Videoman

Five Questions With Videoman
by Jenna Melanson

It’s time for another Five Questions With…and this time we have an upcoming band from Montreal called Videoman! Find out some basics about the band from lead singer, Pasquale D’Alessio.

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

I am the lead singer of the Montreal band Videoman. I was also an opera singer with Opera de Montreal and a composer currently writing my first opera with the guitarist, Mitch Findlay, writing the libretto (screenplay).

Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.

Our music is definitely an ode to when indie rock was about the song. Before we tinker with anything in the studio, my philosophy is to get to the core first. We love bands like Arcade Fire, The National, and Radiohead – and I’ve always found that, if you take their most complex songs and tear them down, there’s always magic at the core, say if I play something like Lotus Flower just on the piano – I get chills – so when I write I chase that feeling. Or when you hear the demo of Lennon’s Strawberry Fields Forever, you hear a great song there. As for style, that develops afterwards in the studio with help from our producer and our combined vision in the band. We definitely fall into the “indie rock” category that The National falls under – but we have very eclectic taste, and I have a huge background in opera/classical so who knows where the future will bring us next – we’re definitely excited to chase it though…

Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?

We have shows coming up in Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec and Montreal. We try to make our show as explosive and unpredictable as possible and want to really journey somewhere with the audience – make them feel something with us. We kind of have to meet them at that halfway point. The vocals are something people don’t always expect to be so big – I guess because of the opera background, and I always try to add a little surprise random solo piano song at the end, in italian/neapolitan, nobody ever expects it – I like that. Those old songs are so extremely powerful and beautiful, a man declaring his love with his guitar in a little village, with nothing but his voice, no studio, no tricks. We are used to so much noise and volume at a live show that sometimes everything gets drowned out – especially with small venues. We like to take moments in our show to quiet down and let simplicity and the voice shine.

If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?

Salt & Wine. It’s the one that I think defines the upcoming album. I remember coming up with the bass line and music searching for a melody and Mitch suggesting lyrics “Lately all my friends are avoiding my calls…” and I was like. wow. That feeling I like to chase popped up and we put it down.

Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?

Beside the obvious Arcade Fire, who are one of the most influential bands in the world, we love Half Moon Run. I remember listening to their stuff on bandcamp with the guys before they were signed and was like “this is crazy good.” Another artist among many that I recently got into is Charlotte Cardin – I have a crush on her voice. Canada seems to constantly be putting out amazing acts and its incredibly inspiring to us. - Canadian Beats

Montreal-based band Videoman is hitting the road, playing songs from their debut album Colourblind, as well as some enticing new singles from their upcoming record. “Salt and Wine” is an ethereal blend of elegant instrumentals, delicate vocals, and moving lyrics, with an edgy undercurrent that rounds out the sound. “Adeline” is upbeat, but keeps that flowing tranquility that permeates their music. Their songs have a way of resonating with you down to the core.

It’s a pleasure to listen to their tracks and even more so live. Videoman has performed at Pop Montreal, Canadian Music Week, and The Horseshoe Tavern and are currently touring in Quebec and Ontario. Be sure to check the dates below, you don’t want to miss them! - Confront Magazine