Madcaps

Come on, feel the roar! With Kiss The Lion, their third album, Montreal rockers Madcaps display all the controlled aggression and leonine grace associated with the king of the jungle. It marks them as a band to be reckoned with.
Two earlier albums, 2003’s Whole World and 2006’s High, and extensive cross-country touring (seven tours and over 600 gigs under their belt) have already earned this hard-working posse a loyal fan base across Canada. They also scored commercial rock and college radio play and Musique Plus and MuchMusic exposure for such tracks and videos as “No Way Out” and “What Goes On.” The Madcaps audience now stands to expand dramatically with Kiss The Lion, a disc which truly captures the fiery energy that has made them such favourites on the club circuit.
Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Frédéric Pellerin formed Madcaps back in 1997. The group has undergone numerous personnel changes since then, as well as a gradual shift in sonic emphasis. “We have evolved a lot over the years,” explains Frédéric. “When we started, it was more funky and bluesy, but it is now more rock. There are still some funk elements but our sound tends to be a little heavier now.”
The sonic variety on Kiss The Lion is one of its key strengths. As Pellerin notes, “the album is homogenous, but it features different textures. Too many bands now are just using the same straight rock riffs with straight beats. We wanted to do different things with rhythms.”
Madcaps found the perfect production partner in the form of Glen Robinson. This rock ‘n roll veteran has worked with the likes of Voivod, Tea Party, and Headstones, and Frédéric calls him “the right guy for the job, as we wanted to get a bigger and heavier sound for the album.” Glen and the band set up shop in Studio Vox, Pellerin’s own Montreal recording studio. This space has been used by such major artists as Nanette Workman and Galaxie 500, and the comfort of the familiar surroundings was a real benefit. “The recording was very relaxed and natural, even though we were working hard every day and on a tight schedule,” recalls Frédéric.
The fact that Kiss The Lion was fully written and recorded in just five months helps account for its intensity and clear focus. In an unconventional but highly effective songwriting partnership, Pellerin bounces his ideas off collaborator Tom Sklavis, and the results prove that two heads (and pens) are better than one. Fred explains that “I come up with most of the basic lyric ideas. I’ll work on the first draft of a song, and then Tom works on my lyrics, sends them back, and I’ll work on them some more. It’s a really cool way of working.”
Pellerin’s lyrics are of the philosophical and soul-searching variety, and they possess both poetic power and the ring of hard-won truths. “They are a little dark, but to me they are cathartic,” he analyzes. “I wouldn’t say I’m a dark person in life but I try to work out my demons in my lyrics. The title track is one example. It’s about facing your fears, trusting your instincts, and taking risks. The album in general is a lot about liberating yourself, from everything that holds you down-or the rules that stop you from evolving.”
Musically, the songs on Kiss The Lion tend to reflect Pellerin’s earlier musical inspirations. He describes the explosive “Winner Or Loser” as a mix of James Brown and AC/DC, and cites the likes of The Cult, Soundgarden, The Doors, and Red Hot Chili Peppers as other formative influences. The judicious use of saxophone, keyboards and vocal harmonies add real depth and originality to the Madcaps sound.
This is an album just loaded with killer tracks. “Surrender” is a funkily rhythmic tune that explores a deteriorating relationship, and it’s described by Frédéric as “a bridge from the last album to this one.” “Crying” and “Hear My Prayer” are high-energy rockers with catchy choruses that surely will be lighting up the airwaves soon, while “In My Head” is a powerfully dramatic cut tinged with melancholy.
Kiss The Lion is set for a Feb. 12 release on Voxtone, the acclaimed independent label formed by Pellerin in 2003. The Madcaps have already lined up another extensive tour, and they’re revving up their rock ‘n roll engines. “Onstage is where we are at our best,” declares Frederic with justified confidence. “It is like we are all frontmen in this band. It is not tolerated to be lame onstage!”
“A lot of bands envy us for having so many shows lined up. Almost all the places we’ve played want us back. If they don’t hire us back, it’s because we’re too loud, so we don’t want to play there anyway!”
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Intitulé Kiss the Lion, le troisième album des Madcaps dégage une énergie résolument plus rock que ses prédécesseurs tout en conservant l’approche rythmique particulière qui a fait la marque du groupe.
Grâce à ses précédents albums, Whole World en 2003 et High en 2006, et suite à d’importantes séries de spectacles à travers le pays (sept tournées et plus de 600 spectacles), Madcaps s’est mérité le soutien de nombreux admirateurs à travers le Canada. Il a aussi obtenu un franc succès auprès des radios rock collégiales et commerciales ainsi qu’une attention particulière de MuchMusic et MuchLoud grâce à des chansons et à des clips tels que « No Way Out » et « What Goes On ». Avec Kiss The Lion, Madcaps compte bien faire grandir davantage son noyau de fans.
Le chanteur, guitariste et compositeur Frédéric Pellerin a formé Madcaps en 1997. Depuis, le groupe a changé progressivement. « Nous avons énormément évolué au cours des années », explique Frédéric. « À nos débuts, nous avions un son plus funky maismaintenant, nous nous rapprochons plus du rock. On retrouve encore certains accents funk, mais notre son est plus agressif. Trop de groupes utilisent les mêmes accords et les mêmes rythmes basiques. Nous, nous voulons varier les rythmes »
Côté réalisation, Madcaps a trouvé le partenaire idéal en la personne de Glen Robinson, vétéran du rock qui a travaillé avec notamment Xavier Caféine (Gisèle), Grimskunk, et The Tea Party. Ensemble, ils ont réussi à atteindre le son dense et mordant qu’ils recherchaient pour ce nouvel opus. L’enregistrement a eu lieu au Studio Vox, propriété du leader du groupe.
Issu d’une période de création intensive s’étant échelonnée sur 5 mois, l’album dégage une spontanéité et une authenticité manifestes. Comme pour le disque précédent, Frédéric Pellerin a collaboré, pour l’écriture des textes, avec Tom Sklavis. Les paroles du nouvel album sont plus introspectives et possèdent le ton des vérités durement acquises.
Musicalement, les chansons de Kiss the Lion reflètent les premières inspirations musicales du groupe. Pellerin décrit le caractère explosif de « Winner Or Loser » comme un mélange de James Brown et d’AC/DC et cite certains de ses artistes favoris l’ayant influencé tels que Soundgarden, Iggy Pop, The Doors et Red Hot Chili Peppers. L’utilisation judicieuse du saxophone, des claviers et des harmonies vocales ajoute une profondeur et de l’originalité au son des Madcaps.
Parmi les treize pistes de l’album, on retrouve Surrender, une chanson au rythme hypnotique qui raconte la déchéance d’une relation amoureuse sur fond de guerre de tranchée. Elle est décrite par Frédéric comme « un pont reliant le dernier album à celui-ci ». Crying et Hear My Prayer, toutes deux très rock, sauront plaire avec leurs refrains accrocheurs.
Kiss the Lion paraitr sous l’étiquette Voxtone le 12 février 2008 et sera distribué à travers le Canada par Fusion 3.
Madcaps sera de retour sur scène dès février à l’occasion de leur huitième tournée canadienne !
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