LOMM: Can you give a little biographical and historical info; who is involved in the band, and how did you guys meet up?
Gaia: For Uriel, I’ve been in the band for 8 years, I was supposed to only be a paid session member. I was booked to sing on two dates for them, with a two weeks notice. After the first show, they asked me if I wanted to stay, and I decided that I liked the band enough to give it a try.
Uriel has been around for 11 years, the current line-up is Phil Paquette (bass and growl), Jessica Ricard (Cello), Ariane Paquette (violin), Dave Hazel (guitar) and our newest member, Gabriel Harvey (drums). We released our newest album Multiverse in 2019.
For my solo career, I just released my debut album back in November. It includes my bandmates Jessica and Ariane, and Rocky Gray (ex-evanescence, we are the fallen, Lindsay Schoolcraft) on drums.
LOMM: Pandemic has taken an emotional toll on everyone, yet the arts have been hit especially hard. The musicians are vulnerable to financial upheaval. How have you guys have been holding up?
Gaia: Uriel is pretty much on pause, we are working on new music really slowly. We can’t see each others, it makes everything pretty hard to go around.
I did a crowdfunding back in March last year (at the beginning of the pandemic) that really helped me be able to finish my album. I know it’s been rough for a lot of people the past year, I’m very grateful that I was able to have the help of my generous fans to make it through the year.
LOMM: On the other hand you seem to have had a productive time. Is that right?
Gaia: I think I did pretty good for myself, but it still was a pretty rough year for me too. I had a lot of changes in my personal life that had a big impact on my musical life. I’m a very energetic person, I can’t really stay still fortunately I guess. I really tried to make the best of it with being as active as I could on social media, doing the crowdfunding, doing livestreams with artist that I met online or even just being proactive. I feel that, with the world being paused, it’s easy to fall into bad habits. I tried to do the opposite and take this opportunity to build healthier and stronger habits so I could benefit from them when the world is finally unpaused.
LOMM: Modern sounds are my thing J How about you? What does your genre means to you, why did you choose this genre?
Gaia: I started writing my album without really thinking about genre that much. Once I had the final product, it took me weeks of researches to figure where my music fitted. That’s when I came across a Wikipedia page about Dark Wave and when I started digging deeper, I found out about Neoclassical Dark Wave. I was blown away with how much my music was exactly what I read into that article. It was perfect for me ahah. I’ve been a big fan of trip-hop my entire life and seeing that there’s a genre in that genre that fits perfectly was such an amazing feeling. It’s like finding where you belong.
LOMM: How did the initial musical and thematic elements evolve?
Gaia: With music, I really try not to overthink where I’m going. I start with my drums sections, and then I build on it. The lyrics are most of the time what came to my mind at the moment I was working on the song. It makes them more real, more raw, realness is something that is very important for me. I think that with my solo music, I get to show a raw version of music, be 100% myself with my fans, and it’s something that was terrifying when I was about to release the album. Fortunately, I found out that people are receptive of realness. I guess that when we are so used to have this fake world around us (with social media, ads, tv etc) that when you encounter someone that is willing to be vulnerable for people to see or hear, it stands out. I know for me the artists I love the most are those that are real with their fans or their story. So yeah, there’s no real thematic, it’s just me processing trauma and sharing it hoping that it can help someone feel less alone.
LOMM: Are you happy with your product? I mean, what aspects of it do you think you guys nailed, and what parts do you think you could improve
upon?
Gaia: I think there’s always a place for improvement, no matter what you are doing, nothing will ever feel perfect. This is a big thing with life, you have to know when to let go and understand that what you are releasing is what you were where you were at that time in your life. I’m really looking forward on developing myself more as an artist, but also as a human being. I’m learning more every time I release something, every single time you learn new things, what to do and what not to do. I’m hoping my next release will be even more successful and that I will keep growing as a businesswoman.
LOMM: How has the overall reception been?
Gaia: The reception was fantastic, I had people messaging me to let me know how much the album meant to them. For me, this is the craziest feeling in the world.
I wrote that album for myself, what I had been through, and it helped me heal. Knowing that this album had the same reassuring impact that it had for me is incredible. It’s like having that big bound with people you have never met, I’m so grateful that I get to experience that with them, and I will always be thankful that they allowed my music in their life.
LOMM: Have you ever been on a tour? Given live performances? Is it tough for you not to be able to do so now?
Gaia: Unfortunately, I’ve never been on tour. This is something that I really hope will be in my future. I love the stage so much, and I want to be able to share that experience with fans all over the world.
LOMM: What do you see for your future? How is it looking?
Gaia: I think the future for me is really promising, I want to do a second album as soon as I can afford it. I have a lot of things that I still have to deal with, and music will always be the most therapeutic thing that I can do to deal with life. I’m looking forward to seeing where I will be in 5 years 🙂
LOMM: Could you tell us about the lyrics / themes /concepts you focus on or plan to focus on? How did the ideas come about, and how do they influence the writing process? Who is writing the lyrics?
Gaia: For my solo music, it’s all about life and the struggles that come with it. I’ve very blunt in the way I write, there’s no metaphor, no bullshit, straight to the pure emotion. I’ve used songs like At The Bottom to help me through getting back up after an abusive relationship that left me completely destroyed. Cravings when I fell in love and didn’t know if it was one-sided, Drowning In Fear, when I felt like I was suffocating in my own brain. It’s touchy to say what will be in my future when it comes to lyrics, but I know that no matter what, I will always prioritize the truth, even when the emotion isn’t pretty.
LOMM: Which is more exciting? Being on the road or studio?
Gaia: I think for me it’s the studio, it’s like giving birth to something. You have it in your head for so long, but until it’s properly recorded, you have no idea if what you want will make sense or not.
LOMM: Who is composing the songs?
Gaia: For my solo stuff, everything is composed by me, but I have musicians that had their own personal touch. I write basic lines for them, but I let them play the music the way they see fits. As a solo artist, it’s important to understand that other people will have a valid outtake on the songs, and let them do their magic.
LOMM: What bands do you draw your inspiration from?
Gaia: Lindsay Schoolcraft is a massive inspiration for me, she’s been a great mentor and had helped me be the strong person I am becoming. I also take a lot of inspiration from Björk and Depeche Mode. My biggest dream is to work on a sound with Martin L. Gore!
LOMM: What’s more important to you? Catering to the audience or music for its own sake?
Gaia: I do like to be in contact with my fans as much as I can, they are full of amazing ideas, and you can’t be deaf to them. Overall though, I think that you should always do music that matters to you, the audience will come if you’re a good artist.
LOMM: When you look back your music career, what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
Gaia: The crowdfunding for sure, it was such a huge deal for me. I was scared of asking for help, now I know that it’s ok to be vulnerable and ask for help.
LOMM: Anything else you think your fans should know?
Gaia: I want them to know that they are loved and really appreciated for all they do. I see you reposting, liking, sharing to your friends and family. Without you, we would be nothing.
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