Tristan Bouchard

Sometimes it takes a catastrophic event to put one’s life into suddenly sharp focus. For Boston-based Tristan Bouchard, it was witnessing a fatal accident of a fellow college student on Commonwealth Avenue. The experience was traumatic for him, leading to a struggle with PTSD, which he was only able to alleviate through his music.

But this talented singer-songwriter didn’t just stop with self-healing. He took it one step further, allowing the pain to inspire and fuel his music. The need to share what he was feeling helped him to overcome crippling stage fright. After performing these new songs for audiences, he recorded a 3-song EP, Little Nights. “I Will Not Go To Paris,” both the song and the sweet homegrown video, feels like a young man discovering himself, figuring out his boundaries and deciding what’s important to him and what’s not. Bouchard’s warm vocals are beautifully accompanied by his expressive piano playing and soft melancholy violin.



Last year, he started an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for a full-length album, to be called Blue Nights. Part of the proceeds will be donated to support McLean Hospital where presumably he received some important support of his own during his time of crisis. Though he did meet his funding goal, it appears you can still become involved in this extremely worthwhile project.

Just released yesterday was the first single and video from the forthcoming album. Warning: it’s not for the faint of heart. This stunning acapella performance piece is like a modern-day Appalachian dirge or old negro spiritual set in today’s incomprehensible world.



Tristan Bouchard will be performing at the Middle East Corner on Wednesday, April 6. See him if you can and show your support for this fine artist. - Boston Survival Guide

Looking for something with playful piano this morning? Listen to local @Tristanbmusic's EP! - Sound of Boston

Tristan Bouchard, a singer-songwriter originally from Albany, New York City is our music hero with his new EP release, 'Little Nights'. The graduate, moved to Boston some years ago to study music, and has been developing his energetic style ever since.


After witnessing a traumatic accident 3 years ago, Tristan writes music to cope with his PTSD. He explains the piano has, ‘provided the longest, steadiest and healthiest relationship of my life.’

He goes on to say,

‘I try to make each song sound like a story or a film. It means the song is more than my experience; it’s malleable enough to move someone into their own imaginative space.’
Little Nights is a collection of Bouchard’s most inner thoughts, which will both captivate you and open your mind to the powerful imagery music can create. The album includes, ‘Hard to Know’, ‘I Will Not Go to Paris’, and ‘Guess I’ll Never Know Why’.

The cinematic writer is one of 5 children and says,

‘I was the only musical one. We didn’t have music in our house. The piano was a decoration more or less until I began taking it seriously.’
Tristan’s passion for music really came through when he was a child as he would, ‘play the Kit-Kat theme song, and would drive everyone nuts when it stopped being cute.’

He continues to make music in Boston and is working on building up his fan base, with frequent concerts and appearances in America. - Essentially Pop

Last week, a reader of my humble site contacted me to tell me he liked my site, but also to promote a up and coming singer songwriter friend of his named Tristan Bouchard. I listened to Bouchard’s three track debut EP and was blown away. It is a beautiful, passionate collection of songs that express deep pain and understanding of melody and tone.

Bouchard was kind enough to not only e-mail me back multiple times, but also to be Obsession Compulsion’s first ever interview! Here is a brief interview with the wonderful, understanding and talented Tristan Bouchard:

1. Personal tragedy is the main theme of the songs on "Little Nights". Does that pain come from a real place, or is it more of a character study? Is something cathartic about putting pain into art that never really goes out of style?

There was a time in my life where I was committed to explaining the severity of my experience-- detailing exactly what I've witnessed and struggled with to people I didn't know. That became exhausting. So now I keep a sentence summary of it all: a lot of people in my life died when I was very young. So the "pain" comes from a real place, but I would like to hope also a wider place.

I've had trouble untangling catharsis from dwelling and vice versa. The songs were never therapy. I'm constantly asking myself at what point am I just not moving past/around/above something? So not for a single minute do I think of myself as a confessional artist. Songs, for me, are just indicators; they tell me where I am. Little road signs. People, while maybe not actively thinking it, appreciate filters of experience. The lyrics have to be universal, but I find that the most personal. The wider human connection. That never goes out of style, musically, artistically, politically, etc.

2. The Piano is the core instrument you use, which is one of the most revered and celebrated of pop music tools, and the way you use it is almost instantly striking. What is your main inspiration in terms of the actual music on your songs? Is there any specific players or styles that have influenced you?

Well, the piano has been the longest relationship of my life. This is coming from the guy who was engaged a few years ago. It's the only constant, the only area in my life with which I make no mistakes. Just choices. You get to a certain skill level, a certain automatization and are freed to make choices. And some songs facilitate that better than others. 'Hard to Know' is very different each time I play it. That itself reflects its lyrical contour and flow. The words are jagged. The music is jagged. So unless there is a reason to play up the contrast, I have an urge to meld style and execution. A song like "I Will Not Go To Paris" is trickier in this sense; its simplicity means I'm somewhat mannered in my dynamics and dexterity.

It's impossible to detract church music, specifically Catholic hymns from my brain, despite leaving the "great and abominable" church many years ago. I'm a sucker for a good melody and will sacrifice massive amounts of musical ideas, some quite experimental, in favor of a strong melody. And the percussive element to my playing just comes from being pissed off most of my life and not being able to express it.

I'm pretty closed lip on my influences. Anyone with clear playing and an ear for bringing out melody is right up my alley.

3. The pain of your lyrics often contrast with the beauty of the melodies in your songs and the charm of the piano. Is the combination of sadness and beauty a key part of your music's goals?

It's changed over the years. Short answer, yes. But I'm discovering that beauty is more than lushness or serenity. It's humor and anger and roughness and oh so much more. The EP was recorded in a very short time frame, and so many compromises were made in terms of song selection and production. If I'm going for beauty, I'm going for something much rougher on the upcoming record.


4. This final question is from my Girlfriend Allison and your new biggest fan, who also designs/codes Obsession Compulsion. She wants to know:

The first song on your EP is my favorite - I absolutely love the line “For a self imposed introvert you’re pretty fucking loud” both the actually writing and the way you sing it. For whatever reason (and I’m probably not listening very well) the song makes me think of someone who killed themselves who isn’t around to tell their story anymore. Was their a particular image, emotion, or story that was prominent in your head when you wrote the song?

Hi Allison, I'm so glad you like the song. It's definitely the most representative of the album and the sound I'm trying to cultivate on record. I'm going to be that asshole who says that "whatever the song means to YOU, is it's meaning". My response is far less interesting than what you conjure in your head, your own imaginative space, I promise.

Make sure to check out my review of Little Nights, as well as the music video for "I Will Not Go To Paris" below. Here you will find the link to Bouchard’s EP Little Nights, where you can download it for free. Also, if you feel like supporting the artist, his EP is on iTunes. Thank you Tristan Bouchard for all your help, we will be in touch as new music comes forth. - Obsession Compulsion

Following her recent introduction to Tristan Bouchard, EP writer Laurabeth Evans caught up with the man himself.


LB: Are you a self-taught musician or did you have any music lessons when you were a child?

I think like most arts, it’s a combination of self-teaching and being taught. I started taking classical piano from the age of 8 or so and continued on through college. But the jazzier side of my work was definitely self-taught, even though a real pianist by now would have sought out a jazz teacher. As for voice, I was trained on and off for a few years as a child, but eventually grew tired of it and wanted a more unique style to suit the songs I was writing at the time. So most of my voice, I would say, is self-taught, but with a working knowledge of the fundamentals.


LB: Is there anyone that has helped you get this far, anyone you'd like to thank?

The list just goes on and on, but I can vividly remember the first time I ever sang a song I’d written at the piano for my best friend. It was a very big moment to slowly crawl my way out of a practice room and into the performance arena. So I’m very thankful to her for being so encouraging and non-judgmental (even though I wasn’t particularly good at the time!) And she’s since become a very important figure in the album artwork, even co-directing the 'I Will Not Go to Paris' video with me.

LB: Are there any projects you are particularly proud of?

I wound up discarding the word pride from my day to day life (though, I’m only human and of course it’s a hard habit to break), but in regards to my own satisfaction, I am pleased with the 'Little Nights' EP as a whole. And sure there are things here and there I would have done differently, but the quick pace of the process and producer forced me to make in-the-moment decisions I would not have made for another year or so. But 'Guess I’ll Never Know Why' is definitely the closest to my vision of how the songs should be.

LB: If you were to sum up your style of music in one sentence, what would it be?

30s songbook throwback alternative.

LB: Are there any bands that you feel influence your music?

Oh my goodness, way too many to name. But the earliest artist that really changed the way I view music was Kate Bush. While we aren’t very similar artists by any means, she gave me a conceptual idea of what the artist can do. I realised I could write about anything after listening to her, as I’m sure all musicians do, regardless of whether they like her aesthetic.

LB: To follow on from that, any favourite musicians and why?

Again, just so many. Lately it’s been all about Cuban and Brazilian music. The Afro-Cuban All- Stars, Jobim, Compay Segundo… their energy is just infectious, but tied with a brilliant technical mastery. They just seem to have a lot more fun than Americans musically as play is so important to their output. And listening to them was such an antidote to the usual alternative white people rock I liked for years. And Billie Holiday lately has been such an inspiration to my phrasing and artistic integrity.

LB: Are there any collaborations you would love to do in the future?

Lately I’ve been very interested doing harmony- layering my voice in as many different and unique ways as is listenable. So I would love to do those kind of sessions for other artists; I don’t get to utilize it much in my own stuff. And I’m such a private person that I doubt I would ever feel comfortable asking anyone I admire to collaborate. I’m too chicken!

LB: You talk about raising money for your next album and donating part of the money raised. Can you tell us more about the project and initially what made you start it?

Well, about three years ago now, I witnessed a traumatic accident as a student in Boston, Massachusetts. From there, I developed PTSD, with which I’m still working through. McLean Hospital (where a proceed of the money raised in the campaign) is a local mental health research institute that has been at the forefront of assessing and treating various mental illnesses. It only seemed natural, because the album took much of its inspiration from trauma and healing, that I should somehow give back.

LB: Have you completed any other charity work?

All of my siblings wind up helping my parents out in some way or another with their charity work in Haiti. They erected and run an orphanage called the St. Francis Xavier Haitian Orphanage Foundation (http://sfxhaiti.org/) that has done incredible work throughout the years post-earthquake. I’m planning on visiting and helping out there in the near future!

LB: What's the next step after the release of your album, and where can we see you next? ...Any UK tours, we hope?

It’s a tricky thing to plan, especially because I don’t have a strict deadline on when the album is to be completed. It could very well take me another year. And only when that’s done can I begin planning a serious tour. Meanwhile though, I am performing around the US, but don’t know if it’s realistic yet to be in the UK! Don’t think I have much of a name there yet!

Find Tristan Bouchard online on Twitter, Facebook, and his Website. - Essentially Pop