Chiac Disco

Propelled by the 2012 song “Aujourd’hui ma vie c’est d’la marde,” Lisa LeBlanc established herself as a force in francophone folk music. But two albums and a decade later, her third project is a stark contrast, the Acadian New Brunswicker swapping her banjo and guitar for string-and-brass arrangements. “It all started at the height of the pandemic,” she tells Apple Music. “My boyfriend and I came up with the idea of doing Facebook Live broadcasts to pass the time during lockdown. We’d do parodies of, like, bingo games in the ’70s and we’d compose the music.” LeBlanc enjoyed the exercise so much that she decided to give it a more serious form. The end result is Chiac Disco, an album that references the franglais dialect of her birthplace and the sumptuous melodies of vintage disco and funk. “I’ve always loved that musical movement,” she says. “For me, it will always be associated with wonderful memories of evenings spent having fun with friends. Because it’s danceable, you forget that it’s nonetheless a genre that can be quite complex.” Here, she runs down all the tracks on Chiac Disco.

“Pourquoi faire aujourd’hui”
“It’s not a serious tune at all. I wanted to create a kind of cross between arena rock and disco, and the result is incredibly cheesy. It talks about procrastination by asking, ‘Why do something today that we can put off until tomorrow?’ We’re surrounded by lifestyle gurus—people who, by constantly showing us just how happy and productive they are, end up rubbing our noses in the fact that we’re not as good as them. I don’t care personally. It just makes me want to do the exact opposite—in other words, nothing!”

“Dans l’jus”
“In this one, I talk about burnout, but it borders on caricature. People often come up with the excuse that they’re snowed under, but that can sometimes hide the fact that someone’s really not feeling well and is maybe even depressed. As for the musical ambiance, it’s over the top, but deliberately so, with great soaring strings and romantic—if not to say dramatic—arrangements.”

“Entre toi pi moi pi la corde de bois”
“In a way, it follows on from the two previous tracks. It deals with the fact that you can push yourself to the point of exhaustion. Even though lots of people may be suffering from burnout, you often go through it on your own. You’re so exhausted, you can’t think straight, and you don’t want to complain because you say to yourself that you should be happy with what you’ve got. It’s as though you’ve been sucked into a vicious circle of all kinds of contradictions. I think it’s still a taboo subject.”

“Gossip”
“I’m from Rosaireville, a tiny Acadian village of 50 people. Not too far from there is Rogersville, a slightly bigger town where I went to school. I love these places with all my heart, and this song is a tribute to them. ‘Gossip’ is what’s being said at the local Tim Hortons. If you want to keep up to date on what’s going on, that’s where you go because that’s where all the village rumors originate! Musically, the track tends more towards funk, with a bit of a James Brown or Frantique feel to it.”

“Veux-tu rentrer dans ma bubble?”
“This one sort of came about because of COVID. When I was in New Brunswick during the first lockdown, we were allowed to form a support bubble with another household. It was a weird kind of situation because we had to choose who we wanted to be paired up with. On the one hand, we didn’t want to be the losers no one picks—like in gym class when we were teenagers—and on the other, we didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not choosing them. But in the end, because I’m not really a fan of COVID tunes, I turned it into a feel-good track, to dance, sing, or just goof around.”

“La poudre aux yeux”
“This song plays on that fine line between what’s true and what’s false. Sometimes, it’s all simply a question of perception—you can be not quite telling a lie, while not being completely honest either. With the arrangements, I wanted to pay tribute to Lee Hazlewood, who’s one of my favorite producers. He’s also done some great albums as a solo artist. I tried my best to be equal to the task.”

“Le menu acadien”
“Set to music reminiscent of the soundtrack to an erotic film in the ’70s, I reel off, all through the song, the names of typically Acadian dishes, as if I’m reading a menu. I play with contradictions by giving false airs of sophistication to a cuisine which, quite frankly, is far from appetizing! They’re dishes that I personally adore and that I’m very attached to because they’re part of my culture, my roots. But let’s just say beige and brown are the dominant colors on your plate.”

“Gossip II”
“It’s obviously the sequel to ‘Gossip.’ While the first part focused more on what goes on at the table at Tim Hortons, this one reflects the kind of conversations you have while waiting in line, before you’ve ordered your coffee, like friendly small talk between neighbors. The music is a nod to New Orleans. In the past, I’ve often been inspired by the Cajun side of that culture, but this tune instead leans more towards the tradition of marching bands, in particular with the brass. There’s an unmistakable rock sound to it as well. So, basically, it’s like a brass band meets Black Sabbath.”

“Tite gêne” (feat. NGABO)
“To create this one, I used my love of Afrobeat as a starting point, and I was especially inspired by William Onyeabor, a Nigerian artist I really like. In a way, it’s the album’s weirdo track. It’s almost prog-rock. As for the lyrics, they’re imbued with the same spirit as ‘La poudre aux yeux,’ but this time I address the issue of confrontation. Everyone has a different—good or not so good—way of dealing with it. It’s never easy, but you have to know how to show some humility and find the most diplomatic ways of doing and saying things.”

“Me semble que c’est facile”
“With its fairly intimate lyrics, I could have used a guitar-vocals format for this song. But I felt like going for a Lee Hazlewood-style atmosphere again, with soaring strings. It was Antoine Gratton who wrote the string arrangements, and that’s what makes this love song truly magnificent. I talk about a love affair that’s more than a flash in the pan, where everything is simple, beautiful, and effortless.”