Music

Pop Montreal Q & A: Tasseomancy

by Anne T. Donahue

Since we’ll be kicking around Pop Montreal this week, we’re talking to some of our favourite bands playing the festival.

Having first embarked on their musical saga as children in Halifax, sisters Sari and Romy Lightman have gone from creating bare bones folk under the Ghost Bees moniker to becoming front-runners of a new class of Canadian music. Despite their alignment with Austra and collaboration with Timber Timbre, the duo’s full-length debut, Ulalume, manages to reflect only themselves.

AUX: What about Pop Montreal (or Montreal in general) are you most excited about?

Romy Lightman: The mountain! I want to go climb it.

Sari Lightman: I would say probably the poutine, it is a delight. The mountain with the combination of poutine is the best of both worlds.

RL: Poutine shaped like a mountain.

SL: Maybe you can bring poutine on the mountain, bring a picnic and have a poutine picnic on the mountain. You eat it at the top, it’s your triumphant mark.

AUX: What bands are you determined to see during the festival?

SL: We want to see The Raincoats.

RL: We also want to see R. Stevie Moore.

AUX: Why should people come to see your show above anyone else’s?

RL: I don’t know!

SL: I think if there’s something about us that is intriguing, I suggest that you come. But if you’re not intrigued, there are a lot of other shows. I think there’s something special within our set and our show and our performance, but it’s not for everyone.

RL: We have candles. Our record was released on vinyl, but it’s also in candle form. If you buy a candle, there’s a digital download code.

AUX: Give us some tips for surviving the five-day festival.

RL: Trust your instincts. Follow your heart. It’s good to be curious and to explore places you wouldn’t normally go, but trust yourself.

SL: And make your days just one event. Move very slowly throughout the day. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and expect that you’re going to see ten bands in one night, so choose your battles wisely.

AUX: Famous last words?

SL: Is this poutine vegetarian?