Let me take a few moments to tell you all about a Toronto based singer songwriter called Monique Barry.
She has just released her 4th album (yes 4th), it's called WAKE and from it, here's a fabulous video to the track 'So Long'.
So, we love her new album and hope that it sells by the bucketload, are we going to let Monique go without interrogating her? of course we aren't, we asked her some very intellectual and deep questions that she had immense fun answering (she never said that but I bet she did), here's how it went….
Last time you used public transport and where did you go? On Tuesday I went to a piano lesson.
Last time you felt proud? Today, working with some kids that will be singing pop songs with my band at a club gig this weekend - Kid Pop Rocks.
What classic song do you wish you recorded and why? I love Bob Dylans "To Make You Feel My Love". Just a gorgeous seamless song.
Last movie you saw? The Hobbit 2
Last book you read? The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
What did you dream about last night? Can't say - too crazy.
Last time you cried? Watching the Netflix special 'Derek' with Ricky Gervais.
Biggest musical influence? Randy Newman/Chopin/Radiohead
Best gig you ever played? It's a tie between the album release for my latest work WAKE and the most recent gig I played at this intimate venue called Musideum - played an amazing grand (piano) and the band was just incredible.
Best band/artist of 2013? Don't really have a favorite. Different songs for different ailments.
Last time you had a fight? Just before the holidays.
Best advice you ever received and who was it from? My friend Terry O'Brien called me to his office when he was Vice President of Pubishing for BMG music - I'd sent him in a live recording I'd done of songs from my first album - pre-release. He told me I was unlikely to get a deal as I didn't really follow the rules of pop song composition and wasn't cookie cutter enough but told me to keep doing what I was doing because it was unique and cool and had a place. I've never stopped and never will. Terry aka Anomalous Disturbances, now plays ambient guitar on my albums. I am so thankful for that advice and encouragement.
Largest amount spent in a single purchase? (excluding houses) Home Studio
We then went 'full on gangsta' on her and hit her with some quick fire questions…..
Regular or decaff? Regular!
Coke or Pepsi? Only really drank Coke when I was in labour. I guess Coke it is.
Mac or PC? Mac and PC
Holidays - Hot or Cold? Hot
Big Mac or Whopper? I'm a vegetarian (so that's a veggie Whopper then?)
CD or Vinyl? CD
Car or Motorbike? Car - standard only!
Cat or Dog? Both
Acoustic or Electric? (Guitar) Own a Danelectro - it's an acoustic/electric.
Angelina or Jennifer? Have no idea. Don't know enough about either of them to say.
Full English Breakfast (bacon/eggs/mushrooms/toast etc) or Cereal? Full Breakfast but with fake meat or better yet Eggs Florentine.
Starbucks or Costa? Not sure what Costa is. Local coffee joints with fair trade coffee. Strong Americano!
So there you have it folks, an interview with the uber talented Monique Barry from Toronto, warts an' all !! (well, not so many warts but I feel that we now know a little more about her and can probably approach her in the street and mention this and she would remember….maybe!) Oh, I also deduce from the above that they don't have COSTA stores in Canada, for those non UK people, COSTA is a chain of coffee shop, a bit like Starbucks.
Don't go just yet, as below I have embedded some tracks that Monique has shared on Soundcloud, be a darling and go take a look around at her site too, all her social media addresses are at the bottom.