Interview with Maudiir
Maudiir is a one man blackened thrash metal project based in Quebec, Canada
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Alicia
Can you introduce the band?
Maudiir
Maudiir is a one-man progressive blackened thrash metal project. An outlet for observations on obedience and industrialization riddled with man-made waste. I started the project back in 2018 when I felt the need to produce music by myself. I had never played bass nor sang, so it was very interesting for me to explore these new avenues. It is quite satisfying to never have to wait around on anybody to do their part and be able to produce complete EPs every few years on my own. It can also be quite the challenge, but that’s how one progresses.
Alicia
Where did the name come from?
Maudiir
The name is a play on the French word maudire, which means ‘to curse’. Me, my brother and some friends were throwing around ideas for a name and that came up. We were all very enthusiastic about it, so I kept it. There is also a legendary beer made in Quebec named Maudite, so the resemblance to that word was a plus as I very much like microbrewery beer.
Alicia
Your album came out recently, can you tell us about the recording process?
Maudiir
I write, record, mix and master everything alone. I have learned a lot since I first started working on ‘Le Temps Peste’ in 2018. I pretty much always start writing a song on the guitar, laying down basic tracks to which I add drums, then bass. Then I rehearse the song for a few days and record the official tracks. After that, I start thinking about a subject for lyrics, and when I find an angle on a subject, I write the words. On the first EPs, I often started recording the vocals with only a few lines written. Lately, I‘ve been writing the whole lyrics to a song before I record the vocals, to rehearse it a little and get a hang of the rhythm of the words before I commit them to record.
Alicia
Do you have plans to tour this release
Maudiir
Being the sole member of Maudiir, as of now there is no plan to play live. I very much enjoy my independence and I’m not ready to go into a band situation again, at least for original songs. I already play live in an Iron Maiden tribute band, so I get my live kick from that. I’m quite content with writing and recording original music. Maybe the need to play the material live will come up at some point, who knows?
Alicia
Can you tell us about the music scene where you’re from
Maudiir
Montreal and the province of Quebec in general have a very vivid scene, as I’m sureeverybody knows by now. A lot of great bands from here made it internationally and I really love the Metal Noir Québécois scene. I remember when bands like In Flames, Dimmu Borgir and Opeth started coming to Montreal in the 90’s, they were blown away by how receptive the city was to their music. I fondly remember the days when I got to see all the great European metal bands from the 90’s that were starting to get big. There is a lot of culture in general in Montreal and you can see great shows of all styles of music.
Alicia
Was music something you’ve always wanted to do
Maudiir
Music has been at the center of my life since I discovered Rush and Iron Maiden. I knew I wanted to play guitar when I first saw Rush ‘A Show of Hands’ on a TV music station in Quebec, way back then. After all these years, I’m very happy that technology now allows me to make music on my own with a sound that has been described by a lot of people as professional, and then be able to distribute it everywhere independently. Beats the days of spending thousands of dollars in recording studios and then sending the music to record companies in hope of getting a deal.
You can check out Maudiirs music and social media below