J.P. Mortier

Artist Information

Biography

Born in France and raised in Canada, JP Mortier’s music is as much a product of different cultures as he is. He grew up listening to classic rock and his sound can be described as a David Bowie crossed with Leonard Cohen but updated with a more college-rock feel, which has attracted a large student following during recent tours.

His 2004 debut album, entitled The English House, came out through Eclectra Records and was influenced by his travels in Japan, where he dodged Yakuza and the crush of commuters while busking in the subways of Tokyo for the better part of a year. 2005 was a busy year, including a performance at PopMontreal and crossing the ocean to play a series of gigs in the south of France.

His second CD, Backpacker, self-released in 2008 through Local Distribution, was inspired by other colourful characters and places he saw during his travels. During his tour across Canada in the spring of '09 in support of the album, he noticed the growing student demographic of his audience. Fittingly, it received airplay on Canadian college radio, notably at CIUT in Toronto where the album went to number 7 on their chart.

November 16th saw the release of album number three, with a release party at Montreal’s Sala Rossa. After two albums heavily influenced by the thrill of travelling, JP Mortier has returned to his roots for his new self-titled, release. Darker in lyrics and sound, it includes songs about more political topics such as the dangers of illegal immigration on “Tanker” and human cloning on “Doppelganger”. The album features Sylvain Auclair on Chapman stick (a combination bass and 6-string guitar) and Daniel Grégoire on drums, with legendary producer/engineer William Szawlowski (April Wine, Marjo, Oliver Jones) back behind the mixing board.

Early 2011 will see JP on the road again, bringing his sound to audiences in Canada and beyond.

Instrumentation

There are 2 configurations: solo or with band.
Solo:
J.P. Mortier : vocals, guitars

Band :
J.P. Mortier : vocals, guitars
Sylvain Auclair : stick, bass
Daniel Gregoire : drums
and occasionally Stephane Pelletier on guitars too.

Discography

LPs:
2010 : New album : J.P. Mortier ( eponymous )

2008 : Backpacker

2004 : The English House


Online distribution :
www.bluetracks.ca
www.cdbaby.com

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook

Audio

• Absolution
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• Belt
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• California
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• Bela Lugosi
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• Superblack
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• Dry Martini Parlor
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• Like A Wave
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• Something Solid
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Lyrics

• California
• Bela Lugosi
• Superblack
• Dry Martini Parlor
• Like A Wave
• Something Solid
• Blue Nile / White Nile
• A Man Named Kennedy
• Shigoto
• The Traveler
• Here

Video

Bela Lugosi

on a tower

Photo Gallery

Press

• Third album from J.P. Mortier [+ Show ]
  

  If you love good old rock music with great guitar tones, be advised! With his third album, J.P. Mort...If you love good old rock music with great guitar tones, be advised! With his third album, J.P. Mortier confirms his capacity to master this musical genre popularized in the seventies. Let’s go through the checklist: David Gilmour-like guitar, voice a la Roger Waters, Shawn Philips and Jim Morrison, a musician worthy of the tradition of bands such as Floyd and Sabbath! CHOM should play this album day and night; songs number 1, 2, 8 and 11 in particular. He writes, sings, plays guitar and keys with driving rhythms, haunting sounds and a voice as solid as the Everest! Needless to say, I’ve been very pleased with this singer-song writer born in France who hails from Montreal. A new bright star now shines in the Quebec hard rock scene.

• New CD from JP [+ Show ]
  

  On the cusp of releasing his latest album, the unique voice and stylistic grooves of J.P. Mortier w... On the cusp of releasing his latest album, the unique voice and stylistic grooves of J.P. Mortier will again be gracing the airwaves.
  The new CD entitled "Backpacker”, is inspired by his travels. The album contains 14 tracks and will feature musicians Sylvain Auclair on stick (a 10-string instrument that incorporates a bass and a guitar) Daniel Gregoire on drums and JP on vocals, guitars, keys and sound editing.
  William Szawlowski, a renowned recording engineer with 30 plus years of experience, brought the new album to life through his arcane mixing talents. By playing with EQs, compressors and effects like some crazed alchemist, his work includes editing of some of the bass notes at the beginning of the new song "Londrina" to make them sound like they were played on a violin. Though the effect is subtle and hard to isolate, it adds flavour to the intro of the song.
  Another example is the use of the backing vocals on "California" where they are blended into a call and response to the lead vocal.
  His first disc, The English House, released in 2005, was well received in Ontario, B.C., Boston and, coupled with a tour, France. Filled with wistfulness, the album showcases JP’s blending of musical elements to create truly memorable songs such as “Bela Lugosi”, a song about nostalgia and how the good old days were not as good as people remember.
  

• Concert Review [+ Show ]
  

  Concert Review On December 1st 2007, at Pub Jacques Cartier in Montreal, J.P.Mortier, a musician...Concert Review
  
  On December 1st 2007, at Pub Jacques Cartier in Montreal, J.P.Mortier, a musician whose upcoming album is due very soon, was performing solo on stage with his guitar. He played tracks off his first album, “The English house” which was written in Japan as well as new tunes from the upcoming CD which will be called “Backpacker.”
  His lyrics take you on a journey beyond borders with pro-environment songs like ‘Hawaiian Blight’ and ballads like “Lilies” and “The Traveler” which earned him a standing ovation. Rocking songs such as “California” and “Superblack” brought down the house. It was a brilliant performance. For more info about J.P. , go to www.jpmortier.com.
  

Setlist

Typical set list includes songs from both albums and a couple of covers depending on the mood ranging from a Wille Dixon tune to Bob Marley to Dylan or whatever else I feel...

Sets vary greatly in length from 15 minutes promo sets to 3 45 minute sets.

Basic Requirements

Calendar