Mathieu Cournoyer, bassist in the Montreal-based indie rock outfit Malajube, joined the Voice for a phone interview to talk about his current tour, band and future plans. Malajube’s second album, Trompe-l’oeil, was released in February 2006. They began performing live on the Quebec music scene but have since found success in the rest of Canada, the States, Europe and Asia.
He cited favorite bands and musical influences ranging from metal band Slayer to folk sensation Bright Eyes to Brooklyn-based Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Asked to describe Malajube’s sound, Cournoyer hesitated and came up with “a mixture of Flaming Lips and Mars Volta.”
Malajube intends to continue singing in French, to the dismay of some American fans.
“We started off singing in English but it just wasn’t comfortable,” Cournoyer said, adding that francophone bands who perform in English are “kind of lame.”
Nevertheless, they enjoy performing for non-Francophone audiences and speaking to the crowds in their native language in between songs. The current tour included dates in Quebec, the USA, Europe and Japan.
The band has a self-described “huge fan base” in Montreal and prefers performing on the Quebecois scene, not for the French speakers, but because the shows are packed and the fans are loyal.
Thirty shows away from the end of a long two-year road trip, the members of Malajube look forward to going home to Montreal and getting some long-awaited relaxation, and a break from the road and each other’s incessant company.
“The last thing we want to do when we get home is see each other,” Cournoyer said. He personally can’t wait to get back to see a lady friend, who has patiently (and loyally?) waited around for him for the past two years.
Drummer Francis Mineau is excited to get back and start fixing up his new home, or as Cournoyer says, “fixing up his old, crappy house,” while all the group members are eager to build their new studio, where they will produce their third album some time in the next year. When asked what the band likes to do for fun at home, Cournoyer responded “I’ll have to find out when I go back,” since they’ve been away for so long without more than a 10-day break.
The members of Malajube all have different pre-performance rituals ranging from “drinking Jack Daniels and beer” to “smoking big spliffs” to “taking naps.”
Of any celebrity, Cournoyer would most like to meet Michael Jackson to see what he’s really like “and have a beer with him.” When it comes to female celebrities, he’d most like to date Drew Barrymore because “she’s hot and seems like a party girl.”
Maljube will be performing Monday, Nov. 19 with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at The Rock ‘N Roll Hotel, located at 1353 H Street, NE. Tickets to the show are sold out.
