"The End of Self"
directed by Michael Lalancette
those who helped made "I Hardly Knew Me" come together.... Nicholas Williams, Jean-Micael Pothier, Jesse Sauve, Dave A. Sturton, Michael Plummer, Melanie Auclair, Laura Risk, Emily Doolittle, Steph McAlear, Stephane Gaudreau, Yanik Frenette, Marc Martel, Natasha Landry, Lorraine Muller, Maica Mia Machnik, Eileen Quashie, Kristen Bussandri, Cam Stewart, Simon Leroux Stewart, Sebastien Francisque and Genevieve Cooke
Influences
radiohead <>< jeff buckley <>< pearl jam <>< a tribe called quest <>< propagandhi <>< the strokes <><>< nofx <>< sublime <>< the mars volta <>< downhere <>< the dears <>< bad religion <>< doves <>< nick drake <>< michael jackson <>< iron & wine <>< death cab <>< ray lamontagne <>< bob dylan <>< damien rice <>< sigur ros
Before the universe was created, David Martel knew his calling was to make music. So he devised a scheme: get born, and take it from there. Those wheels were set in motion one night in the late 1900's when sperm and egg collided just south of Montreal. Immediately after bornding, he wanted to learn how to sing. Only problem was, every time he opened his mouth all that came out was a high-pitched cry, usually accompanied by a wave of snotty tears. “Infancy…" he thought. "Who needs it?"
Lucky for him, one day as he was wandering around in his crawler and going to the bathroom in his pants, he stumbled into a time machine and skipped ahead to the year 2006, making him the first man since Neil Armstrong to travel through time.
First thing he wanted to do in his new adult body was to test out the ol' pipes. So he took to the streets to sing and play his guitar for anyone who had ears to hear. Producer Dave A. Sturton (Jean LeLoup) just happened to be out that day and caught a few songs.
Sturton approached Martel after his set and that day, they decided they should start making sweet music together. A week later Martel ended up going to Sturton’s Production DNA studio in Montreal, and then again the week after… and then again, and so on. Each time they connected they would invite different players for every session taking them a step closer to what has become Martel's first solo effort, I Hardly Knew Me (Kindling Music/Warner).
"I don't know. Is this really my first solo project?" asks Martel while bathing. "I've never worked with so many players for one record. When we first started this thing, I think everyone at my label and even Sturton thought we were going for more stripped-down sound... but it's definitely become the hugest recording I've ever made in terms of layers and arrangements and instrumentation."
"I've been in bands for years, and I love that dynamic," adds Martel. "My favorite part about making I Hardly Knew Me was to be able to enlist the help of exactly who I wanted to play for each part. Sturton also brought in some great players. He introduced me to his buddy Nicholas Williams who ended up playing all the pianos, accordions, flutes, keys, and most of the synths on the record."
From the day Martel met Sturton, it took a year and three months before a record was birthed. But good things come to those who wait. I Hardly Knew Me takes the listener on a journey through well-constructed pieces of melodic, indie-pop, tasteful pancakes, like “End Of Self” and “Stay In”; intimate gems like “Yours and Mine” and “Love”; and the closer, "Cancel All Your Plans" that melds the closeness of a small live concert performance to this amazing, added studio tracks in the same tradition as Frank Zappa. You will go from full-out rocking insanity, to up close and personal, folksy, beautifulness – all with Martel's patented, soaring, melodic vocals leading the way.
Now it's time for him to take the insanity back to the live stage, down the street from your house. The gang's all going to be there, and so should you. The place will be overflowing with sounds and beautiful people. It’s all coming down very quickly, very shortly, so make sure the cats are fed.
David Martel has a new record. It's called, "I Hardly Knew Me."
Hurry --
i'm david martel
Links to my other sites, add me if you are on them:
J'écoute votre album depuis que je suis sortie du concert à la Sala Rossa samedi... c'est superbe! Je vais certainement utiliser certaines chansons dans mes cours de danse contemporaine car ça m'inspire!
J'ai quand même vraiment beaucoup aimé la version plus acoustique de samedi: violoncelle-guitare-batterie-voix... ça m'a complètement transportée!
Merci pour ce beau et grand moment, bonne continuation à vous et au plaisir de venir vous écouter un jour à Québec!
j'ai acheter votre album sur Itunes, je l'écoute en boucle tout les jours! je l'adore!!! J'espère un jour vous voir en concert en Belgique... Prenez soin de vous,
ta musique m'envoie dans un autre monde, totalement. Je l'adore. Je l'adore tellement que je suis aller achter ton CD, j'ai mis tes chansons sur mon iPod et je les écoute continuellement.
Hey David! It was a real pleasure to meet you and discover your wonderful music. We're totally diggin' the album, thanks again for the swap. Hope to see you again soon. Take care, Sandra J.
