Vanillas new album Toward the Light

Vanilla’s new album: Toward the Light

Two years after a first folk rock album Like ’96arrived very well, Rachel Leblanc, aka vanilla, reports back with a galette, The meadow, that fully embraces the folk style inspired by the 1960s.

As soon as her debut album was released, Rachel Leblanc was inspired to write new songs. In autumn 2021 she went into the studio to record the pieces for her second CD. In May 2022 it was over.

Why such a delay before the release of the album which is finally out this week? “Because the turnaround times for vinyl are really long! she answers with a smile. And I really wanted to get my vinyl in time.”

“I work at the record shop Le Vacarme in Saint-Hubert [à Montréal]. I see the difference in releasing an album and having your vinyl versus releasing it later, she continues. It doesn’t have the same effect.”

The 26-year-old musician is so excited to share this item that she’s giving it away to people who pre-order the album!

“I’m here in my little boots, my tuque, and I’m going door to door,” she said. People are happy and surprised to see me. They often tell me: Ah, you are smaller than I thought! [rires].”

people and nature

For her first album with more rock accents, Rachel had collaborated with Emmanuel Éthier [Corridor, Bon Enfant]this time she visited Alexandre Martel [Hubert Lenoir, Thierry Larose] to co-produce the album.

“I wanted someone to help me with people. I thought of Alex because I really liked the LUMIÈRE album he made,” she says.

Yes, the pandemic and the various restrictions have affected the sound of the album. “My way of writing changed because I was alone and not in a band. We couldn’t all jam together. I also started listening to a lot of 1960s and 1970s folk, like Bridget St John, Fairport Convention and Duncan Brown.”

Inspired by nature, she also came up with the idea for the album’s name, La clairière, which reminds her of her childhood walks in the woods. “The clearing is a place in the forest where there are no trees and the light falls directly on the ground. For me, that was exactly the feeling I wanted to convey with my album.”

vanilla album, The meadow, is now available. Launch shows will take place on February 10 (Le Pantoum, Quebec) and February 23 (Monastère, Montreal). For info: bonbonbon.ca/home/vanilla.