Joseph Avalé releases single “Ballade fonctionnaire” in advance of his debut EP Printemps
Singer-songwriter Joseph Avalé has unveiled his single, “Ballade fonctionnaire,” from his upcoming EP, Printemps.
Originally from Amos in Quebec’s Abitibi region, Joseph Avalé moved to Montreal at 19 to study music. He got his start on the Montreal alternative scene as a guitarist in the band Plastic Talk. After releasing their album no-self portrait in 2017, Avalé decided to devote himself to creating his own francophone folk project, influenced by French chanson and alternative rock.
Following his previous single, “Tourné vers le mur” in 2022, “Ballade fonctionnaire” was born of the coexistence of music and one’s work routine – a daily struggle to overcome monotony.
Listen to “Ballade fonctionnaire” below and learn more about Joseph Avalé via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I am a singer-songwriter based in Montreal. I grew up in Abitibi, where I started playing guitar by ear as an 11-year-old kid listening to punk rock. I then studied classical music (my mother is a cellist) and jazz before returning to my musical roots, which are a mixture of alternative rock, folk, and chanson francophone. In 2018 I decided to write and sing my own songs so I wouldn’t depend on a band to continue my musical journey. I think singing also made me a much better musician than I ever was.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My first EP is about to be released (on April 14), and the first single, “Ballade fonctionnaire” is out now. The EP is called Printemps, and its title refers to the part of Spring just after Winter when everything is still gray and dusty rather than the late Spring when flowers blossom. Three songs out of four were written in the concrete basement of my apartment during the pandemic, where I recorded the first demos, and the other one is a modified version of an older song (“Vêtue de noir”) that I wrote in the months after quitting a day job I didn’t like when all I was doing is walk around the city looking for songs and play music at my jam space. The recording sessions took place during the Fall of 2022 and were led by my friend and producer Gian Tenio Carlone. Being a guitarist first, I wanted the guitar work to be a major part of the arrangements.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
What I like the most is creating something nice out of dark emotions. It gives them a space to be. The act of writing and believing in what comes out is an inspiration in itself too, although it is a big challenge. And, of course, everything I listen to contributes to the color of the songs I am working on. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Elliott Smith and Antoine Corriveau.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
The best way to get to know about upcoming events is to follow me on social media.
What’s your goal for 2023?
My first goal was to complete the release of my first EP to honour the work that has been done in 2022. That’s going great, so my wishes for after the release are to get back to writing new songs and to play live to enjoy music with people.