Posted yesterday at 7:00 a.m.
The project
A lot has happened since we discovered Narcisse during the final of the Francouvertes in November 2020. Among other things, a signature with the Quebec label Pantoum Records, then “the great path” of creating his first album, made of “a lot of exaltation, doubts and questioning”, says the artist who is now entering the big leagues. There is no question of distorting it, however, and Narcisse always offers a resolutely danceable sound, very inspired by 1980s europop. “I like groovy, with a sax to support it all. I had to stay consistent with what people knew of Narcisse, but I took it a bit further, with more organic instruments, drums, guitar. »
About the
the end never comes is a personal album that looks a bit like an outbreak diary. “It’s a bit like this, the myth of Narcissus: when he dies, he becomes a flower. Everything is a cycle in life. Fan of concept albums, Narcisse wanted to tell a story through his songs, but also between them, by inserting four “interstices. “. We can hear bits of discussion with people around him in connection with the themes discussed, on gender identity, stereotypes or polyamory. “I thought it would be fun to document what is happening around me. Result: an intimate album yes, but which is combined with “we”. “This album is me, but this story is not just mine. »
gender identity
Gender identity is at the heart of this album which talks a lot about the way we look at ourselves, that of others and ours. “I didn’t want to make an activist album. But as I talk about my reality, it is necessarily political because I am a non-binary person. So it just happened naturally,” explains Narcisse, who wanted to move away from the feminine side of her old first name, Marjorie, and who is now called Jorie Pedneault. He pays him a last tribute in the song Marjorie. “It will exist forever, but it still represents a form of violence for me. Non-binary models, in Quebec culture, do not really exist. Narcissus would be “honoured” to become one, but doesn’t want to “proclaim himself” as such either. “But if that’s what happens and if it helps, I’ll be happy to carry the torch. »
The performance
Narcisse is a multidisciplinary project focused on performance and living art, like Hubert Lenoir to whom he is often compared. “Also when the set up allows it, we like to have live paint… but not all the venues love to see us arrive with gallons of paint! We like to create a sensory experience. To deliver his texts in the “spoken” mode, Narcisse also worked on his voice with the director and actor Olivier Artaud, who did the dramaturgy for the album. “We talked about intention, we got closer to the theater work. It’s all well and good, reciting sentences, but what do they mean? I had the impression of digging deeper, leaving room for emotion and getting out of my patterns. »
The following
To love, you have to learn to love yourself, says Jorie in one of the album’s interludes. “I think it’s the quest of every human, and that’s kind of the message behind Narcisse. But I feel like it’s a lifetime’s work. “Music is part of this process for the 28-year-old artist, who arrived “late” in the industry and who has received an accelerated learning process over the past two years. “I find that the relation to age is a bit unhealthy in music. Sometimes I wonder if I missed the boat, but I ended up reasoning with myself. I tell myself that things take the time they need. » While his album has just been released, Narcisse is eager to reconnect with the public « in real life, which moves », hopes that people will take the time to listen to the album « from A to Z » and, above all, that it will open some doors. “It deconstructs many concepts about gender identity, monogamy, success, and it’s filled with discussion. If he can create any, the goal will be achieved. »
Electro-pop
the end never comes
Narcissus
Pantoum Records