Double Vision.
In Conversation with Canadian Front Woman and Solo Artist Michelle Mondesir.
Whether it's playing with her band mates Jaina, Bret, Gio and Rene in the Canadian pop/alt-rock band Madame Psychosis or continuing to produce exceptional RnB music with her own solo project. Michelle Mondesir is one of Canada's busiest artists. With some distinctly different styles in her arsenal, Mondesir is tapping into a broad audience range that is allowing the varying fan bases to become acquainted with everything she and the full band has to offer. And with some of the more recent releases striking hot with listeners, we thought now was a perfect time to catch up with Michelle to talk about the band, band life, her solo work and what's yet to come in her musical world.
Hey Michelle! Before getting into the fine details, let's get to know a bit more about you. When and how did you get started in music?
I started singing since I could speak, my mother would say. I loved Whitney Houston and would belt out her songs when it came on the radio. I started piano lessons at 5 years old and started songwriting at 13 years old. The rest is herstory!
How did Madame Psychosis come together and where did the name come from?
The band started years before I came into it. Our drummer Jaina and guitar player Bret were in a band prior to Madame Psychosis called Howl Your Heart Out. After that band came to an end, Bret and Jaina continued to get together to jam. Then came the infamous wedding that spearheaded what eventually became Madame Psychosis. It all started during a conversation where a mutual friend of two of the eventual band mates, Bret and Gio (bass), suggested a jam session a few days later while she was still in town. At first we thought, “sure, why not”, assuming it was never going to happen. But much to our surprise it did happen, and that’s where Bret introduced Jaina to Gio. Following this session, Bret and Jaina invited Gio to come to their weekly practice. They continued to jam, writing songs in the process. It took well over a year to recruit Michelle, our singer and lyricist, who shortly after introduced Rene (guitar), having just moved to the city, to the band.
The name of the band came from a book Bret had been reading at the time called Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. And the band name came specifically from one of the characters in the book Joelle Van Dyne (a.k.a. "Madame Psychosis" (her on-air name, a play on metempsychosis), a.k.a. "The Prettiest Girl of All Time (or P.G.O.A.T.)") - The primary figure in the Entertainment.
What’s your music writing process? Is it a shared experience with your band mates?
Yes! It’s definitely a shared experience. Usually Bret or Rene will introduce a guitar melody/idea and we’ll jam on it so that everyone in the band can work out their parts. Usually I’ll take the completed musical part home, write the lyrics in my home studio and work through any keyboard parts I might want to add. I’ll then bring it back to the band and we'll finesse it until we’re happy with it.
What distinction would you make between your musical style and that of the band?
Well I’d say they’re quite different. I’m originally an R&B/Soul singer/songwriter and decided to try on a different outfit by auditioning for the band which is in the indie Alt-Rock genre. I enjoy both equally and have fun with the challenges that each genre brings.
What does being a part of a band add to your experience as a musician?
I feel like it opens me up to new ideas. By sharing different approaches and concepts for songs we end up with songs that were made better together than they might have been by any one of us alone. Also, the live aspect of having a band is very different, you’re not just dependent on your own performance but how you perform as a unit. It’s a very different fee and I’ve been enjoying it.
Hey Michelle! Before getting into the fine details, let's get to know a bit more about you. When and how did you get started in music?
I started singing since I could speak, my mother would say. I loved Whitney Houston and would belt out her songs when it came on the radio. I started piano lessons at 5 years old and started songwriting at 13 years old. The rest is herstory!
How did Madame Psychosis come together and where did the name come from?
The band started years before I came into it. Our drummer Jaina and guitar player Bret were in a band prior to Madame Psychosis called Howl Your Heart Out. After that band came to an end, Bret and Jaina continued to get together to jam. Then came the infamous wedding that spearheaded what eventually became Madame Psychosis. It all started during a conversation where a mutual friend of two of the eventual band mates, Bret and Gio (bass), suggested a jam session a few days later while she was still in town. At first we thought, “sure, why not”, assuming it was never going to happen. But much to our surprise it did happen, and that’s where Bret introduced Jaina to Gio. Following this session, Bret and Jaina invited Gio to come to their weekly practice. They continued to jam, writing songs in the process. It took well over a year to recruit Michelle, our singer and lyricist, who shortly after introduced Rene (guitar), having just moved to the city, to the band.
The name of the band came from a book Bret had been reading at the time called Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. And the band name came specifically from one of the characters in the book Joelle Van Dyne (a.k.a. "Madame Psychosis" (her on-air name, a play on metempsychosis), a.k.a. "The Prettiest Girl of All Time (or P.G.O.A.T.)") - The primary figure in the Entertainment.
What’s your music writing process? Is it a shared experience with your band mates?
Yes! It’s definitely a shared experience. Usually Bret or Rene will introduce a guitar melody/idea and we’ll jam on it so that everyone in the band can work out their parts. Usually I’ll take the completed musical part home, write the lyrics in my home studio and work through any keyboard parts I might want to add. I’ll then bring it back to the band and we'll finesse it until we’re happy with it.
What distinction would you make between your musical style and that of the band?
Well I’d say they’re quite different. I’m originally an R&B/Soul singer/songwriter and decided to try on a different outfit by auditioning for the band which is in the indie Alt-Rock genre. I enjoy both equally and have fun with the challenges that each genre brings.
What does being a part of a band add to your experience as a musician?
I feel like it opens me up to new ideas. By sharing different approaches and concepts for songs we end up with songs that were made better together than they might have been by any one of us alone. Also, the live aspect of having a band is very different, you’re not just dependent on your own performance but how you perform as a unit. It’s a very different fee and I’ve been enjoying it.
Are there any Tour traditions that you have?
We haven’t toured as yet but we do have some traditions regarding show prep. We tend to like to do something together before a show, like grab a meal and catch up a bit about our week, what we’re looking forward to for the upcoming show, and just catching a breather before hitting the stage.
What’s your favourite live performance space?
So far a few of my favourites with the band have been The Opera House, The Mod Club, The Horseshoe and Lee’s Palace. For solo gigs, my favourite has been at the Economic Club of Canada as part of the Toronto R&B Sounds event.
How do you find the time and the balance between your solo career and fronting a band?
It truly is about loving what you do and the joy of spending most of your time doing it. It’s very important to make the time and hold yourself accountable for what you do with that time. I find it important to split my days between creative and business tasks. In the band, it’s much easier since there are 5 of us splitting these tasks and finding different ways to be creative. We each also hold down full time jobs so it can definitely get tricky!
What’s the toughest part of band life? What’s the most rewarding?
The toughest part of band life is communication and scheduling. If these two things aren’t on point, it makes it difficult to be successful regardless of how talented the members may be. The most rewarding thing for me is basically having a second family, we create together, we play together, and we share it together it’s a beautiful thing
We haven’t toured as yet but we do have some traditions regarding show prep. We tend to like to do something together before a show, like grab a meal and catch up a bit about our week, what we’re looking forward to for the upcoming show, and just catching a breather before hitting the stage.
What’s your favourite live performance space?
So far a few of my favourites with the band have been The Opera House, The Mod Club, The Horseshoe and Lee’s Palace. For solo gigs, my favourite has been at the Economic Club of Canada as part of the Toronto R&B Sounds event.
How do you find the time and the balance between your solo career and fronting a band?
It truly is about loving what you do and the joy of spending most of your time doing it. It’s very important to make the time and hold yourself accountable for what you do with that time. I find it important to split my days between creative and business tasks. In the band, it’s much easier since there are 5 of us splitting these tasks and finding different ways to be creative. We each also hold down full time jobs so it can definitely get tricky!
What’s the toughest part of band life? What’s the most rewarding?
The toughest part of band life is communication and scheduling. If these two things aren’t on point, it makes it difficult to be successful regardless of how talented the members may be. The most rewarding thing for me is basically having a second family, we create together, we play together, and we share it together it’s a beautiful thing
What plans do you have for future solo musical releases?
I’m currently working on a two part release. The first release will be a collection of slow jams and will be released in late April/early May. The second will be released in August/September and will include a collection of uptempo songs. They're both going to include a number of collaborations with local artists that I admire and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it’s received.
What’s your favorite song to play live with Madame Psychosis?
I think the fan favourite right now is “Kapow" because it’s upbeat and fun to sing along to. However, my favourite song to perform with the band is "Don’t Care". It’s raw, vulnerable, and relatable for anyone who has ever had their heart broken. (Q Review Note: We would agree about 'Kapow'. It's firmly on repeat with us!)
Where would you like to tour that you haven’t been to yet, either with the band or solo?
We would love to expand out of Toronto. We’d love to play more of Ontario, Canada, and to branch out to areas like the US and Europe for sure!
I’m currently working on a two part release. The first release will be a collection of slow jams and will be released in late April/early May. The second will be released in August/September and will include a collection of uptempo songs. They're both going to include a number of collaborations with local artists that I admire and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it’s received.
What’s your favorite song to play live with Madame Psychosis?
I think the fan favourite right now is “Kapow" because it’s upbeat and fun to sing along to. However, my favourite song to perform with the band is "Don’t Care". It’s raw, vulnerable, and relatable for anyone who has ever had their heart broken. (Q Review Note: We would agree about 'Kapow'. It's firmly on repeat with us!)
Where would you like to tour that you haven’t been to yet, either with the band or solo?
We would love to expand out of Toronto. We’d love to play more of Ontario, Canada, and to branch out to areas like the US and Europe for sure!
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What does your musical future hold for you? Any big goals you’re aiming for?
At the moment my main goal is this large task of a two part album - Coordinating the collaborations, recording, mixing, and then the leg work of getting it out there for everyone to listen. As well, I’ll be continuing to perform and write with Madame Psychosis. I’m very excited for what the future holds for me in music!
With so many artists in the Toronto area, have you had much opportunity to connect or collaborate?
It’s funny you should ask because I actually haven’t had the chance to do a lot of collaborating and that’s one of the main reasons I decided to take on this two part album. I’m really looking forward to working with the fantastic artists that are currently lined up!
If you could be on the same live bill for anyone, with the band or solo, who would it be and why?
That’s soooooo tough. Ok I’d have to speak for myself, with the band, it would be amazing to be on a bill with Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, or Alanis Morissette. As a solo act, I’d love to be on the same bill as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, or H.E.R.
At the moment my main goal is this large task of a two part album - Coordinating the collaborations, recording, mixing, and then the leg work of getting it out there for everyone to listen. As well, I’ll be continuing to perform and write with Madame Psychosis. I’m very excited for what the future holds for me in music!
With so many artists in the Toronto area, have you had much opportunity to connect or collaborate?
It’s funny you should ask because I actually haven’t had the chance to do a lot of collaborating and that’s one of the main reasons I decided to take on this two part album. I’m really looking forward to working with the fantastic artists that are currently lined up!
If you could be on the same live bill for anyone, with the band or solo, who would it be and why?
That’s soooooo tough. Ok I’d have to speak for myself, with the band, it would be amazing to be on a bill with Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, or Alanis Morissette. As a solo act, I’d love to be on the same bill as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, or H.E.R.
Follow MICHELLE MONDESIR and MADAME PSYCHOSIS on Social Media
Madame Psychosis: Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
Michelle Mondesir: Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
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As a completely free service to artists and supporters, we have launched a Patreon account to help us keep producing new and promotional content. If you're a fan of Q Review and want to support, skip on over and have a look. We appreciate the support.