Lisa LeBlanc (born August 13, 1990), is a Canadian singer-songwriter and banjoist, known for her enthusiastic "trash folk" performances. She has been noted for her "distinct" blend of
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk horror
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
, and
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
with both English and French language lyrics combined with chiac and her Acadian accent. Her accolades include two
East Coast Music Award
The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) is a non-profit association purposed towards supporting the Music of Canada's Maritimes, music industry in the Canada, Canadian east coast, i.e., Atlantic Canada. The ECMA hosts the annual East Coast Music ...
. She has also been nominated for three
Juno Awards
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
, the
SOCAN Songwriting Prize
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Songwriting Prize, formerly known as the ECHO Songwriting Prize, was an annual competition recognizing the best in Canadian emerging music, both anglophone and francophone, fro ...
, and shortlisted for the
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize. The prize was inc ...
twice.
Early life
LeBlanc was born in
Rosaireville, New Brunswick
Rosaireville is a community in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Northumberland County, located mainly on New Brunswick Route 440, Route 440.
History
Notable peo ...
. She is of Acadian heritage, and comes from a family of music lovers.
Musical career
2004–2014: Origins and ''Lisa LeBlanc''
LeBlanc composed her first pieces around the age of fourteen. She was playing at local events and Miramichi's O'Donaghues bar, with her mother watching her because she was underage. LeBlanc was recognized as an outstanding guitarist and a promising singer-songwriter when she won the Festival International de la Chanson de Granby in September 2010. This juried award brought her to the attention of the country's francophone media. She has also played at the 2011 Coup de cœur francophone, at the FrancoFolies of Montreal and at the
.
LeBlanc's self-titled debut album ''Lisa LeBlanc'' was released in 2012. The majority of LeBlanc's first album was written in Rosaireville, in Granby during her studies at l'École nationale de la chanson, as well as in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, where she was living. Released on Bonsound Records, the album was recorded by Louis-Jean Cormier of Karkwa at Studio Piccolo. ''Lisa LeBlanc'' charted in both Canada and France and has been certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by
Music Canada
Music Canada is a non-profit Industry trade group, trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to s ...
.
The album became best known for the single "Aujourd'hui ma vie c'est d'la marde" ("Today My Life Is Shit"). The album earned LeBlanc a nomination for the Francophone Album of the Year at the
2013 Juno Awards
The Juno Awards of 2013 honoured Canadian music industry achievements in the latter part of 2011 and in most of 2012. The awards were presented in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the weekend of 20–21 April 2013. The main ceremony was host ...
East Coast Music Award
The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) is a non-profit association purposed towards supporting the Music of Canada's Maritimes, music industry in the Canada, Canadian east coast, i.e., Atlantic Canada. The ECMA hosts the annual East Coast Music ...
.
A song from the album, "Lignes d'hydro", was also nominated for the
SOCAN Songwriting Prize
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Songwriting Prize, formerly known as the ECHO Songwriting Prize, was an annual competition recognizing the best in Canadian emerging music, both anglophone and francophone, fro ...
2014–2021: ''Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?'' and extended plays
In 2014, LeBlanc released ''Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted'', an English EP, which debuted at number seven on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
, selling 3,400 copies. She was also nominated for two
SOCAN Songwriting Prize
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Songwriting Prize, formerly known as the ECHO Songwriting Prize, was an annual competition recognizing the best in Canadian emerging music, both anglophone and francophone, fro ...
the following year.
She released her second studio album, ''Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?'', on September 30, 2016. The album included both French and English titles, including a thrash-folk cover of
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
's classic heavy metal song "
Ace of Spades
The ace of spades (also known as the Spadille, Old Frizzle, and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards. The actual value of the card varies from game to game.
Design
The ornate design of the ...
". It peaked at eight on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming her third top 10 record in a row. The album was shortlisted for the 2017 Polaris Music Prize."Polaris Music Prize shortlist includes Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie" ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'', July 13, 2017. It also earned LeBlanc her second
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
Édith Butler
Édith Butler (born Marie Nicole Butler; 27 July 1942) is an Acadian-Canadian singer-songwriter and folklorist from New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula.
Biography
Édith Butler was born on 27 July 1942, in Paquetville. During the 1960s, she ...
on the album ''Grand tintamarre ! - Chansons et comptines acadiennes'', which won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Children's Album of the Year at the
14th Canadian Folk Music Awards
The 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards were presented on November 30 and December 1, 2018 in Calgary, Alberta."The LYNNeS, Pharis Romero Win Multiple CFMAs" ''FYI Music News'', December 3, 2018.
In 2020, under the pseudonym Belinda, LeBlanc released ''It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle'', a five-song EP of
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', January 4, 2022. The album's name and lyrics take inspiration from Chiac, a " fringlish"
dialect
A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...
common within
Acadian
The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...
communities of New Brunswick. It also followed the disco influence of ''It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle.'' The album became her fourth to chart on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
, peaking at twenty four.
''Chiac Disco'' was a
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...