Meet The Artist: Laroie
Meet Laroie, Multi Talented Singer songwriter From Montreal
Meet Laroie, Multi Talented Singer songwriter From Montreal
Q: Where does the name Laroie come from?
A: So Laroie, in French Roi means king, and when I was looking for the name of my project, a lot of people told me that my music, my singing and my voice is very feminine and sensual . I like that fine, I mean why not, it’s a part of me, but I also wanted to have the masculine side of me upfront and also a part of the project because I think we're all a whole of feminine and masculine, so I was looking for something to bring out that side of me, and long story short, it ended up being Laroie, which is: je me suis réapproprier le mot “roi”, and now I am the beautiful lady king.
Q: How would you describe your music?
A: I think my music has that sensual vibe, that sexy vibe, that moody, edgy vibe. C’est très feutrer, I think it’s a mood. I think that people who listen to my music are probably 90’s babies because a lot of my inspiration comes from the 90’s, as a 90's baby myself. But I also think my music is for everyone, for the younger and the older people and all the genders in between. I think everyone can connect to my music, I think because I write from such a personal perspective, and I really try to stay vulnerable in my writing, I think that it’s easy to then connect with people in so many ways because they’ll feel something. Just listening to my lyrics or just the delivery of the song, it’s easy to connect when it feels real and there’s something that’s really felt while creating.
Q: Describe your creative process:
A: My creative process is always different, because I think it’s really important to keep an open mind on how you create and how you move through your art. I like to try new things, open up to others' processes, and for the EP I just released recently, Speed of Life, we ended up in this very intense creative bubble with all the musical collaborators and that was a first for me. It was super fun and intense and nourishing. We would feed off each other’s vibe and ideas and it was flowing. Very cool. That was the process for this project specifically, but I think that throughout my career there’s going to be a lot more processes.
Q: What’s your favourite part of the process?
A: My favourite part of the process… I love to sing. So I think that once the idea is there, and we know where we're going with it and it’s clear we're not gonna change the lyrics or the melody, it’s like studio time, when it’s time to record, time to really lock it in, that feels nice. That’s where you also get to be creative but differently, and it’s freestyle time because you know the base of what you’re going for and what you’re doing but you get to add some little spontaneous moments throughout.
Q: Where does the name Laroie come from?
A: So Laroie, in French Roi means king, and when I was looking for the name of my project, a lot of people told me that my music, my singing and my voice is very feminine and sensual . I like that fine, I mean why not, it’s a part of me, but I also wanted to have the masculine side of me upfront and also a part of the project because I think we're all a whole of feminine and masculine, so I was looking for something to bring out that side of me, and long story short, it ended up being Laroie, which is: je me suis réapproprier le mot “roi”, and now I am the beautiful lady king.
Q: How would you describe your music?
A: I think my music has that sensual vibe, that sexy vibe, that moody, edgy vibe. C’est très feutrer, I think it’s a mood. I think that people who listen to my music are probably 90’s babies because a lot of my inspiration comes from the 90’s, as a 90's baby myself. But I also think my music is for everyone, for the younger and the older people and all the genders in between. I think everyone can connect to my music, I think because I write from such a personal perspective, and I really try to stay vulnerable in my writing, I think that it’s easy to then connect with people in so many ways because they’ll feel something. Just listening to my lyrics or just the delivery of the song, it’s easy to connect when it feels real and there’s something that’s really felt while creating.
Q: Describe your creative process:
A: My creative process is always different, because I think it’s really important to keep an open mind on how you create and how you move through your art. I like to try new things, open up to others' processes, and for the EP I just released recently, Speed of Life, we ended up in this very intense creative bubble with all the musical collaborators and that was a first for me. It was super fun and intense and nourishing. We would feed off each other’s vibe and ideas and it was flowing. Very cool. That was the process for this project specifically, but I think that throughout my career there’s going to be a lot more processes.
Q: What’s your favourite part of the process?
A: My favourite part of the process… I love to sing. So I think that once the idea is there, and we know where we're going with it and it’s clear we're not gonna change the lyrics or the melody, it’s like studio time, when it’s time to record, time to really lock it in, that feels nice. That’s where you also get to be creative but differently, and it’s freestyle time because you know the base of what you’re going for and what you’re doing but you get to add some little spontaneous moments throughout.
Q: Could you tell us about the ideology and inspiration behind your new EP Speed of Life which just released this month?
A: Yes, Speed of Life is my new EP, I’m very excited about it. I’m so proud of it. C’est vraiment né ce projet suite au release de ma chanson Can’t Let Go en faite Can’t Let Go a etait ecrite il y a quelque années, puis sa ma prit vraiment beaucoup de temps avant de la sortir parce que j’avais une direction particulière en tête et ça m'a pris beaucoup de temps de la sortir. En faite c’est une chanson très très proche de mon coeur, très personnelle, très intime. I’m really talking about personal stuff. Ca etait comme la graine qui a permis de développer tout le reste du projet autour parce que ca ma vraiment fait réaliser à quelle point j’avais besoin de m'abandonner à ce projet et de m’ouvrir personnellement la dans. It allowed me to connect with all of the light and the darkness side of me and really see myself as a whole and not be scared of the unknown or the darkness and feel like I need to always be the light. C'était très enrichissant puis c’est vraiment un projet ou je veux mettre ça à l’avant. Cette force qu' on a tous en dedans nous le yin le yang, the light, the dark. We all have it and some parts are scarier than others but we should have the courage and be able to navigate all the parts that live inside of us.
Q: What’s your favourite song off the EP?
A: My favourite song I'd have to say, I really love all the songs off the EP but I think that because Can’t Let Go was really the root of it all, and everytime i sing it live or just listen to the song I have this joy inside of me. So i’m gonna go with Can’t Let Go.
Q: In the song Speed of Life you talk about moving through life at a fast pace, which we also just mentioned, here at Bench we like to focus on the concept of 24 hour living. What does living a 24 hour lifestyle mean to you?
A: So 24 hours living with me would be a busy day for sure, because I am a virgo, but I always try to make time to create space so that I have energy, the jus to go on another day and not feel like i'm burning the candle from both ends. So whether it’s yoga, meditation or just having a nice clean up of your space to feel like tu revitalise ton environnement, toutes ces petites affaires là qui peuvent venir aider à garder la balance ou c’est pas juste go go go. It’s also like, well, we're just dust in the wind at the end of the day, so small in the universe so it's important that you take care of your mental health and of you. It’s just very important. Your achievements, performance and goals are fun and dreams are amazing. Everyone should pursue their dreams and think that the skies the limit because it is, but you should also keep your feet on the ground and know when you need to take a chill pill and just focus on you.
Q: Could you tell us about the ideology and inspiration behind your new EP Speed of Life which just released this month?
A: Yes, Speed of Life is my new EP, I’m very excited about it. I’m so proud of it. C’est vraiment né ce projet suite au release de ma chanson Can’t Let Go en faite Can’t Let Go a etait ecrite il y a quelque années, puis sa ma prit vraiment beaucoup de temps avant de la sortir parce que j’avais une direction particulière en tête et ça m'a pris beaucoup de temps de la sortir. En faite c’est une chanson très très proche de mon coeur, très personnelle, très intime. I’m really talking about personal stuff. Ca etait comme la graine qui a permis de développer tout le reste du projet autour parce que ca ma vraiment fait réaliser à quelle point j’avais besoin de m'abandonner à ce projet et de m’ouvrir personnellement la dans. It allowed me to connect with all of the light and the darkness side of me and really see myself as a whole and not be scared of the unknown or the darkness and feel like I need to always be the light. C'était très enrichissant puis c’est vraiment un projet ou je veux mettre ça à l’avant. Cette force qu' on a tous en dedans nous le yin le yang, the light, the dark. We all have it and some parts are scarier than others but we should have the courage and be able to navigate all the parts that live inside of us.
Q: What’s your favourite song off the EP?
A: My favourite song I'd have to say, I really love all the songs off the EP but I think that because Can’t Let Go was really the root of it all, and everytime i sing it live or just listen to the song I have this joy inside of me. So i’m gonna go with Can’t Let Go.
Q: In the song Speed of Life you talk about moving through life at a fast pace, which we also just mentioned, here at Bench we like to focus on the concept of 24 hour living. What does living a 24 hour lifestyle mean to you?
A: So 24 hours living with me would be a busy day for sure, because I am a virgo, but I always try to make time to create space so that I have energy, the jus to go on another day and not feel like i'm burning the candle from both ends. So whether it’s yoga, meditation or just having a nice clean up of your space to feel like tu revitalise ton environnement, toutes ces petites affaires là qui peuvent venir aider à garder la balance ou c’est pas juste go go go. It’s also like, well, we're just dust in the wind at the end of the day, so small in the universe so it's important that you take care of your mental health and of you. It’s just very important. Your achievements, performance and goals are fun and dreams are amazing. Everyone should pursue their dreams and think that the skies the limit because it is, but you should also keep your feet on the ground and know when you need to take a chill pill and just focus on you.
"I love to surround myself with other talents because I think it's so fun and important and it fuels the art. I’m so grateful to be surrounded with such amazing collaborators"
"I love to surround myself with other talents because I think it's so fun and important and it fuels the art. I’m so grateful to be surrounded with such amazing collaborators"
Q: Is there anywhere you like to go to write? A little spot you have or maybe somewhere in Montreal that you like.
A: I’m a very loner writer when it comes to my music. The EP i did do in a creative little bubble with the collaborators but a lot of my writing, especially with the EP because i think it came from such a personal and tellement d’une place intérieur et très profonde intérieure, it just happens with myself in a very reclusive vibe. Whether it’s in my bedroom or I like to sit outside but it’ll be more on my balcony, I don’t go into very public spaces to write my music. But I love to freestyle and I love to freestyle with other artists and that’s like yeah “the more the merrier, let's get weird.” I think that it’s also like writing and singing for me c’est un outil therapeutic donc souvent c’est juste très personnelle. And i’m just living this moment with myself and also healing in a way so i create this very special bubble just for me at that specific time but then at any other time I just like having fun with friends and freestyling around a table, like Youtube instrumentals and yeah.
Q: We talked about the collaborative practice amongst you and the people you work with on your music, how would say your community and the community you build around you influence your music?
A: I love to surround myself with other talents because I think it's so fun and important and it fuels the art. I’m so grateful to be surrounded with such amazing collaborators. I think that my connection with Jeanne Tellum is very very special and it really brought this project to another level, where alone I couldn't have done that. It’s not a one man job, and I'm so happy to have such cool, creative and insightful people around me that love creating with me and love the music that comes out of it. I think it just shows at the end of the day or with the final result how excited people are to be a part of the project. So for me to have built that community means alot to me and I'm really grateful and proud of that. I think it’s really important.
Q: So we know your EP just came out, but can we still expect anything new and exciting from Laroie?
A: I have some surprises coming up. I have some new visuals coming up. There will be a vinyl release in a couple of weeks, with all the songs from the EP which is very exciting and I’m already working on new music, I think this is just the beginning. I’m just praying for more opportunities and just opening myself up to all the adventures that are coming my way, because they're coming my way!
Q: Is there anywhere you like to go to write? A little spot you have or maybe somewhere in Montreal that you like.
A: I’m a very loner writer when it comes to my music. The EP i did do in a creative little bubble with the collaborators but a lot of my writing, especially with the EP because i think it came from such a personal and tellement d’une place intérieur et très profonde intérieure, it just happens with myself in a very reclusive vibe. Whether it’s in my bedroom or I like to sit outside but it’ll be more on my balcony, I don’t go into very public spaces to write my music. But I love to freestyle and I love to freestyle with other artists and that’s like yeah “the more the merrier, let's get weird.” I think that it’s also like writing and singing for me c’est un outil therapeutic donc souvent c’est juste très personnelle. And i’m just living this moment with myself and also healing in a way so i create this very special bubble just for me at that specific time but then at any other time I just like having fun with friends and freestyling around a table, like Youtube instrumentals and yeah.
Q: We talked about the collaborative practice amongst you and the people you work with on your music, how would say your community and the community you build around you influence your music?
A: I love to surround myself with other talents because I think it's so fun and important and it fuels the art. I’m so grateful to be surrounded with such amazing collaborators. I think that my connection with Jeanne Tellum is very very special and it really brought this project to another level, where alone I couldn't have done that. It’s not a one man job, and I'm so happy to have such cool, creative and insightful people around me that love creating with me and love the music that comes out of it. I think it just shows at the end of the day or with the final result how excited people are to be a part of the project. So for me to have built that community means alot to me and I'm really grateful and proud of that. I think it’s really important.
Q: So we know your EP just came out, but can we still expect anything new and exciting from Laroie?
A: I have some surprises coming up. I have some new visuals coming up. There will be a vinyl release in a couple of weeks, with all the songs from the EP which is very exciting and I’m already working on new music, I think this is just the beginning. I’m just praying for more opportunities and just opening myself up to all the adventures that are coming my way, because they're coming my way!
