 |
| Canadian artist SUUNCAAT has shared her second single of 2024, the moreish "Salad Years". |
Montreal is sizzling under an intense heatwave, but inside, surrounded by the cool embrace of air conditioning, SUUNCAAT is buzzing with creativity. "Mild weather hazards are such an ideal time for introspection," she replies when I ask her how she’s doing. Personal details about SUUNCAAT remain sparse. Questions about her real name are deflected with “You can call me F”. However, she does share that she is a Scorpio (which may explain the secretiveness), was born to a Belgian mother and a French Canadian dad, and grew up in a small town about an hour away from Montreal. French is her native language. Her recently released single, "Salad Years", oozes a snappy cool, effortlessly hooking the listener with an obscured pop optimism.
Before launching SUUNCAAT, F was deeply embedded in the local Montreal scene, describing it as a big creative family – albeit “a bit incestuous… It's a small city, so everyone works with everyone," she explains before elaborating on her tumultuous earlier days in the scene; "I started with a garage-rock band called 3D Robot Monster, ages ago. Back then, it was a bit rough being the only woman in an all-male band. We're talking pre-MeToo. I learned a lot about boundaries, double standards, and who I want around me. It was a crash course in self-worth and navigating a male-dominated space."
Persisting, SUUNCAAT dedicated herself to her craft; "At that time, I was playing guitar and synths in a bunch of bands and making sound pitches for TV to put bread on the table When I joined Beige-à-Cœur for an album, I got hooked on the intimacy of smaller teams."
Now that she's found her space on home soil, SUUNCAAT has developed an itch to venture further afield. "Montreal has great collectives of experimental artists that are a joy to work with, like Jeunesse Cosmique and Silicon Beats," she says. "Lately, I've been working with my friend Super Plage; we collaborate on each other’s projects and help out with shows, it's a good work dynamic. But honestly, I’m feeling a bit claustrophobic in the city and looking to expand. I’m working on a collab with Semiah, a Toronto artist I met in Montreal. I'd love to go to the UK more and meet with artists there."
 |
| SUUNCAAT |
SUUNCAAT emerged as a fresh project, self-stylized as "meta pop", and marked by the electrifying single "Neighbourhood". When asked to share the impetus for the project, she shares "Initially, the idea of SUUNCAAT was for an earlier project, a more dream pop, sad-chill type sound. I even released an album. It wasn’t my best work; production was rough, mental health was questionable, and I was still searching for my sound as an artist. A couple of years ago, my life drastically changed, and sad-chill just wasn’t the vibe for me anymore. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but something unlocked and it suddenly made sense. Songs practically wrote themselves in dreams; it was very cathartic. Still is. And then I was like, f*ck, people need to hear this. I wanted to keep the name because it's a nod to the artist Moondog who’s also my spirit guide, and it just makes me happy. I made tons of sacrifices to keep that wave going and my tastes evolve quickly, so I need to release these tracks before they feel outdated to me."
Whether or not "Neighbourhood" and "Salad Years" will be part of a debut album remains to be seen. "I’ve got a couple of albums ready, but I’m still testing the waters with singles." It seems F has her finger on the pulse of modern music trends, "people are more into playlists these days," she shares before adding "At the moment, I just feel like a kid bombarding craziness at a room full of adults; but sometimes someone digs it, and that’s how you find your crowd, and that’s what I’m navigating right now."
Her inspirations are varied, ranging from Sun Ra, emo trap, and Squarepusher to Jorge Ben Jor, Steve Reich, The Prodigy, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U DJ sets, and Chinese traditional opera. But her inspiration isn't drawn exclusively from these directly from these sources, "I listen to a wide variety of music, which I think opens up possibilities. My inspiration comes from random sounds I hear, mashed together in my brain." Growing up with 90s and Y2K top 40 radio, along with classical and romantic influences from her training in violin and ballet, she has gone through various musical phases, all contributing to her unique sound. "Everything I’ve ever loved is an inspiration, honestly."
Creating music on the go, she predominantly works on Logic, often writing music on planes. At home, she has a small studio with hardware for tracking synths, vocals, and guitars. As for SUUNCAAT's live performances? "Live shows are their own thing because it’s a two-way communication. And it’s such a short moment in time, you don’t want to be stuck in your head. I haven’t performed this project live yet, but I’ve built a very simplified setup to let me be present and real; minimal playing, more vibe exchange. Some of my songs were made just so we could go crazy at shows."
And where does this pent-up frustration come from? Her music sounds like it's about to burst at the seams, as though it's charging at you, full speed ahead, attacking you with sugar. "I've always found it fun to challenge authority. Maybe a little too fun. I'm not remarkable in that sense; it's just that most people need a precedent before they do things. But I know I would be unhappy if I censored myself. I guess my only tip is to set the precedent for yourself."