Béatrice Martin has been performing since 2008 under the stage name Coeur de Pirate, but she’s been playing the piano and performing much longer than that (since she was 3 years old). The title of her stage name translates to “Heart of a Pirate” and the release of her third album may be the first time that a lot of her North American fans will be able to fully understand the content of her previously only French-language songs. A lot has happened to her since her last album was released in 2011. She went through a difficult break-up but found love with someone new and is now a mother.
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, her first two albums were sung entirely in her native French. It was only with creating music for the TV show Trauma in 2013 that she started singing in English, which in hindsight seems to have played as a warm-up for the release of her third album Roses, out now. She’ll be returning to San Francisco to her largest venue in the Bay yet at Bimbo’s on Thursday, September 24th.
I had the chance to talk to Beatrice recently about her upcoming performance in San Francisco along with her previous visits here, singing in English for the first time and details of her new live show. You can find out information about the show at the bottom of this page, along with a chance to win two tickets to see her live this Thursday.
The Bay Bridged: You just released your third album, titled Roses, where did that album title come from?
Béatrice Martin: Basically, I like the idea that flowers, if not being taken care of, can actually wither and die away and I thought that was a very close relationship to music and what I’ve been going through, the transition to what I was going through before my previous album and the one I’m putting out now, I thought the image was pretty powerful. The idea that each song is something that you’re offering to someone, kind of like a letter that I’m writing to someone every time, and that’s the whole concept behind offering a flower, it’s all related, weirdly
TBB: This is the first album where you’re singing a lot of the songs in both French and English?
BM: Yeah, it’s the first time, I’ve never done it before.
TBB: You’ve spoken English your whole life, but how did it feel singing in French before then going to English?
BM: It was a challenge. Even when I’m singing in French I didn’t know if I was that good or not but at least I knew how to do it. And so from that I didn’t know if I would be able to sing in English, would it be good, would it be corny, would you be able to listen to it? I wanted to do it because I have been singing live around the world and everyone has been hearing me in French and I wanted to offer something more direct.
TBB: Some of the same songs are in French and in English, do you have a preference on which one you’re going to sing depending on what part of the world you’re in?
BM: For France and Quebec I’ll stick to the French versions.
TBB: Is there anything by performing and writing in a different language that is really different for your songwriting process?
BM: Oh yeah, it was fascinating for me to see how the tone would change lyrically. I feel like my intonation really changed when I was writing in English versus how I was writing in French. Feelings are kinda the same, but the way that I actually speak and songwriting changes for them, my way of singing changes; you don’t move your mouth the same way when you’re singing in French than when you’re singing in English, so all of that came into play in which it was very different but it was interesting, it was a nice experiment.
TBB: Now that you’ve had the album done for a little while and you’ve had the chance to perform some of the new songs live have you noticed anything about the transition between performing them live versus when you recorded them for the album?
BM: It’s a little bit harder for me because I’m not used to singing in English, singing in French is easier on things performance-wise and physically for my voice, but I did a show yesterday and it went great but I noticed at the beginning of the show it was much harder for me, you get warmed up and everything but some songs are easier and some are harder and you’re just not used to it, eventually with the tour I’ll get used to it. As far as the reaction from the audience goes it was in my hometown in Montreal but I was really surprised to see that people were so into the album already and they all knew the lyrics, the English songs, the French songs, they all knew them, and it was really great. I felt that whatever doubt I had before is gone, it made me feel more confident.
TBB: In the short time that you’ve been performing the new material live have any of the songs taken a new direction that you really like?
BM: Obviously there’s people in front of you and you have that kind of energy, but if I think about the first single: On the record it’s uplifting, but when we play it live it’s a whole different dimension. There’s another song called “Our Love” that’s pretty big live, I’m happy that it’s not the same.
TBB: How would you best describe a current live Cœur de Pirate show?
BM: There’s a lot of projections, there’s a visual ambiance that wasn’t there before. Last time we came to San Francisco I was alone with my piano because we didn’t have the budget and resources to bring a band and everything. But this time we can bring the band and all this lighting, I’m happy that I get to play this type of show to fans of my music because it wasn’t this case before, last time I wasn’t sure if 20 people were gonna show up or 100 and it was great because I think like 600 people were there and it was awesome that I wasn’t alone with my piano [laughs].
TBB: Your old shows were acoustic and now you have the full band?
BM: The band was there before but it was more like a rock show, you just played the songs, say something or crack a joke, but now it’s pretty planned with the visuals and art with the songs, I’m mad that I don’t get to see the show because I know everybody that worked on it worked so hard!
TBB: That’s a good problem to have!
BM: Yeah, I want to see it!
TBB: You were involved in music from a very young age, did you feel you had this natural acclimation to becoming a musician? If you weren’t performing in your own band do you feel like you would no matter what be drawn to music?
BM: You know what, because I learned music from a very young age and it was forced upon me I hated playing music up until I was about 14 when I quit the concert playing, I was so fed up and the reason why I got back into it was because I wasn’t obligated anymore to do it. I don’t know if today I would be playing music, I was just drawn back to it because I was feeling so many sad feelings that I needed to externalize it and that’s how I managed to do it. I’m glad that it’s there, even though I hated it before I’m so happy that I suffered, I didn’t even know I knew how to write songs, it just kinda happened.
TBB: You weren’t expecting to make this a career?
BM: Oh no! It’s funny, when I first started releasing music it was on MySpace and I was thinking maybe someday I’ll release a CD. When this Montreal label approached me, I was like “yeah, maybe I’ll release a record and I’ll play a few gigs sometime and I’ll keep going to college and it’ll be great!” But it kinda went the other way, it was a good problem to have!
TBB: What were you going to college for?
BM: It was for graphic arts/design. It was a general thing, I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life basically [laughs].
TBB: Between the second album and this new album you did music for the show Trauma and the Video Game Child of Light. That’s quite a departure from working on a rock album, what do you feel you learned from doing those projects that you applied to the new album?
BM: I learned so much! I learned that for Child of Light or a TV show that you have to draw some inspiration for whatever they need you to write and it’s very specific. I discovered some composition talents that I didn’t know I had, and for Trauma I had to sing in English so that I was good practice. I had to arrange everything on my own, it gave me another perspective, it may not have had a direct impact on what I’m doing but it definitely helped me.
TBB: The singing in English almost seems like a warm-up for the new album!
BM: There you go!
TBB: You’re coming back to San Francisco this week, any strong memories of your shows here or things you’ve done in the city?
BM: Oh yeah! I have a friend that works at Twitter and she said “why don’t you come see us at Twitter?” and I was like “okay!” Their offices were in the Tenderloin and my hotel was only a 15-minute walk and I come from Montreal and so I thought it would be a great idea just to walk! When you’re walking downtown it’s fine, but it can be a corner away and it gets very interesting [laughs]. I get to Twitter and I’m scared out of my mind and my friend was like, “You walked?! Are you crazy?!” and I was like “I didn’t know!” [laughs] It was fine! But it was definitely surprising.
TBB: Anything else you’re excited about being back in San Francisco?
BM: Last time I was at the Great American Music Hall and now I’m at Bimbo’s and I’ve never been to Bimbo’s, but it should be cool. I really love the city, it gets really cold at night but it’s really awesome.
TBB: Which Final Fantasy is the best?
BM: 7! They’re doing the remake, we don’t have a Playstation 4 yet but maybe we will when it comes out.
To enter for a chance to win tickets to see Cœur de Pirate at Bimbo’s, email daniel.kielman@thebaybridged.com with “Cœur de Pirate” in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email. A winner will be selected at random and notified via email.
Cœur de Pirate, Sophie Auster
Bimbo’s
September 24, 2015
Doors: 7:00pm, Show: 8:00pm, $22 (18+)
