January 5, 2010 Fringe Arts

The Peelies pass it on

Local band flies under the radar, flies south

by Madeline Coleman

(Left to right) Roxane Guertin Berthiaume, Marie-Andrée Boudreault, Laurence Lauzon-Bouchard, Morgane Duchêne-Ramsay and Sophie Montpetit of The Peelies. PHOTO MADELINE COLEMAN

“We might just play one shitty show in a basement,” says guitarist Marie-Andrée Boudreault, taking a drag of her cigarette.

“But we’re going to be in Texas!” chimes in drummer Roxane Guertin Berthiaume. “It’s gonna be sunny! Free burritos!”

Local five-piece and self-proclaimed “girl group” The Peelies are sprawled across the couches in Guertin Berthiaume and Boudreault’s apartment, sipping beers and pondering what it means for them to book a gig at this year’s South by Southwest. The Austin-based music festival is one of the biggest on the continent—not bad for a band with only a handful of shows under their belts.

“We didn’t want to play too much in Montreal so people don’t get too sick of us,” says guitarist Laurence Lauzon-Bouchard.

“All the shows that are coming up [before SXSW] will be like practice,” laughs bassist Sophie Montpetit.

The Peelies—who took their name from Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of the volcano—might just find themselves blowing up in 2010.

The five started playing together last spring after Boudreault, a Concordia student, and Guertin Berthiaume took a trip to the 2009 iteration of SXSW. Inspired by the trip, they rounded up three friends, divvied up musical duties and let their creative genius run free.

“The first practice,” says Boudreault, “we did a two-word song. Basically, we just screamed ‘it’s alright’ for the whole song. And then after we listened to it and we were like, ‘whoahhh!’” All five laugh. “We were like, ‘Wow, we’re really good!’”

All five members of The Peelies are Québécoise and originally tried to sing in both French and English. These days they find themselves veering more towards English because, they say, French lyrics tend to sound “cheesy.” That, and it just sounds better.

“With the kind of voices we have, I’m not comfortable singing in French,” explains keyboardist Morgane Duchêne-Ramsay. “Some songs are meant to be in English and some songs are meant to be in French.”

“You’re really limited if you sing in French,” adds Boudreault. “I don’t think we could have played South by Southwest.”

Currently working on an EP to be released by the time they head to SXSW this March, The Peelies hope their rock sound will translate into nothing more than really, really good live shows.

Lauzon-Bouchard says they’re most inspired by bands who just seem like they’re having a great time onstage, citing Atlanta rock band The Black Lips.

“We want to be like the girl version,” she says, then laughs. “I want to be the next Rolling Stones!”

The Peelies play with The Dutchess and the Duke and Medication at Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon St. W.) on Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door.