RFI Musique: With Tigre et diesel, you’ve included two female singers in your usually very male band.
Olivier Langevin: It’s true that we’ve got a reputation as a “testosterone” musical set-up, and that’s the type of energy that Galaxie has given off since the start. But we’re still sweet guys! (laughter) Taking the two girls on in the group happened really naturally. They were used to singing quite softly, so they found it all a bit loud when they started out with us, but they adapted pretty quickly! I was also keen on finding singers who could play percussion. It’s mega subtle, but on the album there’s always a natural percussion section, even though Tigre et diesel is more electro. They’re the ones who bring a more organic sound and liven up the groove. We also took on singers we got on well with, because Galaxie spends so much time touring and in the bus.

Requin Tigre Galaxie Tigre et Diesel (C4) 2011 Listen

How did the tour go after the album was released in February?
We didn’t tour non-stop because I was working on several other musical projects, but the first two months were really intense for Galaxie. We’ve done around fifty dates and several TV performances since the album came out. There were shows programmed every weekend in towns in Quebec. It was one of the nicest tours I’ve done.

Did the tracks change at all during the shows?
Even though I like creating a show and travelling with it for a while without altering it much, there are parts that change, like the speed. There’s a lot of improvisation, even though the fabric of the songs is pretty much set. We know where it starts and where it ends, but in the middle we give ourselves free reign. So that’s where it happens. For example, Diesel is a song that we played faithfully to start with, but now we let ourselves take it further: we lengthen sections and Fred [Ed’s note: Fortin, Galaxie’s bass player] has even stopped playing on that number because it got pretty loaded.

You’ve described your creative approach to this disk as “minimalist”. Does it mark a real change in direction for Galaxie?
I tend to get on a roll that only runs for the space of one disk, and I get the feeling that the next one will take a completely different direction. I’m going to try and surprise myself and nonplus everyone else. I really hate it when people expect us to do the same thing on all of our albums. There are artists who do it that way, which is fine: it’s what their fans want. But if Galaxie started to repeat itself, I’d be the first to get bored. If I ever apply the same formula to three records in a row, then I think I’m going to stop making music. If you want to go on playing for as long as possible, it’s best to keep reinventing yourself.

Galaxie Website

But when you perform, you still do songs from previous albums.
There are some that we haven’t played for a long time and that we feel like playing again. But the old songs generally filter out over time. Once we no longer enjoying playing them, we stop. Sometimes it’s also because I find that the lyrics don’t fit me any more, or I’m no longer emotionally involved when I sing them.

How do you set about writing?
I write often, in the form of verses and refrains, but with no particular piece of music in mind. So I have stocks of lyrics that I draw from when I write a song. Sometimes it’s the other way round. I wanted there to be a unity in the lyrics for Tigre et diesel, almost as if it was a single song from start to finish. With some digression around the different themes, obviously, but with a linear flow. It corresponds to around a year of writing, during which time I was really in an atmosphere of shows, parties, the tour, etc.

Have you composed any new material this year?
I work in phases. Lately I’ve been thinking about what kind of direction the next album might take, but I’m not composing at all. I’ve worked with Les Dales Hawerchucks and Pierre Fortin. All of my spare time is spent producing disks for other bands. But I’m planning on giving some time in December to composing a new instrumental project with Frank Lafontaine [Ed’s note: keyboard player with Galaxie and Karkwa], Jocelyn Tellier, Robbie Kuster and Fred Fortin. It’s going to be pretty eclectic!

If you could only focus on Galaxie, would you do it?
I need all these different musical projects. I really like the studio and I love producing records and working with musicians I admire. I find that just as interesting as my personal projects. To rub shoulders with other musicians like Mara Tremblay and Vincent Vallières, and come into contact with other ways of working gives you a much broader palette. I learn a lot, and that feeds into Galaxie.

Galaxie’s website

Galaxie Tigre et Diesel (C4) 2011
Galaxie will be playing live on 2 and 3 December at Transmusicales in Rennes

Translation by: Anne-Marie Harper