Vincent Vallières: 20 years since the album “Chacun dans sonespace”: “It is one of my most precious memories”

Did you know that Vincent Valliere would have left the music world if his album, Everyone is in their own spaceWasn't it successful? Did Mara Tremblay agree to sing on the title track out of friendship with one of the singer's musician friends? To hear Louis Jean Cormier's voice in the song Tommy And his electric guitar 1986? Newspaper Chat with the singer-songwriter about the work of art – once again available in vinyl format – that propelled his career 20 years ago.

Vincent, what does this record represent for you?

“It was my third record – not my first, as a lot of people think – and for me, it was a last-chance record. My producer had the patience to let me do another album, after two albums that didn't really work. I was standing on the wall, wondering… What I would do with my life if music didn't work out. My girlfriend suggested I give myself a real chance; we moved to Montreal and I wrote the entire album. There was a critical reception, especially Offers With whom we truly formed an audience that recognized itself in the songs. Then I took off.”

I feel like you remember making this album like it was yesterday, don't you?

“Really! I reconnect with that era when I listen to it now. I was 24, and I sang about my current lifestyle on a record with almost no sound; the first apartments, the first blondes. Everything was new. The people in the audience became honest friends. I see this as “The time is the pivotal moment for me and the real encounter with the audience. This has largely remained my function over the years: closeness. It is one of my most precious memories.”

What do you think is the reason for the good reception of this album?

“I think there was a sense of urgency when I wrote the song The future is closer than everI was very aware that this had to work or I would have stopped. I realized I had a certain instinct for songwriting. Jean-Francois Bausier, who signs the text behind the vinyl, and the Cowboys Fringants inspire me with their ability to tell stories. He told me: Write about what you know, about what you love. “That's what I did.”

What are you most proud of from the last 20 years of your career?

“I have been able to maintain a kind of truth in my work and have continued. To write songs that fit the current time and moment and I feel that I can still use my old songs and perform them with pleasure.

your first book, Bitumen and wind He achieved great success. Does this surprise you?

“I'm happy and touched by this. I find the intimacy with the reader completely different [de celle] With spectator. Reading a book is the actions you take; Go to the store to buy the book and take hours to read it. It's an investment. I feel very lucky that the book is making progress.

Image courtesy of Éditions Mémoire d'encrier

What's next for you?

“I have plans to write a new album that will keep me busy in the coming months. I hope I can release some songs in 2024. For me, music should remain a place of allowing and taking risks. I'm facing a blank slate and I see a lot of potential to become better, to do things I haven't done.” “Before. It makes me feverish.”

• Album Everyone is in their own space by Vincent Vallières is again available in vinyl format at the singer's band camp and in all good record stores.