Raised in the small, rugged town of Salluit at the edge of the Arctic Circle, Elisapie fell in love with music at a young age, began singing and composing and eventually found her way to Montreal, where she built a career in the world of music, releasing albums and touring as both a musician and an Ambassador for Inuit culture. Her new multi-award-winning album, The Ballad of the Runaway Girl, is the musical tale of an expatriate Inuk, exploring her northern roots, femininity, love and life. Rolling Stone France called it a delicately violent album that seduces as much as it questions.
You can find Elisapie at: Website | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
-------------
Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.
If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
The my guest today Elizabeth was born in the arctic circle and grew up in a small town called stellar at where the climate is incredibly rugged and beautiful and living in harmony with nature is pretty much a mandate. She loved the town. She grew up in wa, but was kind of all
is dreaming of the south speaking a mix of a nook deterred, english and french. She also fell love with music at a young age, began, seeing and composing, and eventually found her way to montreal, where she began. Reading a family and building a career in the world of music, releasing albums and touring the world as both a musician and an ambassador for in a culture, her new multi award winning up on the ballad of the runaway girl. It's kind of musical tell of an ex patriot and look she sings about the different fast
and challenges of being a woman, but also and adopt a child, a mother and a lover and through this exploration of her northern routes. In her femininity, we learn about a person who is proud of her origins and who works for the recognition of her people's historic difficulties, rolling stone. France called it a delicately violent album that seduces as much as it questions and npr
illicit, be synthesizers stories from her eventful life with hypnotic arrangements that channel seventies, rock indigenous folk music and the low moody rumble of barn storm recite Tom waits. I have to agree with all of this. In this conversation we trace and ivan to her journey from the very earliest days italian, deeply, moving story of actually heard option and growing up in a town where she lived just a few blocks away from her birth parents and her team
Formation deep interest in music journey to montreal and then around the world, watches after today, so excited
This conversation with you, I'm jonathan fields, and this is a good life project
the
How does a I even work where it is creativity come from what's this
where to living longer ted radio, our explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers they will.
prize challenge and even change. You listen to and purist head radio, our whatever you get your pa
so the ten percent happier podcast has one guiding philosophy. Happiness is still that you can learn. So why not embrace it? It's hosted by dan harris journalists who,
a panic attack on national television and then send out on this journey of transformation and he's now on a quest to help. Others also achieve peace and happiness, and every week Dan talked you top scientists, meditation teachers. Even the odd celebrity in wide ranging conversations that explore topics like productivity, anxiety and lightness, psychedelic and relationships, the interviews cover everyone from bernay brown to cerebral ass to SAM Harrison more. I love learning from his questions and experiences and incredible guess think of listening to ten percent happier as a work out. For your mind, fine ten percent happier where every listen to pot casts library
is supported by the economist saw the world seems to be moving faster than ever climate economics politics, a eyeing culture,
after you look events are unfolding at a rapid pace and it's hard to stay on top of it, which is why I love that now, for the first time, you can get a one month, free trial of the economist, so you won't miss a thing. I have literally
reading the economist who want to safer decades. I love that it covers more than just economics and finance as you'll find coverage on topics from politics to science, to technology, even arts and the environment. The economist offers this global perspective with really incredible clarity and deeper analysis, so you can dive in two specific issues or catch up on current events. I was just checking out this article on the changing landscape of tech, jobs for recent computer science granted
everything is changing so fast. It was a real eye opener and with the economists free trial, you'll get access to in depth independent coverage of world events through podcast webinar
an expert analysis as soon as you sign up if you're interested in subjects like this go to economist dot com, slash project for full access to the topics that matter too
an original analysis as events unfold. That's economist, dot, com, slash project or just click. The link in the show notes to start your one month, free trial with the economists today, because the world won't wait and you come from a part of the world that I'm so unfamiliar with that I and I'm fascinated. I want to know more so because you, you grew up in you're, born in a small town. Tell me if I'm pronouncing this right south salute says we celebrate celebrate, which is on the map. At least this seems like it is about as far north in quebec, as you can go before dropping into the water. Yes
well it's the it's the arctic. Not all quebec is arctic right because we have montreal we have are and then, when we go a little further, we have what we call a little,
to now. It's a small north, but it's not it's not. The arctic are also yeah. We often forget that cut back. Is this huge province that has sir once you're off of montreal? You go a little bit on the coast.
Then the north starts, and then it goes all the way up so
I'm on the tipp of northern quebec
region called nunavik and we cover pretty much all of this, but only
course near the water, so the middle part of quebec is there is no population. Its huge youtube play saw were fourteen coastal villages in it villages, sir
in time, then these are all pretty pretty tiny, tiny villages and you can only travel by airplane were about half an hour. Forty five minutes, each by plane, each village fourteen villages,
Which are in the hungover and hudson coast?
wonder what we call the hudson street, which is the middle, but mainly in the four further most north firm nor in the most vivid air. So to get from village a village. Can you drivers it aeroplanes to go even further airplanes airlines
and there is clearly there's no road that just taking my country, Austria alone, because it saw heart to you now I mean not long ago. We people were able to go to to reach us because it saw far north and we can really build roads because of its or frozen right. It's complicated, and I and it's ok to we don't know.
We don't need that. Tell me more about that. I mean that there is a bit of a smile on your face when you say that,
well, I mean there's little places,
where you can go where it still vary in aware very pure
aware it's not overly populated,
and I think that's important too to to preserve, especially for us. We we have no trees. We have fun
saw the view of how we view our lives. This is very much based on we are
little answer,
so many and this humongous land in this
in this environment. That's pretty harsh in all the arctic is, if you have the you're, not everyone is made to be living there, but you know, if you think about it. Generation tendering
since and generations, and they now yeah dozens of years of me. You know people who lived there somewhere.
It's kind of our environment. If you know it's very harsh yeah had so
we view the world how we view life is very, very, very different, so we need the space. We really need that space there, tommy, culturally and one.
What's the history of the area and culturally hoo hoo saddle dead
Who is there now? I need in aid
mainly living there,
We have seen what we call southerners so
The nurse who you now, because I learned about this actually my boyfriend was
you know that suddenly it was that became a settlement became
officially known as salute village and nineteen. Seventy nine.
allow the very formality nine hours.
New new born of my eye was two years all saw if you think about it. It sits,
because we are a semi nomad. So we had to
follow the seasons, the animals. So we were travel from one summer camp and one winter camp because it was ideal, a new nina we lived on. It grew it's right.
you know like snow houses, and then we had our tents in the summer. So it's kind of em. It's very new
for us to be you now in place and that's where we live,
so yeah in the Sixtys, when federal government decided that
Children should now be learning in ongoing to score so that pretty much changed. Everything
like, parenting became different alarm because your children learn by watching
I following you hunting are
saw teachers, sir federal school teachers had to you now be the new guys forever
this in each children, so only in like sixty somewhere, we settled in villages
and then the stores, hudson bay company settled there too, and then the hospital and then and then it is
got bigger. Now my villages, sir thousand, maybe five hundred it's a big town, but
not long ago, was a tiny little cap in camp. When you were a kid growing up, there was it. What was the was it more of their tiny little camper was closer the size it is now
it's closer to the size. Yeah I'd say was the may beef or nos seven hundred people or six hundred quickly you. If what happened also, is that it's people from different
are places in the region. That would gather- and that's where you know, that's how it got to be a bigger town, because people were like okay. This is where it happens. Now there is a store where we can go. You know by I dunno, ah whoa.
Nothing really, maybe some my flower or tea or its. Then they saw it do so.
very, very meal. I mean it's crazy. My town was still in english in the sixties. Nor can I hear it's crazy.
The aim in the story is that must be passed down. Some sort of grand parents and grandparents must be of just like a very dear, and I mean it
sounds like the way. Even the way it exists today is still a very harsh environment and very simple,
but if you're, literally generation or two ago people were living in its that's amazing. It is pretty crazy
because the reality is that young kids, sir, like my nieces, there
aware of new york. What goes on here, because of internet
There are? They all have dreams. There are gonna, be super modern they all want to be, but yet we have a town that still there
the and culturally through
being very rich and very still oral. You know tradition and it's important to be able to listen and also the elders still have a huge, huge, huge, huge place and in our lives, so we're very much in kids and elders. Are you know everybody lives together, yeah. So that's, I think, that's where it for me as surreally. That's what I miss the most is being
contact with the people that that we call the wise people, dare tell me more about the the oral tradition be oral
addition well, I wouldn't even know how to do
I hope that in it looked at it just because it's just the way it is, you know we don't know any
else in a way, I think not so long ago, people with tat
stories. You know I mean there,
As long as we can remember. For instance, elders hunters used to talk about
and how the earth is kind of shifting. You know it's it's so because they
They have this very intelligent view of the union. They look at
stars and they were able to find themselves navigate through the land, and I wonder what.
There are two wherever they ve always knew, how how all the stars and-
if the sky is made of that's kind of how we so it just just that, for me, is part of a url in a history oral tradition and also people are taught to listen all the time to pay up
seven, not take notes or not. They notice listen offer,
over and then it's just so yeah
we were very well. We don't freak out easily over things, just because.
When things have to happen, they will happen and we will have our. We have very strong extent in instincts also. I think just because.
So close
to you now were very connected to the territory at sake where, where one with the territory with the land, sir, I think that's part of
oil history. It has to. I mean we remember not through
sizing. What were riding in writing and memory
memorizing, it's just all year on. We don't have tons of things that we have to learn that our
this unnecessary. You know what I mean we go with what we need today and now,
It's it's such an interesting frame. When was
the shared information- is shared experience
is our shared orally and the expectations
not that well, let me jotted down. Let me take notes. Let me right this down because new, if the expectation as well
The only way I'm gonna be able to take the sand or process it or do anything with their remember is. I really have to be here at this moment,
wonder how- and I guess that's what you were saying there?
zone an the of of the notion of lessening and its importance. It kind of has to be there, because if that's the primary thing, you
I'd be a seems like it's. That would really reinforced this idea that you, you ve, really got to be present with you got to be present here
and I'm I'm a little bit of a hyperactive mind. So I tend to be all over the place because I I can. I have a hard time concentrating on one thing. Unless it's super,
say like right now, I'm listening to you like fully
no, but
in my view,
simon the north. There is not a lot
I'm going to do not pay attention to its it's weird
soon, as I go home in the north, I'm
I'm in the moment it's like it's like I'm not meant to be in montreal with overly stimulating things happening, because in
just it's just too much in our so, but when I'm in the north it has this effect.
Still on me and luckily
and I think we forget- that
humans are aware, a fairy very smart. You know, but I think we forget that we have
that human being is able to remain
many things and learn many things without necessarily freaking.
How do you know if we cannot about all care, must remember, you know what it means. I think it's also just being confident. You know things well.
And you know, I always have to think that your brain,
a new.
Your spirit is some
tomorrow I don't know-
remembers, allow
more on these various smart tonight. Will they will just find its way all the time?
I remember meditation teacher years ago told me in response to my
and where would say every time I sit down, I get a couple of minutes in and all of these ideas start coming into my head and and I'm supposed to just let them go and his and and and I said, but I'm I'm sort of this creative person and there are good ideas and what, if I lose them and and his guidance to me, which to this day is still hard for me to take, was if there are truly that meaningful and if there, if there's truly something to be done with him, they'll come back. It may not be when you like, get twenty five minutes later, but maybe a day or weaker, but then, if, if, if they're really meant to be
have something done with the combat. That's so true. I still believe in that I mean I wasn't always like that. I you know I move to montreal when I was twenty two very
giving you now I left, a small town
I was like a cat. I me too. I need to know everything you know about music,
artists animals, because we don't. We don't even have a word for artists. You know so I was like ok
I want to do this thing. I wanted in a little bit of a gypsy.
but I've been and saw. I thought I had to do it like white people. You know I had to do
right everything and I wrote a lot of things, but I quickly learn that it's it's not in
are they gonna make me more knowledgeable or more smart tina saw
Also, I met a musician sing, a song writer who collaborated with, and he said he said
Sometimes I display as I
and then I will have an idea and I quickly one o recorded right away, because it's such a good idea. So what he said is it he he left you stop doing that
And then, if it's really meant to be rich to really something, that's so beautiful, so meaningful he's, it's gonna come back tomorrow.
I started doing then, and that's kind of how I did this album in algeria
yeah. I kind of decided to have more confident
In my own instincts sinner meal,
weekly anywhere, so I cannot relate to what you're saying it's. It's true,
its ever saw meant to be, if it's all right,
just gonna come back and maybe, if you don't write at a record it right away and might be even richer. Tomorrow, ores,
something else in our there of a sort of go go in the mid,
right now is I'll jot down just a couple of words and yet as a trigger, but then, instead of just like starting to write and right
it I'll I'll, I'll intentionally just set it aside, and I know that you know if I come back to it. Oh, maybe a week later, very often I'll realize and there's really not that much to it. It's not that special and the things that I come back to afterwards and I'm there still something calling me about it and like okay. So those are the things I'm gonna get. I'm now going to expand upon touchy a great thing for a lot of people who are really creative. It's a group!
almost filtering mechanism, because Emmy we tend to have ideas, so many ideas all the time and which ones do I run with, at least for me that helps discern which ones are really worth numerous. Maybe not even discussed
if people, maybe people in general who are
I don't know, let's in music business or I'm film business, because everything has to be
decided or everything has to be. It has to be now
imagine if we did more of this kind,
Way of doing business, you know
and how it would be a lot more meaningful and we would make maybe they're right the better decisions, and I think,
when we have an idea, it's not because it's a great idea that it's going to be
meaning, for, I think sometimes ideas come and then you have to let them set a little bit.
And then they ll just be more? I don't know, maybe they'll bring you to her the truth. Eventually, maybe it's that's what it's just saying in so don't wanna, you would do you don't wanna grab it right away
yeah yeah midgets
Global private aviation leader is known for personalizing every detail of your travels because net, yet standard is not just
meet their definition of perfection. It's to exceed yours.
Discover more at net jets. Dot com
the project
it supported by name. So it's that time in the year were a lot of oak start to think about their fitness schools getting their bodies moving myself included. I actually recently started playing a lot more attention to how I was fuelling my body and also really came to realize it. I was carrying a lot of information in my body and potential disease risk in the form of way. So I want
an intelligent and sustainable and supportive way to increase my health, lose the waiting inflammation and just feel better
and new is just a great solution for this one that I have turned to numerous times over the years to help me accomplish wellness and when it makes sense, wait management goals as well, so new uses science and personal is asia, and so you can not just intelligently manage wait for the long term, but also really learn from their psychology based approach that helps you build better habits and behaviour set are easier to maintain and the best part you decide how new fits into your life, not the other way around, based on a sample of four thousand. Two
good. Seventy two numerous. Ninety. Eight percent say new, helps change their habits and behaviors for good, and that is because new actually helps you understand the science behind your choices and why you have certain craving. So if you feel like you been lacking the knowledge to make the changes, you wanna see, try out new, so you can start making informed choices and start to really change the way that you think about weight, loss and wait. Management and wellbeing take the first step and sign up for your trial today at noon. Dot- com- that's an oh, oh, am dot com to sign up for your trial today or just click. The link in the show notes.
Let right it is supported by I heard, so I am always looking for new ways to get more nutrients into my daily routine, to promote
all around better. Well being and recently I have discovered- I urge a one stop shop that offers the best curated selection of wellness products at incredible values. Then everything from vitamins and sports supplements to bath products can care and make up. I had so
much fund exploring their website and finding things had a really wanted, like thorns, calcium, magnesium, melick capsules and vitamin d three k to both of which support, bone and muscle health and immune function. I urge that just made it so easy to find what I need, because you can search by category or even wellness, concern and best of all, I feel safe, knowing that every product is tested, verified and sold directly by. I herb so it's time to get your health in check with. I urge our listeners get twenty two percent off your first order when you use code good life at I herb dot com, that's twenty! Two percent off your first order at I h e r b, dot com, promo code, good life or just click. The link in the show notes and use a promo code. Good life choose I herb because, while miss matters you mentioned in it,
to date it looked at it, which I guess is that the language Joseph speak french in england, where, when do those surly and
is that something that you learned from the earliest days also or they were those added overtime he I looked at it,
I spoke until I was seven while I still speak it and then in great three we were able to
either learned french or english in their school saw. I was seven when my mother, my adoptive mother, dis,
did that I had to learn friends, and I remember having on
being really really mad and I actually, I remember, crying like really high earners and friend I wanna go to school,
in english you know, because
I knew I had a white sir anglophone for biological father. You know,
Sir, I thought you know I had to learn his language in order to one day be able to speak to him. Sorry,
member my mom, who were not this little lady who didn't speak. English are found him,
Said to now you're gonna learn quickly, angler saw you, gonna have three languages and
We might translator, you know, okay, so I would she would love it whenever she had to go. I dunno to the hospital meet the doctor. I would have to follow her and translate, and so yes, she she she she. She did good on that decision, though I love, I love the three languages and I think it's
There is so different. I think french is very romantic, unites, there's something really.
I don't know, maybe just because it's from France
Sooner. Have french people are a little bit saw. Everything is a little bit a little bit more around a little bit more spectacular and in our english speak
a little bit more. It's a little bit more square and more practical, which is great, and I
and so I feel like. I have different feelings that come out through language, a different language,
Where do you? I was gonna. Ask you if you? If, if you think in one particular language, but I'm curious, whether you sort of almost I could switch for them.
reasons I mean winter when you're writing when you're, creating music when you're, just in conversation when you're just certainly day to day,
Are you aware of bouncing between the three three languages? Is one your default? It's crazy here, but I think
it's something that I dreamed of since I my kid. I think I was such a day dream that even now I didn't really speak well,
and I was already I adopted so quickly and so fast
language it's just, I guess it was a form of creativity for me, son,
and maybe some some days I feel like. I maybe I adopted too well enough to quickly too easily, because I'm not I'm not french but
I certainly feel very strong bond to francophone people, and it's not
the language, its also the people. I want to know who I am surrounded. What's this
always it's just I mean I love all humans who I am
No, so I I want to yeah I kind of fall in love. I guess with the the the language, not just the language, but the people
answer. An english is the same thing at them
it's also my roots, who now my biological wrote, sir.
so I.
Yeah- I it's a very, very, very special. I just feel I'm all of that. I can
even though I have a very strong strong culture.
In our culture. I just always been someone easily adapt. Adapting you know,
so that still a little bit of a mystery for me, because it's like I'm migrated to a new language, and you call
and I I I'm I'm very well that way I like it there yeah you do you mentioned that that you're adopted and then fat and one of your songs una really tells the story and and and and then there's entire actually series. I guess of three videos that go along with it, which I, which is kind of heartbreaking and beautiful.
wool and aching, and which would you share through your well my biological mother, the first time
I remember her
Happily, I was very young because I dont really remember anything before may be, for I really I don't it's weird, but I did that's another. That's another mister
but I as long as I can remember, I had I would seem
mother. My ballot on mother in the village, where I live in ouch pip, probably three streets
away from where I lived and for energy.
It's not a taboo tonight to tonight to present your child to the biological mother, but them biological mother is to respect the fact that this child is adopted. So they're not gonna. You now
confused the child by calling her my my daughter, and they have kind of this distant. Naturally they have to
I'm so yeah. I would see my biological mother and be like wow she's, so cool. You know she would have make up ass. She was a tv
reporter. Ah, she would be super like
fashionable nothing like my adoptive parents who were older people who were economy,
in another from another era from you know the older people
they didn't have cameras. They were probably the last people that tv and they would get all these old furniture is that people did
want- and I don't remember eating with like four
The EU is like this very day, just didn
take the modern world like you,
at biological mother, I guess so. I was always fascinated by her, and so it was not a secret that so I grew up. Naturally, when I got to be a teenager, I got closer to her
unto the family, my grandfather, my sister's, so slowly she would start calling me daughter.
and it's when my adoptive mom passed away that she was very much more free to call me doctor, but I can't call her mother
she's, not my mom in our she's. I grew up with a different values that are very close to me with my
adoptive parents and do it's when I got to have
second child
I realise there is something not right, and I was going through my posts part him and I was like what
going on and I feel this heaviness and or this emptiness
I quickly realized that it had to do with my biological mother died.
Didn't really want to see her. You know she was,
montreal, for I forget for what
I was supposed to go, see her and I realized I am kind
ignoring her. I haven't even called her, so I want to go see this therapist, because I I was, I wasn't feeling on NASA tonight. I think I need to talk to someone and she said to me: what's what's going on, why you keep staring over there like where
are you right now and I realize without knowing I was thinking of like I have to go see if I have to conceive her and then she say then she's like. Why do you have to go see phantom? Well, I have to she's, you know she's in town. What do you think that she really wants to see you like? Is? It is added?
I'm like. I don't even know, maybe not maybe it's this idea. I have that. I owe her a visit. You know so it all started from there.
And then I realized. Oh, my god. I have issues with her and I am I oh. No. I can't because it's gonna start it's gonna have to go all the way to my birth, so that took, I don't know, maybe it
Three years to this figure it out- and I was very honest with her when I would be and solid when I visited
and she was so course she said to me. Well, you know I do what you have to do and when you are ready we can you know too. That's all she said to do what you have to do and I thought was so cool an hour.
She didn't say well, what's goin on, you know, I think she had. She trusted that I was.
I find my way and I did so. I wanted to write a song about her, but it was so painful. You know, but music is amazing that way it makes things so much. It's like the edges are not as sharp. You know it's like okay, but it's still very
very deep, very painful in our but time and then when I entered the song I decide I wanted to do a video clip
and I didn't realize that this video clip was gonna
a part, one and part three. The part three is talking to
either again she was like ok. What do you want to do? In my address one interview I wanna talk about the adoption. Leave it.
your by my biological mom. So she
so cool again. She didn't ask too many questions. She was ok, all right fell, we met. She came the night before I said to you: should sleep
because you're going to leave in the morning and we're gonna go see. This lady was gonna. Do their filming and direct her had better be sir
we just sat her. You know with the nice background sake. She said
and then there was the camera, and I was just near the camera
behind, and I just started
interview- and I said so-
What was it like when I was born, because I have no idea, I dont know those details and
I've always had a vision.
How probably she didn't have to have feelings, because it was too painful
She couldn't really love me because he wasn't gonna keep me, so I always thought she must have really loved me. You know, how can you, how can you give birth and not love right, but it's like I saw eve as hard as
being this cold or her being very having on not having feelings, that's gonna how I sighed.
it's. It's not really how it happened.
When she starts to actually in your capture this in our were willing to the video things really moving witches
I used to share the story of what really happened. Really I mean it was heartbreaking for me to hear, and I can't imagine for you to be in the room and just wow was it was actually the first time the first time I I because I wouldn't have asked her.
Naturally it is her and I mean look at her and no contact. Let you I wouldn't be here. Let's talk- maybe I would be like this because we have a mike and between us here that what may be protected, so I cannot needed that
camera. I guess that's how I was able to make it a thing between us, because she was a broadcaster to rights.
It's a natural place for her
night to Ben. I also was a broadcaster I did to know some radio tv.
Giving a day in the north so is at stake.
I knew that. Maybe that's how I'm can make it a thing and make it an art form. Also
so yeah, I wouldn't have asked her, so I needed I needed that so
I was life right there and
said to me, when you
wine. I took you in my arms. I knew her were beautiful with your big eyes and analyses wow cancer. She thought I was,
beautiful baby, and then she says she goes on and says I
love to, and I wanted to
pew analysis. What ok there's a lot of
emotions there and then slowly
it. She started her now she
crying and I was like woe.
And then at went on, I am seventh few more question
and I learned that she kept me for a few days and then she had me
all the time in my head, it was like a kiss. She had me and then I was put on them in us
separate room while the newborns are now it was she actually
to me and then when she gave me up and why, when my parents, I came to the airport,
they were already. And how do you say the target, the tarmac on the ice actually run of the village,
she they were already there ready to take me out. She wasn't even
out of the planned anywhere lake in algiers your mother, to fly to a different,
that spending for the hospital saw. So she says my arms didn't wanna. Let go now
and I was like wow what a so she this woman has feelings.
Some and she's, a very emotional person, but at stake she has? Is very strong side to color. Like me, it's it's funny because I
overly emotional sensitive person, but I can be very hard when it's time to in a very practical in
and it sounds like who wasn't made explicit, but it sounds like her mother.
actually made the decision for her and gather. This is what you have to do: yeah, because she wasn't married and
well. She already had children, so she said to na. If ever anything like you were to have her get pregnant or she did, and she said you know these people you're. My second cousin can have
and he would be awaited because traditionally was a form of helping others, because if people couldn't have children, they couldn't survive in our back in the day as you need it, you needed help hunter sir. It's a forum,
tradition that still passed on, there's a lot less adoptions, but there are still is to very it's a very special world. It's a very beautiful too, because I am. I have absolutely no doubt that if I were,
an adopted. I would not be sitting here in new york city and do
in the life that I do and that's what she goes on saying to us at you you are. I would, I would have probably overprotect you and I would wanna keep you near me, so she would often joke around
and I was a teenager. I you should just move back here. You know you could be here in a because there from a very traditional, strong, a family where the indian
jollity is not so
how do you sam not as common it's better to be strong and to keep you now to be strong,
help each other, and that's so beautiful. I learned so much from their family
my political family, there very strong minded and traditions, are very important too, to help out and not to sacrifice a little bit of yourself for others which I can relate to, but I was also brought up to be there
a free in our very to have a mine of my own, because my parents were all very saw. They were not as
now. They couldn't really relate to me. I guess so. That's a beautiful gift. I got santa I'm very proud to have windows music store too
to enter your life and end, and I guess when and how
And then, when how does it start to become something where its potentially bigger.
Music came into my life because my quickly
I'd say about about a hundred years ago, hundred year hundred year years ago.
Not long ago, christianity, in a bid to the north, anglican churches or a catholic churches.
were built, and now sir
music, as I knew it was from the church anglican church finger because the beautiful himself,
exist in I saw right away. I was very captivated by music from the church, because that's all we had.
And my mother. Apparently I guess she must have heard that I have for assent very sensitive to music and melodies and social,
always made sure that I would sing whenever family would come over. Ship would put me on the table and she's. Ok, she gotta,
She learned a new song hotel.
or I would call the radio station local radio station and dedicated
on that- I learned to all the christian people are born again people in the village. I mean that's kind of ridiculous, but that's how
I guess I don't know, I guess I was trying to find a way to please send away too late to be ok. I did this and not an end
it took forever until I realise that I was are actually in montreal. When I was you now, I realize I at there's something
there's the fire. You know that I, that is, that is there, but I dont know how to deal with it,
I'm very shy,
an I. I don't like to make mistakes. I have to be like provide spot on,
I was in very wild about my creativity
was more like people. Gonna love
You know what I mean there's this need to please more than so.
It was a was a weird mix which made me take my time
Yes, in order to really feel like ok. Do I really feel too? I really have it do I really have some
to say in a voice and saw I met,
sky island, who was sir amused
shouldn't who had heard that I was, I had a demo little demo, I was like twenty two I had to survive to montreal
and he wanted to meet up and we met, and he really liked it is, as we should write songs I like. Oh,
really, you wanna do it with me, sir, two years after we
at an album money was stake. It was a went pretty fast, I mean we tort, quebec, canada and-
And then, ever since I've been singing and actually living off of music, which is still crazy to me
sir, I don't know when it really became. I guess it. Never! Really!
be away. In a moment there was just another because that's not what we do like my uncle has a ban since a sixty use in our rock and all I ate. I even the sanguine with him when I was fifteen and
But that wasn't something, because he has a day job
Everybody has day job. So it's not really saw again
moving to Montel definitely made it even more in our easier. I guess for me to find people
and I think a surrounding myself- I'm I'm I'm good at that, because I don't have all their talents
I can be very slow,
You know I need to take my times. Her
an unvarying spaced out
Sometimes I need people to to to help me out so yeah,
what was it? What led you to to move to material? I decided.
I was to go to school. Even I had like her like. According to my
am, I didn't have to go anywhere. I had the perfect job I worked with. The kids
stood in councillor in my home town, so I don't know I just I just felt like I felt like. If I didn't move, I was gonna, get really old. That's how I felt I was like. I think I had
done, saw many things way in advance that I felt like. Ok, I need
go somewhere? Where I'm gonna explode you now. I need it to do
but saw it was amazing. I decided I was gonna go to college even now,
older twenty to twenty three silent, her creative artists and john abbot.
Did a year and then I was asked to work for documentary film that was to go to four different arctic countries, so we did that.
For a year. You know the film and doing a yeah, also yeah, and also I did my documentary film. So all of this came all at the same time, all at the same time, I didn't
and then I did. I'm document arafat
and then my mother had died the year before that the year after my ballot, my father died so
the fairy those times when
I didn't realize it, but it was. It was hard, but I I was in the mode of survival I quickly passed on to
No time to more and more time to, I can't do that. No one really gonna! I guess I felt like I can:
given to that, because no one cyrillic on understand, because I left you now. I have to pay the price in a way
so it's only after that. I think that's why I can I hit.
depression because I had accumulated saw many. I mean
How can you not mourn? How can you not you now say I need help. I feel sad or, but I had a hard time doing that
yeah yeah, I mean I would imagine, also just the change of going from town. You grew up in which is a thousand or so people beyond this night very serve isolate environment. Twenty two years rate dropped into the area.
Which is this big, thriving fast, loud, sierra, very diverse, very, very, very full of people minutes it is the small city in a way, but it's a very
I first weathers, it's very modern, it's very outgoing
so yeah sake. I I want
it's so much, I had to fight for it so much. I had to convince my mother's so much that this was a good
seizure, and even though she didn't want me to go and she was getting sick in our slowly.
so I guess I made up my mind that if I do go, then I should never ass far to have someone to
to now. I would call her and see tat night,
what it was like. So I mean I just I had
listen to her, but she didn't really say I knew. How are you you know you know
it's not a frame of reference. I now saw I've learned to this, be like we have no feeling
in a way. You know what I mean, I it it's it's it's crazy, I'm I'm! I still have a tendency, sometimes to forget to take the time and be like okay, so
this is my reality. This is what I'm going through and I could share it with you, but it's I'm, I'm I'm good at talking about it. But to really do it is still not always natural asylum about.
Im learning with through my kids. I because I share a lot. Sometimes I talk too much, but at least they're just maybe just because I'm afraid they're going to go through the same thing. You know
I want them to know that they can lean on people are, they can lean on us and they can make mistakes and attack hair there.
Hey it's jonathan from good life project. If you are in your thirty to forty is with friends too busy to join you on a vacation, you have to check out flash back. The only group travel
ran for solo travellers, your age, imagine dining with sumo in japan, or basking on a private yacht in croatia. All with people like you, visit, flash pack, dot com, slash podcast to save to under fifty dollars on your booking an offer only available
He'll July fifteenth, winded life start getting so complicated, buying a home, complicated home finances, certainly not a walk in the park. Raising kids. She hath it's a lot, then there's ensure.
what is my policy doesn't cover this or what? If I have to make a claim in the middle of the night? Good news,
state farm is there for your what ifs you can reach them. Twenty four seven file a claim on the state farm mobile app or simply call your agent to ask anything. So even if life gets.
insurance doesn't have to be like a good neighbour.
Stay farmers. There collar gotta state farmed outcome for a quote today.
how connected are they to celebrate and and
certainly give everything that you grew up around vs beings or more metropolitan,
Was there definitely city kids? There are definitely sub
it's you, I'm not gonna lie. I mean it's. I think I think, if you really one to taken a culture, I think you
you have to live in the environment. You have to live with that different beat that different rhythm, that different humour with a different view.
Time I mean we don't have a notion of ok I'll, come and see you later,
we can say later about. We won't tell you what time we
tell you late we're not even near the afternoon. So we might just say I'll. Come over for supper saw that's easy enough, but if you decide not to show a bit up here to its, so I think as much as there are no conscience of
their mother being from this place, are being related to my family. One day you know or when we go, they feel home when we go up north, but it's still
it's not easy. I would love to spend more time slowly. Thinking about you now, building on the little cabin, though we can just scar shut off from in our everything, even though it's not even if it's not for a long time, it still it's important. You now have three kids
it's it's really about time. I dare upload down a little behind a built, a cabin air and also just the idea of having the opportunity to be able to sort of like
not just move between these two physical places. Button move between these tooth
its of existence d me.
This the way they industry I dislike. You know almost like you're, you're nervous system. Down
I guess it's when you go to a different placed it and I feel like as tax parents like when you have kids in specially growing up in a city environment mountain to have them be able to know this other state.
The way of being beyond on the planet and with each other with other people so powerful. It's there
powerful and they love it like mine
my boy, my my tire, her he was
yeah, he was five or nearly five. Last time we went there,
a year ago, and he was just a second gypsy boy. He would just go from one place to another.
There is not really a notion of time.
You know like it's more it's too early. We do what annette also
it smaller and there's a lotta contact with people, older people constantly constantly people taking you like the people
you know, knowing their my kids, airily they'll be late. It's like going to africa in a way were people or have no distant. You know everybody so loving and their doom condemned to be kisses, and then
Can I take him sure, so they leave their lack of care
hang out with trevor visits, indices kid and were like happy issues here.
he's so cute aroun interests. You now go walk around with him. A niece super, ok cool! So that's that's pretty cool! That's pretty cool for a kid in here!
definitely not how it works in new york city, not in montreal, it's almost like your stepping back in time, embracing suddenly
beautiful elements. Them, however,
apparently it's there
overwhelming. When you go to a place like that, that's I didn't realize that butter, like one
Friends are musicians, they go up north. They are overwhelmed with this, this human contact. That's
it's like there is now. How do you say it? So
You know it's so like after a week being with the family, for instance, ear easily like your adopt it.
because there's saw they share very quickly, they open up very quickly.
There is no limit tourists na code to that is that? Ok, that's, like you know, a stranger. So maybe you wish-
You might have noticed that you're not a panel mariner, nothing, nothing as soon as they see you're open to them. They love it and then they're like okay, he's cool he's my brother not or he's my uncle now he's like you know very easy, easy it it it opens up.
In a way it's pretty amazing when you listen to your music and you know it's interesting because it it it feels like- and I don't know the music that
around in the measure that was traditionally, you grew up around, but there's something that its feet.
This fascinating blend of derision there's modern. There is theirs of strong folk element to it. I guess I'm just curious where, where do you draw from because you you seem to live sir perpetually with feed a number of different, or are you just isabel,
person you and as a creative person as as a musician as songwriter as a performer, it seems like you, draw from so many different places to create this really distinct sound
yeah I mean there is definitely neil young. There is definitely Bob Dylan, because that son, I started. I guess dreaming like dreaming of other places,
there's buffy saint Mary, others learning. I know why
and many many many many many nights with enough, of course, and in spirit saw arrival I learned to to go to places were
allowed to dream where I am allowed to peace,
sure were allowed to be in love
Still, I'm allowed to do all these things are
maybe not ass natural for us in europe to two to be to openly say
I'm in love! I wonder you know what I'm or
to one I dont know too, to play around
you know it with other humans in other people saw its decide.
Yes. I guess gather whatever I'm fine touches me and I think, for this, album was going back to the routes to my
costs music in the sixties, sir seventys, when these kids were the first to
experience the new way of life when it was transitioning from very tradition or anything
life to the modern you know in the sixties. They ve got to be hippies to rights. Are I'm very fascinated by that time?
I've always been. That's why I cannot always never really did anything tradition on, because I was so fascinated by this
my uncle's music, my my aunt, who were in our. I would see pictures of them in the sixty seventy sunlight wow. These kids look like any other,
kids in the world, but there in right now so yeah something and I try to
when I try to understand what what was behind that in how are they going through? How were they living? This transition must and been easy, and I saw I guess my me
it gives very based on an
So I think we identifying innate
indigenous people right now. It's really important de color,
isolation is definitely something we're talking about. Sir, I think when you wanted,
do that and when you do that you kind of have to make music. That is with a lot of force with a lot of guts and a lot of I dunno kind of have to get mad, but not making it violent
to be violent, but just an also using the nature nature is is violently known than nature is strong and fear
so, why not take those elements and try to put them into music, but also I can't I
Also we are very vulnerable, as human beings sides important for me to be able to show that too, because I want people to be
to go to their vulnerable side, but also to their.
very strong side. Sir. I can play around with that because that's where I felt in I felt very vulnerable, but yet so alive, and
so strong more than ever saw
the name of the newest out, MR the ballad of the runway girl and at first ending la LA obviously, he liked the runaway com must be you, but there is actually a there's a longer history. The balance of the runaway girl
is actually saw. My uncle wrote in the six late sixties, I'd say,
It's our song that I've always liked, but it wasn't as the well known as to his other songs, but I've always been cat captivated
wait was written. The way was so different and it's and I've always wondered who was
that girl, you know he never in didn't really
tell me what was being
the sun. I love that that he didn't really wanna. Tell me I'm like there's a mystery somewhere. So now, as
when I was pretty much done with them. They album. I felt like that song is, it keeps coming back and they realise that the title of the album too. So it's kind of like paying tribute to my uncle's unto my answer to those people before me yeah. But it's also me it's in a way. It's here.
do you feel like you violate the runaway girl has found home.
The runaway girl, I can never really say because where is home for me, it's I'm still trying to its funding, because at the end of my depression,
with my my second child I haven't. I have also baby that arrived a year and a half ago, among all this crate
in this and it's amazing because he's so cool he's so easy going and I've I was like. We had just bought a little house, and I was that's when I felt I I realized. I was going through a depression because I didn't know how to deal with that as they get supposed to be. The most beautiful time
where we found a home an aim with this beautiful person and re they chill everyone's core and its sake. All of a sudden I felt like
now. I can let go. Is that what it means? So I was tired.
understand why I am I'm going through it's like being
on the verge of, like being really afraid. It's like, I didn't know how to take the idea of having a home. It's crazy. It's I mean it's that's how
I realize that okay, there is something there so yeah, I I have a home, but that's where a home is where my my loved ones are. It could be anywhere. We could be anywhere. I guess, but I think the north will always be the home to my heart. You know, because that's where I, like you said it's, where everything stops and it's like the brain and it gets a huge massage and then I just feel a dislike of everything everything I just like.
So it's healing it sets a very special place because not just its the lan also, but also the way people live. You know it's know it's you feel free, but it's not dislike that it's hard to, because there's a lot of
Do you people are suffering indigenous people? Although
who were oppressed are going through hard times in our there's a lot of sewers,
there's a lot of you now not a lot of resources are so so it's not. It necessarily easy, but there's something beautiful in their way. People
Are there is very strong able to survive many things and they still laugh lake there at the most?
funniest people in the world. I mean it's, it's crazy. We we, we laugh a lot, it's really important, so homies yeah in the north, but home miss me too. You know, I think, that's really important to to now.
Yeah. Hopefully my kids will say homeless were a mamma. Is love that
as we said here in this container, theodolite product has a good place for us to come
well circle as well. So if I offer up this phrase to live a good life, what comes up ah to live life? Ah.
to live a good life. I guess it's just sharing with other people to have contact with humans, human rights. I think that's, that's a base basic life. You know.
I mean I could say to live. A good life is to be away in ireland. Were you know, I'm alone with my kids? It is it
that. I think is some there's something so strong in human sharing. You know
to live a life as to be kind to yourself, I think, is the hardest thing. I realize
it's so hard many people. I know I still can't even say they love themselves because they think that they know they have to be perfect. We think that we have to be there in order to, but I think we have to be allowed kinder to arson
ass, an to accept that were nowhere near perfect in on it. We don't want to be perfect. Just just look at the nature in our how its
How it's kind of a wild and kind of beautiful one
the ugly at times are really. Yes, I think that's canal, let's try to imitate the nature a little bit. Maybe that's what I would say. Then it's a lot more simple! No thank you! Thank you.
I make thank you so much for listening and thanks also to our fantastic sponsors who helped make this show possible. You can check them out in the links we have included in today show not stand while you're at it. If you ve ever ask yourself what shall I do with my life? We have created a really cool online assessment that will help you discover the source code for the work they are here to do. You can find it add, spark a type dot com. That's s, p, r, K e t why p dot com or just click
the link in the show notes and, of course, if you haven't already done so be sure to click on the subscribe button in your listening app. So you never miss an episode and then share share the love. If there's something that you've heard in this episode, that you would love to turn into a conversation, share it with people and have that conversation, because when ideas become conversations that lead to action, that's when real change takes hold, see you next time.
The.
Transcript generated on 2023-06-24.