Indie Rockers The Petras Announce New Single, “Sapphire”
The Petras’ “Sapphire,” set the stage for what’s to come from this fresh all-women band out of Kingston, Ontario. “Sapphire” is a rousing indie rock banger that invites listeners to embrace their unique and wonderful selves and invokes the band’s inspirations: The Runaways and The Beaches.
Says The Petras vocalist Brielle LeBlanc,
“We all have something that’s special about us, something that makes us shine. And we’ve all had the feeling of being misunderstood, judged, or envied for it. This song is about not being afraid to shine… to celebrate the “Sapphire’ in all of us!”
Sapphire walks in the room and the whole table turns
Out of pocket but she’ll never learn
On fire like a rocket in the night
Always gets anything she likes
Giving an example of the band’s most recent challenge, they say,
“We shot the Sapphire music video with a beautiful classic car – it’s on the song’s album cover and it looks amazing! What people don’t know is that much of the original footage for the video is missing, so we’ve had to re-imagine the whole thing. I think what we’ve come up with is even better. It’ll be worth the wait. Sometimes life happens and you just have to roll with it.”
Written by LeBlanc (also of rock band Luscious) and guitarist Rowan “Rogue” Picard and featuring Zoe Evans on bass and Madisen “Maddy” Benoit on drums, “Sapphire” was produced by Juno award winner and founding member of Glass Tiger, Michael Hanson at Altravox Studios. Ryan Lewis of Elevation Music Studio recorded and edited the track.
The Petras and Hanson are currently working on material for an EP.
Care to introduce yourself?
Hey, I’m Rowan Picard, but you can call me Rogue. I’m a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter and I’m a member of The Petras, an all-female pop-rock band from Kingston, Ontario.
Tell us about the process of recording “Sapphire”?
The recording process for “Sapphire” was a lot trickier than I expected. Writing the song was so smooth and natural. I brought in this catchy riff, Brielle came back with the perfect melody and lyrics, I added 3 solos, Maddy and Zoe worked out their parts, and then it was done. After playing it for a couple of weeks, we felt we really had something special, so we recorded a demo at a local studio.
The feedback we got from everyone who heard it was so incredibly positive that we hired the local studio to finish it. But trying to recapture the fresh bouncy vibe of the original demo wasn’t so simple; it was more like trying to catch fireflies. The process of producing can help smooth out the highs and lows, but it can also really flatten the sound and voices and make a song sound over-produced and generic. None of the new versions made anyone want to dance. We were stuck.
We had loved the raw punky sound of the original demo. We’d been on such a high, and then we felt so deflated. That’s when I called Michael. I’d been working with producer Michael Hanson (Juno award winner and founding member of Glass Tiger) on my own original music for months and he’d heard the “Sapphire” demo. When he agreed to help us finish the song. I felt relieved because I knew we were in good hands. So, we all drove out to his studio to re-record some parts, add more guitar, and then we let him work his magic. Michael was able to perfectly capture our distinctive bouncy Petras’ sound and let it shine like a “Sapphire”!
What’s the scene like in Kingston, ON?
Kingston’s music scene is so vibrant. The city, our whole community, is so supportive of artists with many events and programs. We have talented local musicians in every genre imaginable plus great bands coming in from out of town. On any given night, there are multiple shows going on. The Petras have been getting a great turnout for our shows, and people are loving our vibe. In the summer, the tourist crowds come out, and in the fall, the college crowd is back to party. As a music lover, it’s a great place to be; and as a musician, it’s an even better place to grow.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
I’d have to say Avril Lavigne was the first Canadian artist who made a real impact on me. As a little girl, I remember dancing in front of the T.V. to her music videos “Complicated” and “Girlfriend”. A genealogy enthusiast in the family once told my grandparents they were distantly related to Avril. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it doesn’t matter, as a girl I felt a real connection to her music and I still do.
The most recent artist to capture my attention is Avalon Stone, a Canadian rock artist I’ve known for a few years. She has a phenomenal voice and stage presence. I saw her open for Luscious in Kingston earlier this year and she put on an amazing show. She has three singles out now, so check her out.
What are your plans for Spring and Summer?
The Petras plan to continue writing more originals and playing more shows. We’ve already recorded a couple more songs with the talented Michael Hanson, so follow us on Instagram and stay tuned!
I’ll also be releasing my first single and music video from my solo project, Rogue Rising, this summer.