By: TJ Liebgott

March 06, 2010

 

Montreal electro pop band Les Handclaps will be bringing their infectiously danceable songs back to Toronto for this year's CMW.  Perhaps one of the funnest bands we saw last year, Les Handclaps singer Lorraine Muller explains why you shouldn't miss their performance this time around.

How are you doing and where are you right now?

Personally, I'm doing great. I'm sitting at my home computer/studio,
where i just finished translating some songs I'll be performing live
on radio (Sirius 87) and internet (http://www.bandeapart.fm ) from
Halifax this coming Thursday on a program that starts at 7:0PM EST -
before flying to CMW on Friday! I could get used to that!

There are a lot of bands playing CMW, why should I watch yours?

You already know the answer since you saw us last year, but to entice
your lovely readers, we'd like to invite you to experience the warm
and energetic embrace of Les Handclaps in four languages, and
incorporating some fun sounds and styles. Think electro-pop, garage,
cute, driven, dancy, catchy. Not to mention the great sound of the
Bread & Circus!!

What are you doing to prepare for CMW?

We've added some new material to the set, and are bringing a special
guest with us. There may be a few unexpected twists.

What are you hoping to get out of the festival?

We'd love to attract some bookings agents, but in general, we're
looking to further our contacts with the industry and show them how
far we've come on our own and prove that we can deliver live, and are
therefore worth the investment.

Tell me a tour story that is crazy but true.

We were hired by a Swiss promoter to play a few shows in his town. We
were flown in for a four-day weekend, fed great meals, and put up in a
fortress (ancient HQ for french resistance built in the 12th century).
Our last show was in the dungeon of the fortress!

What are you/your band working on at the moment?

We are co-producing and arranging a new song we wrote a few months
ago.  We started the music in the fall, and wrote the lyrics on the
way to new york city to play CMJ. We're pretty excited because this
one pushes the envelope a bit further for us.

Any last parting words for us music-hungry Toronto folk?

Oh yes. I will repeat the advice I gave last year. Try to take
advantage of as many concerts as you can.  Take it all in and
discover some great new bands. Take a risk, you might be pleasantly
surprised! Or you can always do your research ahead of time on myspace
(dot com slash leshandclaps in our case)

Les Handclaps CMW Showcase:
Friday March 12, 2010 @ 11:00PM
Bread and Circus, 299 Augusta Ave.
19+ All wristbands accepted

For more information on Les Handclaps visit: www.myspace.com/leshandclaps