Lisa LeBlanc (born August 13, 1990), is a Canadian singer-songwriter and banjoist, known for her enthusiastic "trash folk" performances.[1] She has been noted for her "distinct" blend of folk, rock, and disco with both English and French language lyrics combined with chiac and her Acadian accent.[2] Her accolades include two Félix Awards and an East Coast Music Award. She has also been nominated for three Juno Awards, the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, and shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize twice.
Lisa LeBlanc | |
|---|---|
 Lisa LeBlanc during the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | August 13, 1990 Rosaireville, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Genres | Folk, rock, trash-folk |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Bonsound |
Early life
editLeBlanc was born in Rosaireville, New Brunswick.[3] She is of Acadian heritage,[4] and comes from a family of music lovers.
Musical career
edit2004–2014: Origins and Lisa LeBlanc
editLeBlanc composed her first pieces around the age of fourteen. She was playing at local events and Miramichi's O'Donaghues bar, with her mother watching her because she was underage. LeBlanc was recognized as an outstanding guitarist and a promising singer-songwriter when she won the Festival International de la Chanson de Granby in September 2010. This juried award brought her to the attention of the country's francophone media. She has also played at the 2011 Coup de cœur francophone, at the FrancoFolies of Montreal and at the Festival d'été de Québec.
LeBlanc's self-titled debut album Lisa LeBlanc was released in 2012. The majority of LeBlanc's first album was written in Rosaireville, in Granby during her studies at l'École nationale de la chanson, as well as in Montreal, where she was living. Released on Bonsound Records, the album was recorded by Louis-Jean Cormier of Karkwa at Studio Piccolo. Lisa LeBlanc charted in both Canada and France and has been certified platinum by Music Canada.[5][6]
The album became best known for the single "Aujourd'hui ma vie c'est d'la marde" ("Today My Life Is Shit").[7] The album earned LeBlanc a nomination for the Francophone Album of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards,[8] as well as nominations for three Félix Awards including Critics Choice Album of the Year,[9] two Canadian Folk Music Awards,[10] and an East Coast Music Award.[11]
A song from the album, "Lignes d'hydro", was also nominated for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize.[12] Along with the nominations for Lisa LeBlanc Leblanc was also nominated for Female Performer of the Year at the 2012 and 2013 Félix Awards,"ADISQ 2013" /> She also won Revelation de l'année at the 2012 awards.[9]
2014–2021: Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? and extended plays
editIn 2014, LeBlanc released Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted, an English EP, which debuted at number seven on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 3,400 copies.[13][14] She was also nominated for two Félix Awards that year as well as the SOCAN Songwriting Prize the following year.[15][16]
She released her second studio album, Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?, on September 30, 2016.[17] The album included both French and English titles, including a thrash-folk cover of Motörhead's classic heavy metal song "Ace of Spades".[18] It peaked at eight on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming her third top 10 record in a row. The album was shortlisted for the 2017 Polaris Music Prize.[19] It also earned LeBlanc her second Juno Award nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year.[8] The album also earned LeBlanc four nominations at the Félix Awards and a nomination for Contemporary Singer at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.[20][21]
In 2018 she also collaborated with Joseph Edgar, Robin-Joël Cool, Wanabi Farmeur, Vishtèn, Caroline Savoie, and Édith Butler on the album Grand tintamarre ! - Chansons et comptines acadiennes, which won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Children's Album of the Year at the 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards.[22]
In 2020, under the pseudonym Belinda, LeBlanc released It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle, a five-song EP of disco songs about bingo.[23]
2021–present: Chiac Disco
editIn March 2022, LeBlanc released her third studio album Chiac Disco.[24] The album's name and lyrics take inspiration from Chiac, a "fringlish" dialect common within Acadian communities of New Brunswick. It also followed the disco influence of It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle. The album became her fourth to chart on the Canadian Albums Chart, peaking at twenty four.
Chiac Disco was a Juno Award nominee for Francophone Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023, becoming her second nomination in the category and third Juno nomination.[25] Chiac Disco earned LeBlanc her second Félix Award, winning Pop Album of the Year. It was also nominated for Critics Choice Album of the Year. At the 43rd Félix Awards, she was also nominated for Songwriter of the Year and Female Performer of the Year, along with "Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui" being nominated for Song of the Year. Chiac Disco was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2022, becoming her second shortlisted album after Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?[26]
In 2023, LeBlanc received nominations at the East Coast Music Awards for the first time since 2013. They included three nominations for Chiac Disco, Song of the Year for "Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui", and for TD's Fan Choice Entertainer of the Year.[27] She won for Francophone Recording of the Year.[28]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak positions | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [29] |
FRA [30] | |||
| Lisa LeBlanc |
|
8 | 101 | |
| Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? |
|
8 | — | |
| Chiac Disco |
|
24 | — | |
Extended plays
edit| Year | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| CAN[29] | ||
| Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted |
|
7 |
| It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle (as Belinda) |
|
— |
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Aujourd'hui, ma vie c'est d'la marde" | 2012 | Lisa LeBlanc |
| "Cerveau ramolli" | ||
| "J'pas un cowboy" | 2014 | |
| "You Look Like Trouble (But I Guess I Do Too)" | 2015 | Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted |
| "Gold Diggin' Hoedown" | ||
| "Dump the Guy ASAP" | 2016 | Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? |
| "City Slickers and Country Boys" | 2017 | |
| "I Love You, I Don't Love You, I Love You" | ||
| "Ace of Spades" | ||
| "It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle" (as Belinda) |
2020 | It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle |
| "Mon Sport Préféré" (as Belinda, featuring Johanne) | ||
| "In It to Win It" (as Belinda, featuring Jalapeño Papa) |
Non-album singles | |
| "Bonsoir Moreau" (featuring Salebarbes) |
2021 | |
| "Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui" | Chiac Disco | |
| "Entre toi pi moi pi la corde de bois" | ||
| "Me semble que c'est facile" | 2022 | |
| "Gossip" | ||
| "Quoi-ce tu fais ça pour?" | 2023 | TBA |
As a featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Dans l'bois"[35] (Édith Butler featuring Lisa LeBlanc) |
2021 | Le tour du Grand Bois |
| "Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui [Remix]"[36] (Poirier featuring Lisa LeBlanc) |
2023 | Non-album single |
Guest appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Le coeur a des dents"[37] | 2012 | Yann Perreau | À genoux dans le désir |
| "Marie Mouri" | 2021 | Édith Butler | Le tour du Grand Bois[38] |
| "Ti-gars" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SOCAN Songwriting Prize | Francophone | "Lignes d'hydro" [a] | Nominated | [12] |
| Félix Awards | Female Performer | Herself | Nominated | [9] | |
| Revelation of the Year | Won | ||||
| Critics Choice Album of the Year | Lisa LeBlanc | Nominated | |||
| Folk Album | Nominated | ||||
| Songwriter or Composer | Nominated | ||||
| Canadian Folk Music Awards | French Songwriter | Nominated | [10] | ||
| New/Emerging Artist | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Juno Awards | Francophone Album | Nominated | [8] | |
| East Coast Music Awards | Francophone Recording | Nominated | [11] | ||
| Félix Awards | Female Performer | Herself | Nominated | [39] | |
| 2014 | Félix Awards | Quebec Artist with Most Success Outside Quebec | Nominated | [15] | |
| Female Performer | Nominated | ||||
| 2015 | SOCAN Songwriting Prize | Anglophone | "You Look Like Trouble (But I Guess I Do Too)" | Nominated | [16] |
| 2017 | Polaris Music Prize | Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? | Shortlisted | [40] | |
| Canadian Folk Music Awards | Contemporary Singer | Nominated | [21] | ||
| Juno Awards | Contemporary Roots Album | Nominated | [8] | ||
| Félix Awards | Anglophone Album | Nominated | [20] | ||
| Spectacle - Anglophone | Nominated | ||||
| Sound Recording and Mixing | Herself [b] | Nominated | |||
| Record Producer | Herself[c] | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Félix Awards | Female Artist | Herself | Nominated | [41] |
| Song of the Year | "Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui" | Nominated | |||
| Songwriter of the Year | Herself, for Chiac Disco[d] | Nominated | |||
| Critics Choice Album of the Year | Chiac Disco | Nominated | |||
| Pop Album | Won | ||||
| Polaris Music Prize | Shortlisted | [26] | |||
| 2023 | Juno Awards | Francophone Album | Nominated | [8] | |
| East Coast Music Awards | Francophone Recording | Won | [27] [28] | ||
| Pop Recording | Nominated | ||||
| Solo Recording | Nominated | ||||
| Song of the Year | "Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui" | Nominated | |||
| TD's Fan Choice Entertainer of the Year | Herself | Nominated | |||
References
edit
- ^ "Le Devoir – Lisa LeBlanc, les chansons à vif d'une fille en vie". March 24, 2012.
- ^ Harmsen, Natalie (February 27, 2023). "16 musicians who surprisingly haven't won any Juno Awards". CBC Music. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "East Coast's biggest music star? It's Lisa LeBlanc". CBC News, by Bob Merserau. April 27, 2017]
- ^ "What You Need to Know About Folk-Trash Queen Lisa LeBlanc". Exclaim!, By Sarah Greene. October 6, 2016
- ^ a b "Canadian album certifications – Lisa LeBlanc – Lisa LeBlanc". Music Canada.
- ^ Brendan Kelly, "Lisa LeBlanc returns with her first full-length English album". Montreal Gazette, October 3, 2016.
- ^ Étienne Paré, "Logement abordable: une campagne publicitaire provocatrice". Le Journal de Montréal, December 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Lisa LeBlanc". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Archives 2012 –". ADISQ. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Results 2012 :: Canadian Folk Music Awards". Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Awards Archive - East Coast Music Association". East Coast Music Award. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Kathleen Edwards wins $5K songwriting prize". CBC News. October 19, 2012.
- ^ "Weekly Music Sales Report and Analysis: 12 November 2014 | Alan Cross". November 12, 2014.
- ^ "Lisa LeBlanc la culottée ****". La Presse, October 12, 2016.
- ^ a b "Archives 2014 –". ADISQ. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Hudson, Alex (July 9, 2015). "Dear Rouge Wins 2015 SOCAN Songwriting Prize". Exclaim. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Ben Rayner, "Breakup album, with a dose of good humour". Toronto Star, October 13, 2016.
- ^ Thierry Côté, "Lisa LeBlanc: Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?". Exclaim!, September 28, 2016.
- ^ "Polaris Music Prize shortlist includes Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie". The Globe and Mail, July 13, 2017.
- ^ a b "Archives 2017 –". ADISQ. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Results 2017 :: Canadian Folk Music Awards". Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "The LYNNeS, Pharis Romero Win Multiple CFMAs". FYI Music News, December 3, 2018.
- ^ Josée Lapointe, "Lisa LeBlanc et son alter ego disco-bingo". La Presse, June 14, 2020.
- ^ Kaelen Bell, "Exclaim!'s 32 Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2022". Exclaim!, January 4, 2022.
- ^ "Here are all the 2023 Juno nominees". CBC Music, January 31, 2023.
- ^ a b Brophy, Aaron (July 14, 2022). "The 2022 Polaris Music Prize Short List Is Here". Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Classified and The East Pointers Lead 2023 East Coast Music Award Nominations - East Coast Music Association". East Coast Music Award. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "ECMA announces full list of 2023 East Coast Music and Industry Award recipients! - East Coast Music Association". East Coast Music Award. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Billboard Canadian Albums". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ "Lisa LeBlanc discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ Lisa LeBlanc by Lisa LeBlanc, March 27, 2012, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ Why You Wanna Leave Runaway Queen? by Lisa LeBlanc, September 30, 2016, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ Chiac Disco by Lisa LeBlanc, March 18, 2022, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ "It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle, by Belinda". Belinda. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ Dans l'bois (feat. Lisa Leblanc) - Single by Édith Butler, August 6, 2021, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui (feat. Lisa LeBlanc) [Remix] - Single by Poirier, January 13, 2023, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ À genoux dans le désir by Yann Perreau, October 9, 2012, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ Le tour du Grand Bois by Édith Butler, August 27, 2021, retrieved May 9, 2023
- ^ "Archives 2013 –". ADISQ. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "2017 Nominees". Polaris Music Prize. February 12, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Les résultats du gala de l'ADISQ 2022". Le Canal Auditif (in Canadian French). Retrieved May 8, 2023.