Christine Savard Is Back After Three-Year Hiatus With “Wicked Woman”
Christine Savard’s first single in three years proves that motherhood hasn’t slowed down her rocking style. The Victoria-based singer/songwriter/producer’s “Wicked Woman” adds to the classic tradition of love-at-your-own-risk songs with her smoky-smooth vocals, flowing melody line, pulsating bass, and no-nonsense lyrics:
‘Cause she’s a wicked, wicked woman
She’ll take your heart out without warning
Then she’ll make you carry the burden.
The track’s multilayered instrumentation features strings, synths, sax, lap steel guitar, a flute solo, and a siren introduction—for the lady is a siren, after all—to cinematic effect.
In addition, the multitalented Savard co-produced and co-directed the song’s video, a stunning mix of vintage and modern atmosphere. The action takes place at a lavish 1930s mansion (once owned by a grifting business mogul who went on the lam). A pair of female dancers add a frisson of dark sensuality as they interact with Savard, the Wicked Woman herself, and the hapless lover who doesn’t take the singer’s advice until it’s almost too late. As the contrasts between the luxe and shady elements play against the song’s complex arrangement, the results demand multiple listens and multiple viewings.
Watch the video for “Wicked Woman” below and learn more about Christine Savard via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Christine! I grew up in one of the coldest parts of Northern Canada–Thunder Bay, Ontario. Writing and playing music on the piano as a kid was definitely one of the best ways for me to get through the long, cold winters. I eventually made my way to Toronto to study visual art. While living there, I got super inspired by the diverse music scene, especially the electronic dance music scene, but also the indie music scene. I eventually made my way to Victoria, BC, where I’ve lived for the last decade. Aside from my love of making music, I’m a busy mom of a 3-year-old toddler, and I’m grateful to have had a decent career in communications and marketing over the last eight years.
Tell us about the process of writing Wicked Woman.
Writing “Wicked Woman” was one of the fastest songwriting processes I’ve done to date, from concept to production. Because my schedule is so compressed as a mom, I really have to be efficient with my time, which meant hammering out lyrics at 5 am in the morning and some late-night production sessions (with headphones!). I also approached “Wicked Woman” completely backwards from other songs – I started with the lyrics instead of sitting at the piano and feeling out melodies. I went right into production from there with some basic midi drum programming, synths, and scratch vocals. I knew that I wanted “Wicked Woman” to have an indie vibe with acoustic instrumentation, so I reached out to some session musicians, starting with electric bass and then drums. I remember reviewing the bass track in the parking lot of a grocery store (again, compressed schedule!) getting super stoked, approving it, and cuing up the drum coordination the same day. The more input I got from the session musicians, the more inspired I got to include more. I ended up integrating saxophone, flute, and violin – which I know isn’t typical of an indie song– but I was listening to David Bowie’s “Blackstar” song at the time. I really liked how the hints of saxophone and flute gave it an eerie-sounding atmosphere, which I felt would serve “Wicked Woman” well. Of course, there were some very hard decisions to make later on in terms of editing out some instrumentation and choosing which ones to emphasize (I received the cool lap steel guitar track last and felt strongly about integrating it). Overall, It was a really cool production process, and I’m super grateful for everyone who participated, including all the musicians, the mixing engineer, and my songwriting coach, who I consulted with throughout the process. I also gave myself a deadline to release the song within a few months from its conception so I could ride the wave of inspiration during the release. Sometimes songs have an expiry date the longer you work on them!
What’s it like being a musician in Victoria, BC?
I love being a musician in Victoria! It’s definitely a much smaller scene than say, Vancouver or Toronto, but I am really blown away by the talent here and the support that comes from a close-knit community of musicians. I’ve connected with many musicians here that work across a diverse range of genres, from jazz, folk, indie and electronic. There are lots of opportunities for cool collaborations or just getting inspired by hearing other local musicians perform. There are also some great opportunities for local artists to get exposure through some of the bigger events like Rifflandia festival and the fact that Victoria is such a major tourist hub.
Who was the first Canadian artist to blow you away?
Sloan was one of the first Canadian bands to blow me away. I was listening to a lot of grunge music around that time, and their sound was such a refreshing blend of grunge meets pop/rock. No one sounds like Sloan! But to be fair, one of the first concerts I saw as a kid was Tom Cochrane with my family, and I could not wipe the overjoyed smile off my face when he sang “Life is a Highway.”
You’ve been making music for a while now. What’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
My biggest recommendation for other artists starting out would be to find other musicians you can trust to consult with during the songwriting process. As a solo artist, I’ve always been really shy about sharing my music with others during the writing process up until recently. But getting constructive feedback during the songwriting process has been a game-changer for me. There’s always room for improvement or trying new ideas for any song, whether it be in the arrangement, lyrics, or stylistic choices in production. It’s really easy to get tunnel vision when you’re so close to your own music. And to add that advice, only take songwriting advice that you truly resonate with! It’s your music, and you’ve got to feel strongly connected to it at the end of the day.