Country Music Duo, Mountain Daisies Introduce New Single, “Moonlight It Up”
Following the release of their first English EP, Dare to Fall last September and continuously seeking new songs to enrich their expanding country repertoire, Mountain Daisies reached out to their Nashville friend Jimmy Thow to create a song that would fit the duo perfectly. Thow hit the mark with “Moonlight It Up,” a piece co-written with Jamie Floyd, Kristian Rochester, and Rachel Thibodeau.
Ariane and Carl really embrace social interactions through their musical careers, always mixing work and pleasure. Each show is an opportunity for creating new connections, conversations, and celebrations!
Ariane shares,
“After a show, we always try to find a spot to hang out. It’s our way of connecting with our fellow musicians, friends, and the audience. We’re all about creating good vibes and igniting something special.
Moonlight It Up kind of tells that story.”
Carl adds,
“If you go to bed early, you can miss out on new and fun things. I never want the night to end. I don’t wanna miss anything.”
Watch the video for “Moonlight It Up” below and learn more about the Mountain Daisies via our interview.
First off, care to introduce yourselves to our readers?
We’re Ariane Ouellet and Carl Prévost – longtime friends, musicians, proud French-speaking Quebeckers, entrepreneurs, parents, and partners for the past three years. We met in the early 2000s during our music studies. Mountain Daisies has existed since 2002 and it was a full country band before evolving into a duo. While we’ve mostly composed music in French, recent years have given us the incredible opportunity to dive into a new country project in English, collaborating with a Nashville producer. It’s been an absolutely fantastic experience!
You have unveiled your latest single, “Moonlight It Up.” Tell us a bit about the creative process behind the release.
We really put in the effort to get into the groove of the song. So we hung out every night and drank Tequila Sunrises at breakfast for three weeks straight! And you know what? It totally worked!
The track was co-written by Jimmy Thow, Jamie Floyd, Kristian Rochester, and Rachel Thibodeau. Did you connect with the track immediately?
Yes! We actually asked Jimmy if he had a song in his collection about wild nights out and hanging with friends. When he pitched “Moonlight it up,” it just clicked for us. We were kidding earlier, but truth be told, we love hanging out. When we’re on tour, we’re all about finding the spots to grab a drink and chat with local people. We appreciate the social aspect of our job.
You are set to release a video for “Moonlight It Up” later this month, which was filmed at La Baie Noire. What was the highlight of the video shoot?
It’s probably the fun we had with the crowd. We invited our friends and fans to join us during the shoot and bring the energy. We had an absolute blast hanging out with them that night.
The single follows your first English EP, Dare to Fall, which was released last September. How was the response from your fans to this release?
We had reached this point in our career where we knew we needed to take a leap and push our boundaries. “Dare to Fall” was that game-changer that allowed us to step out of our comfort zone. Seeing the response from our fans, we realized we had made the right choice. The Quebec audience digs for new country, and we believe they appreciate that local musicians brought it to them.
You have a series of upcoming shows and festivals, for someone who has yet to see you perform live, describe your performance in 5 words or less.
Come enjoy it y’all!
You are opening for Kip Moore on October 7, which is amazing! Who is on the top of your bucket list to open for or do a show with the future?
We’re really digging the buzz around Lainey Wilson these days. And we’re pretty sure hanging out with The Recklaws would be a blast. But honestly, there are several artists we look up to as well: Carly Pearce (fun fact, she actually wrote one of our tunes, “Simple Stuff”), Ashley McBryde, Lady A, Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift!
What’s your favourite cover song to perform live?
We’re really into performing Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” It just seems to click for us. But it’s cool to watch the crowd sing along with us, and that’s pretty much guaranteed when we perform John Denver’s “Take Me Home. »
What’s your favourite thing about being a musician in Quebec?
In Quebec, we’re lucky to have a ton of awesome venues. Everywhere in the province, there’s a spot to catch a show. Plus, we’ve got some truly incredible musicians, inspiring creators, and a top-notch industry. There’s definitely a lot of potential to create some amazing things right here at home.
What else do you have up your sleeves for 2023?
We’ve got plans to record two fresh tunes for Mountain Daisies by the end of the year. Although, our main focus is on lining up gigs for MD and a few artists under our label, Western & Co. You’ll just have to stay tuned to see what’s on the horizon!