Photo courtesy of Facebook
Duchess Says delivers a new testament with Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs
By Camella Lobo
Published: August 15th, 2008 | 12:00pm
It’s
6:00 a.m. on a street corner and
“We like to test our music in different contexts,” says Quebec-born frontwoman Annie Claude Deschênes (vocals, keytar.) The four-year-old band, who claims to preach the word of their own self-created musical creed, has been known to assemble at any given hour of the day in such public places and serve passersby its schizophrenic breed of synth- and drum machine–based sounds of worship.
“Rock
is always 11o’clock in a bar,” says Deschênes, who recently canceled a show
scheduled at a popular venue in
But the thought of French-speaking Deschênes’ infectious vocals and screeching guitars echoing through an underground tunnel in the wee hours of the morning can either peak a listener’s interest or make them cringe. “We know our music is not for everyone,” says Deschênes. In fact, she adds, it was difficult enough to find members who understood the band’s vision to begin with. “It was horrible,” she says of the process.
Duchess
Says was formed after Deschênes and longtime collaborator and ex-high school
friend from
What
followed was what Deschênes refers to as a “collective obsession,” which
included the formation of the mysterious
That’s not to say that the band’s sound is completely out of leftfield. Duchess Says’ most heralded and accessible offering, “Black Flag” is a raucous enough anthem that throws hardcore-noise fans a bone and delivers just enough electro-based structure, making it perfect for any popping dance floor.
Up until the April Canadian release of its long-anticipated debut album Anthologie Des 3 Pechoirs (Alien8 Recordings) — recently nominated “Electro Album of the Year” by the Quebec Independent Music Association — the virtual impossibility of finding any of Duchess Says’ tracks left many fans wondering, “Who are these people?” “Well, I am usually very quiet,” Deschênes reveals. “But when I perform, I completely lose my inhibitions, and I feel like I can do whatever I want.”
On the stage, Deschênes channels the likes of her predecessors and presumable influences: the rebelliously radical Lydia Lunch and Halloween-era Kim Gordon. “I feel very powerful when I am in that situation with other people,” she says. “Like, we could get together and make a big mess.”
If making a big mess means also being nominated for “Show of the Year” by the Quebec Independent Music Association, then Deschênes is doing a great job of creating a buzz-worthy ruckus. Not only has the band offered her an outlet for unruliness, she claims it has made her stereotypically less “girly.” “I didn’t want to be a girl who was always relying on a guy for technical help. I wanted to be on the same level as the rest of the band and not have to ask anyone to help me adjust frequencies and things like that.”
As a technically trained musician, the expectations Deschênes holds for herself far outweigh any aversions to carrying a 100lb amp through a crowded bar. “I couldn’t even lift them at first, but I found a way,” she asserts. “If you want any kind of decision-making role in a band, you have to assume all responsibilities, not just the ones you feel like.”
Duchess Says MySpace
Issue #27
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