I Hate You, Mr. Samsa

I Hate You Mr. Samsa is one of the latest conceptual acts to emerge in Calgary’s music scene. Fronted by 20-year-old Travis Lacroix the band is composed of himself and his various internal personalities, each of which make appearances in different songs, setting a tone and appeal for a variety of listeners.

Lacroix started this project in the summer of 2007 and the band’s name is a reference to Franz Kafka’s story The Metamorphosis. Kafka’s gloomy tale is of a salesman that transforms into an insect, and like Lacroix’s music it is heavily layered with underlying metaphors.

Armed with only a matte black guitar named Kay, Lacroix hosted his first performance of the New Year at The House in Kensington, on January 2nd.

With an almost theatrical quality Lacroix succeeded in connecting with the audience. He has a masterful way of belting out his well crafted lyrics so that the listener is actually forced to hear the story behind the song.

The piece titled Letter Addressed to Kay was a pinnacle during the show, as well as for Lacroix, and it is a powerful tune. It is the first song he wrote, and he accredits it as the beginning of his own metamorphosis.

Inspired by a photograph it is a simple melody enriched with a sweet tale listeners can easily identify with. The reflective nature rouses memories of lost love, and though riddled with emotion it maintains a sense of hopefulness and finality.

Lacroix uses his struggles with anxiety, depression and an internal collection of different moods to his advantage, and his plights transfer nicely into the music he creates. Although the content has a whimsical, almost melancholy feel, the tone is surprisingly sanguine.

He explains that most see him as a pessimist, but he feels like both a realist and an optimist. He sings of this contradiction in Passenger Seat, a perfect example of how battling with a variety of mindsets are what allow Lacroix to compose such raw music.

Lacroix embraces the amateurish quality that still lingers in his work.

“I want to miss a note every once in a while,” he says, “Because that is real.”

During live performances Lacroix uses only his acoustic guitar forcing him to rely on strong lyrics and his uniquely stylized voice that has been compared to such artists as Bright Eyes and Bob Dylan.

He currently produces his own recordings which can be found on both Myspace and Facebook under his band name I Hate You Mr. Samsa. The recordings implement different dimensions adding a more polished sound and richer quality. Lacroix feels that life is a continual metamorphosis and his next transformation will be the recording of an EP later this year. He hopes to produce his new songs with other instruments such as the drums and bass.

Lacroix will be performing at the Market Collective in February, and all of his performances are fresh depending on what mood or state he is in. You can also catch I Hate You Mr. Samsa at other venues posted on the band’s fan page.

- Beatroute (Draft)