the time, there were even artists who refused to tour! »

Today ?

“The money, we make it with the tours. »

Touring, she says, “is the fun part of the job. The candy “. But it is also exhausting, especially for young parents.

“Work-family balance is tough. In fact, it is irreconcilable with my profession. Luckily, I have a super flexible spouse. Our mothers are young and dashing. They can keep the little ones. »

A few years ago, after losing her little Elizabeth, in the sixth month of her pregnancy, she wanted to quit music. “I thought my career had caused my perinatal loss. I don’t think that was entirely wrong. I was overworked. During my next pregnancy, I did nothing. I didn’t even open my computer.

“What got you hooked on the music?”

– Therapy. I was experiencing too much frustration trying to be pregnant and pursue my career at the same time. I thought of leaving everything. My therapist said to me, “What do you want your daughters to see later? A [femme] who gave up her dreams to be a mother, or the one who rushed like crazy to complete her wish list?” »

Sally Folk returned to the stage. However, she knows several singers who have chosen to put their careers aside. “Again this morning, I spoke with a singer who gave up her career because she had children. Me, I made the decision [de repartir en tournée] willingly. I love the stage. Nothing beats it. But if I miss my daughter’s first bottle, it picks me up. I don’t feel guilty towards her. I’m angry with myself for missing this moment. »

Is it a more difficult job for women than for men?

” Absolutely. I’m not saying that to throw men under the bus. We just expect the mother to be there more. It’s correct. This is our role too. A man and a woman going away for a tour are two completely different things. A father who is not there, we will not ask him why he is absent for work. A mother ? We will say to him: hey, it must be important… ”

For a long time, Sally Folk wanted to pursue an international career. “I still dream very big. But when my daughters arrived in my life, I had a slap. I asked myself: do I really need all this? It remains a dream, but I no longer depend on the realization of this dream. »

These days, she is interested in the paths of performers who lead long careers. She found them all to have something in common. “Nobody just makes music. It’s impossible. All these artists, one day, put the music on hold to do something else. To discover another universe. Even Madonna wrote children’s books! »

Hence his humorous capsules. Hence his interest in fashion. Hence his visits to primary and secondary schools to introduce children to Quebec music. “I would also like to do radio. I understand the singers who do it. There are even some who animate from their house. That’s great. It allows you to meet your audience, while staying close to yours. »

And the place of music in all this?

“Music will always be part of my life. But will it remain my main livelihood throughout my career? I don’t know. »