Artwork by @mystupidsketchbook
WHO are they?
FJORD are THOMAS CASAULT and LOUIS-ÉTIENNE SANTAIS and they have just released their sophomore EP Shallow Waters. It was written in Quebec City, produced in London with the help of TIM BRAN, and features live string recordings from the Quebec Symphonic Orchestra.
“Tom and I have been friends for a while now! More than half of our lives actually (considering we’re only about 30, that’s roughly 15 years lol). It all started with music. We we’re fully committed to becoming a huge ’emo/screamo’ act during our teenage years… Needless to say it did not work out so well. Instead, we split up with the band, tried the academic road to music for a while, became insurgents, and decided to explore the electronic side of music. We went on to form what would eventually become Fjord.”
WHAT is the inspiration behind their songs?
“Our themes, for the two EPs (Textures & Shallow Waters), have stayed quite consistent. We write about the human & emotional experiences most of us have to go through, particularly about the uncertainty of love. Sometimes a text will be entirely based on a fictional situation, and sometimes it draws its source from our personal lives. We’ve written almost the entirety of the lyrics together.”
“Musically, we’ve been inspired by a wide array of artists and genres. We admire the songwriting mastery exhibited in all of THE BEATLES songs, yet have the same level of fondness for the sonic abilities of JON HOPKINS, BOARDS OF CANADA, etc.”
WHERE are they from?
“We grew up in a Quebec City suburb known as Cap-Rouge! Though Quebec, as a province, has a really strong (French) culture of its own and that we’ve been exposed to this scene music as kids, I think it’s strongest influence remains indirect. Indirect in the sense that there’s laws and government’s program favouring music with French lyrics, therefore making the road for Quebec’s English performers a little bumpier in some ways. It really forced us to reach out on an international scale and find support outside of our province/hometown to begin with! A steep, but rewarding learning curve. Besides that, there is an absolutely blossoming scene in Québec right now! We’ve grown, or have honed our craft with excellent Quebec bands such as MEN I TRUST, MILK & BONE, GHOSTLY KISSES, GEOFFROY, HELENA DELAND, etc.”
WHY are they called FJORD?
“At the inception of our project, we were looking for a name that evoked ‘bigger than nature’ sights. An ethereal idea of landscapes, open skies, and a word that somehow conveyed an idea of depth as well. Our friend ANTHONY, who has been designing all of our artworks since then, was brainstorming with us about those themes and naturally brought up Fjord. We instantly knew that it was a great fit.”
WHEN can I see them live?
Keep updated here.
HOW can I get to know them better?
Listen & Watch: Soundcloud // Spotify // Youtube
Like & Follow: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram
The Five Ws of 