Canadian singer-songwriter Genevieve Charbonneau looks for the light in the darkness with her new single 'Symphony of Sorrow' out now on all digital streaming platforms. "Though 'Symphony of Sorrow' is a breakup song, it’s really about using music to process the grief and find hope in the life after," says Genevieve. "Producer Adrian Dolan composed an incredible string section to accompany my melody and lyrics and I decided to use Leonard Cohen’s very popular and hauntingly beautiful song 'Hallelujah' as a reference. The structure of the verses echoes that of his song, and there are also several direct references lyrically."
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hi Genevieve Charbonneau. Nice to be able to interview you. What first got you into music?
I am late to music. I didn’t really start playing or writing songs until my 30’s. I had a lot of musician friends growing up but though I was always musical, I was more into acting and dancing. I noodled around with guitar and violin through my teens and twenties but one day, around the time I was building my eco-house, I went to a bluegrass show and thought to myself “I know three chords. I can write a song.” A couple years later I was recording an album.
Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?
Growing up I was huge Ani Difranco fan. I loved how raw and unafraid she was to speak her truth. I also admired how clever she was/is. A few years ago I went to see Lynn Miles in concert. My sister, who was with me at that show, kicked me under the table and said “she is YOU!” We ended up having breakfast together the next day. I picked her brain about everything to do with being a woman in the music biz. She had some great advice and wisdom for me and I was grateful for that.
Your latest track is 'Symphony of Sorrow'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
It’s a break up song. I wrote it to help me cope with the big feelings of sadness and disappointment I was feeling. I’m not sure exactly where the inspiration to use Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen as a reference came from…but it struck me as a neat idea to incorporate lyrical references and structural elements into my song. I loved the challenge of drawing from the rich imagery of that song and incorporating it into my song. Writing it was definitely therapeutic for me.
How can you describe the music you make?
I write folk music. There’s nothing terribly complicated or jazzy about it. I am drawn to simple, emotion-evoking melodies that fuse beautifully with lyrics. I consider myself a lyricist and love the challenge of creating thought provoking or clever lines out of ideas.
Where are you from and do you have a stable home or do you prefer travelling?
I live on Quw'utsun territory on Vancouver Island, which is where I was born. I worked on board a yacht that was circumnavigating the world for several years before settling here and having children, so I have definitely been to a lot of countries. I co-own a beautiful 10 acre property in the mountains. My situation is quite unique- we have formed somewhat of an un-intentional community here and I live in an eco-house with my children and share living space and gardens with my ex and other co-owners. It’s a special situation and I feel very fortunate. Now I mostly only travel when I tour.
How do you nurture your own creativity?
I don’t know that I do! Not intentionally anyway. The ideas just seem to bubble out of me and often I have to pull over or lock myself in the bathroom to record a voice memo or jot down lyric ideas. If it’s compelling enough I will carve out the time to form a song. I tend to write quite quickly.
What is the biggest decision you’ve had to make?
This is a tough one. There have been several. Most recently, I had to end an unhealthy relationship. That was very very difficult as there was an immense amount of love there and we were tied together in multiple ways but both of our mental health was suffering.
What are your achievements to the moment?
I have three beautiful, healthy, creative, smart, independent boys (obviously not all my doing!) but I am so proud of them. I co-created and built a beautiful home which was a massive undertaking.
I have 4 albums, have won several awards and continue to make beautiful music with amazing people.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I wasn’t really creating much music before the internet so it's hard for me reflect, but obviously the biggest thing is the rapid drop in CD sales. That’s really been a hard hit financially over the past 7 years or so. It is much easier now to DIY your career but also everyone and their dog is doing it so that’s a shift. It feels much more competitive now.
What are your plans for the future?
I have a new trio project called Firebird that I am excited about. We hope to start recording a series of singles over the next few months. I may start exploring another solo album as well and incorporate this new single into that. I certainly have enough material!