Two years after the release of Chiac Disco, her highly celebrated fourth record, Lisa LeBlanc returns today with a live version of her landmark song Aujourd’hui, ma vie c’est d’la marde, recorded at the Grand Théâtre de Québec with her band, and the 63 musicians of the OSQ, plus conductor Jean-Michel Malouf. The Acadian artist plans to release her album Live avec l'orchestre symphonique de Québec via Bonsound on October 11th, 2024.
Aujourd’hui, ma vie c’est d’la marde (Live) is available on all music services.
Lisa offers a new take on the hit that propelled her career into the mainstream back in 2012. The new enchanting intro and the ingenious addition of orchestral instruments transform this moody anthem into a fairytale-esque delight. Quite the contrast with the song's raw, honest lyrics, the arrangements add a touch of irony that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Pre-order Live avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec on vinyl, CD or digital format.
Live avec l'Orchestre symphonique de Québec combines the simplicity of Lisa's lyrics with her taste for extravagance. The result is as delightful as it is surprising. Born out of a desire to further explore the composition of her album Chiac Disco (2022), this collaboration with the OSQ turned out to be the perfect opportunity for Lisa to reimagine her repertoire in a glorious, yet accessible way.
Featuring songs in both French and English, the album's impressive arrangements evoke a range of emotions. Aujourd'hui, ma vie c'est d'la marde is embellished with a harpsichord, and Québec comedy icon François Pérusse makes a guest appearance on Gossip II. Her most sentimental songs like Kraft Dinner and Me semble que c'est facile become even more poignant in this format.
Watch and share the live performance of Aujourd'hui, ma vie c'est d'la marde via YouTube.
On this album, Lisa LeBlanc also pays tribute to those who mixed pop and orchestral music before her, such as Dusty Springfield, Bobbie Gentry and Lee Hazlewood. The arrangements of Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted and City Slickers and Country Boys recall the spaghetti western sounds of Ennio Morricone, though the many nods to the heyday of disco remain an essential part of the album.
This creative trip was also an opportunity for her to bust out her banjo, proving that this instrument, an integral part of her musical DNA, is not exclusively intended for bluegrass and traditional music. As one of the first artists to bring together a banjo and a wide array of classical instruments, Lisa LeBlanc has successfully pulled off the challenge of creating an orchestral album that is both humble and majestic.
About Lisa LeBlanc
Not long after earning major praise at the Festival international de la chanson de Granby, Lisa LeBlanc unveiled her greatly acclaimed, self-titled debut album in 2012. She then released Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted in 2014, followed two years later by the Polaris short-listed Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?. She opted to sing in English on these last two efforts, thus expanding her creative potential and reaching out to new audiences. Those three records sold over 140,000 copies.
A few years later and with a new background as a music producer (after having worked with Édith Butler, among others), Lisa returned with a bang in 2022 with the highly anticipated Chiac Disco, which garnered critical and public acclaim, as well as another spot on the Polaris Music Prize shortlist and a Juno nomination. The success of the album led to several European tours (France, Belgium, Germany, England), including a sold-out concert at La Maroquinerie in Paris, as well as a tour of the United States. During the same period, she gave close to 100 concerts across Canada.