Marie-Pierre Arthur

Biography

As a bassist and back-up singer for well-known Québécois acts (Mara Tremblay, Karkwa, Ariane Moffatt, Steffie Shock and Edith Butler) Marie-Pierre Arthur was already turning heads. With her lush voice, her chops on the Höfner, and her slightly spaced-out vibe, it was clear that this girl from Grande-Vallée in the Gaspé peninsula was much more than a supporting player. She was fired up. She found the prospect of recording her own album intoxicating, welcoming all the challenges that came with it: I just couldn’t ignore the idea any more, she confides. The little flashes of inspiration I had at the start became an obsession. For a while, I felt like a prisoner of my obsession, because I didn’t know what route to take.There was no route, per se. The only thing for her to do was to look straight ahead, take a deep breath and dive into the unknown.

And so it is that in the dead of winter, 2009, a pretty brunette with a clear voice landed smack in the middle of Québec’s musical landscape – in her hands, as an offering, a bunch of folk songs. The songs would go on to earn her a string of accolades: Three ADISQ nominations (Discovery of the Year, Popular Song (Pourquoi), Contemporary Folk Album), a nod at the Indie Music Awards for Best Francophone Album, and spots on year-end best of lists in Le Devoir, La Presse and Rue Frontenac. The CBC’s French-language branch named her one of their discoveries of 2009-2010 and she honed her live show – often sold-out – by touring throughout Quebec, Ontario, and France.

But who exactly is Marie-Pierre Arthur? There’s no straightforward answer: a unique talent, a seasoned musician, a woman on familiar terms with her personal demons. She writes of the delicate workings of the heart, of the need to stay truthful, of the desire and the courage required to investigate the root of one’s dark impulses. I ask myself so many questions. My songs are laced with them, she says. Her vibe, at once delicate and earthy, draws comparisons to Cat Power, Emily Haines and Eleni Mandell. It was important to me that the lyrics be grand and large, so that you could invent a story yourself by catching just a few words. I’m not a fan of lyrics that take you directly to a specific place, that don’t give you room to fly around inside your own head... And the songs won’t bring you down, because the music itself is really joyful.

It’s music that reflects her journey so far: intimate folk with country accents, North-Americana that resonates with warm bass tones, songs that rock out at times with the help of the guys from Karkwa (Louis-Jean Cormier, and François Lafontaine, who co-produced the album with Marie-Pierre) and Olivier Langevin. Add Robbie Kuster on drums (Patrick Watson) and French expat/artist Gaële as co-lyricist, and you get a rich and layered album – a companion piece to autumn days, road trips along country roads and full-moon nights.

Impressively, Marie-Pierre did her last tour as an expectant mother. The baby is due in June 2010, and the tireless musician hopes to be back on the road in the fall – in Europe and Canada. The adventure is nowhere near over: All of this is only a beginning, she says, eyes lighting up.

Press quotes

Marie-Pierre Arthur was probably my favorite straight-up (albiet in French) rock act of the whole weekend. [...] a very good songwriter and a skilled musician. I left humming more than a few of her songs.
Bill Pearis, November 2009, Brooklyn Vegan, M for Montreal review

Whatever the style, her vocals are sincere and passionate, her melodies are strong and her songs are tastefully and simply arranged.
Darryl Sterdan, November 2009, Sun Media, M for Montreal review

LA révélation de l'année au Québec, peu importe ce que l'ADISQ en pense.
Olivier Boisvert, décembre 2009, 33mag

Chansons rondelettes et airs caressants, paroles à déguster et mélodies à rêver la tête en l’air, production pointilliste et voix acrobate, Marie-Pierre Arthur est sans doute, tout le monde l’affirme au Québec, l’une des têtes à suivre de plus près ces tous prochains mois. Et l’une des têtes d’affiche les plus évidentes de M Pour Montréal.
Thomas Burgel, 17 novembre 2009, lesinrocks.com

L’année 2009 aura été faste pour Marie-Pierre Arthur : un premier album encensé par les critiques, trois nominations au Gala de l’ADISQ et une rentrée montréalaise réussie.
Geneviève Vézina-Montplaisir, 10 décembre 2009, Journal Metro

C’est une musicienne et une chanteuse accomplie qui sait tirer le maximum de sa voix et qui la maitrise à la perfection. Marie-Pierre Arthur n’a vraiment rien à envier à qui que ce soit en ce moment au Québec. Et s’il n’y avait qu’une personne qui pouvait réchauffer nos cœurs en ce soir de tempête, c’était bien elle.
Annie Fortin, 10 décembre 2009, patwhite.net

Au nombre des voix faites sur mesure pour accompagner une tempête de neige, il y a celle de Marie-Pierre Arthur : une voix qui semble tomber du ciel, aérienne, fraîche et lumineuse.
Marie-Christine Blais, 10 décembre 2009, La Presse

Déposer les armes, la chanson qui ouvre le premier album de Marie-Pierre Arthur, est une vraie prouesse. Elle parle de l’envie de fuir un amour qui rend malheureux. De reprendre sa liberté et de vivre selon ses propres termes. La chanson impose du même coup un ton. Très personnel. La faute à cette voix magnétique, à la fois rêveuse et sensuelle, qui court-circuite l’intellect pour s’adresser directement au sens. L’émerveillement est bientôt suivi d’une crainte: et si le reste de l’album n’était pas à la hauteur? Or, il l’est. 3.5/5
Alexandre Vigneault, 1er mars 2009, La Presse

[...] la force de M.-P. Arthur réside dans ses refrains simples et efficaces. Mais les coups de foudre sont nombreux, et l’album mérite de tourner abondamment.
Olivier Robillard Laveaux, 26 février 2009, Voir

Malgré l’expérience toute courte de leur auteure, chaque mot prend son sens grâce à la dextérité vocale unique de cette chanteuse. [...] Ce premier album promet surtout pour Marie-Pierre Arthur une carrière prolifique dans le paysage québécois, autant dans les milieux indépendants que dans les radios de musique contemporain.
Étienne Côté-Paluck, 25 février 2009, Bande-à-Part

(Arthur’s) debut album symbolizes everything that is creatively fertile and friendly on the Montreal music scene. [...] Her voice is in continual oscillation: She can sing high notes like an angel then get down like a street urchin, then float the reflective languor typical of her generation. The album is one of the most impressive debuts in recent years.
Juan Rodriguez, 5 mars 2009, The Gazette