Lately, I’ve been finding nostalgia in the mundane activities I once took for granted. I want nothing more than to text a friend to see if they’re going to l’Esco tonight, where one of our friends’ bands is undoubtedly playing.

I had the opportunity to delve deep into this nostalgia when I chatted with Mothland, (who released that banger compilation you love) about the Montreal music scenes, how they got started, and what they’re doing now that they’ve expanded into a label.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Like many people in the city, the Mothland crew initially met at l’Esco and connected through the music scene. How did you first get involved in the Montreal scene? Can you describe what it was like then, and how it's changed?

Phil for Mothland: I used to go to l'Esco when I was underage to watch my friend's band play. We would come from the suburbs, and I'd come in with them for the soundcheck in the afternoon. That was in the old l’Escogriffe, it was smaller and a bit dirty but it became my favourite place in the world. L'Esco has changed a bit, it's cleaner now, but the spirit is still there. It evolved for the best.

I knew Michelle from the Night Owl in Toronto. She had sent me some touring bands that needed a Montreal gig, so I started to book touring punk & psych bands at l'Esco. Bands like The Auras, Moonwalks, Pet Sun, The Deadly Vipers (now called Shadow Show), and Heaters.

I met Marilyne around that time, and she had been in the music business for a while. She founded "L'Autre St-Jean," a pretty big outdoor festival when she was really young. She also co-founded Taverne Tour. It used to be a small event to kill the post-holiday boredom, and it became this huge thing. Now, the whole Mothland team is working on it. The 2020 edition was probably the last "real" festival in Montreal before the pandemic.

When the old Montreal Psych Fest fell through, Max had the idea to build a team and create DISTORSION. He's been in a million bands, so he connected people from all over to build the team. Marilyne became the zoo-keeper to our lovely & dysfunctional family.

Marilyne and I were getting more and more involved with bands that were gravitating around DISTORSION. We decided to create Mothland (the label) with local bands like Paul Jacobs, Atsuko Chiba, Yoo Doo Right, Crabe & Teke Teke, and our friends from around the world: Yonatan Gat, Spaceface & Sunwatchers.

We've been giving out mushrooms at festivals for years. It's a bit like planting seeds to make things groovier. Hopefully, it's had even a little impact on some people. I'd love to think that we've influenced other promoters to book more experimental acts in their line-ups. I feel like some part of the culture is becoming more "beige" and safe. We are dedicated to making things more edgy and weird.

Also Cool: How did you become interested in DIY music scenes in the first place? When did you decide you wanted to become active members of these communities by putting on shows and getting involved in different ways?

Mothland: I met JP through Analogue Addiction. I would go to all their shows, which is how I discovered the punk scene and decided I wanted to be a part of it. It's really fun that we get to work together now at Mothland. I spent a weekend with him going to Osheaga to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The Replacements, some of our favourite bands. After the festival, we went to l'Esco, where there was an Analogue Addiction show with Paul Jacobs on the bill. Paul was a one-man band playing punk back then. He had a Daniel Johnston t-shirt, and I thought it was cool, so I went to talk to him.

We became friends, and I started to help him out get some gigs. That's how I learned more about shows and the music business. Isa "La Terreur" also gave me an internship when she had a label/pr agency La Royale Electrique. I owe a lot to her.

AC: You've often mentioned building bridges between scenes. Can you describe some of Montreal's different scenes, and why you think that they often operate separately from each other? How have you helped bridge those gaps?

Mothland: Well, it's hard to describe something like a music scene. It's not really concrete, and bands always overlap in different spaces, but I feel like the French acts and the English acts live in two different worlds. There are different venues, labels, festivals, promoters, grants.

I think a lot of English bands don't even try to make it in the mainstream Quebec ecosystem. They go to the USA or Europe, and if they get noticed there, maybe people will talk about them here.

We try to mix things up for our events and our releases. We go to as many shows as possible, trying to pay attention to everything going on in the city.

We are dedicated to building a bridge between Montreal & Toronto too. We are so close, and yet it can be really hard for bands to make it to the other city. We've been booking bands like FRIGS, Hot Garbage, Kali Horse, Peeling, Nyssa, Bad Waitress, Odonis Odonis here for a while.

Distorsion staff and friends via Mothland

AC: Although Mothland had established itself as a booker in pre-pandemic times, the focus shifted to the project's label aspect when COVID hit. What have some of the learning curves been in the process of starting the label? How does the label currently operate in terms of supporting artists?

Mothland: Mothland wasn't supposed to be a label at first, even though it was always in the back of our minds. When we booked a tour for Le Prince Harry, I suggested we repress their split 12" with Duchess Says on tape so that they had a little bit of exclusive merch for the tour. The ice was broken, but it was just a fun sideline for us.

When the pandemic hit, we decided to make the label a priority. I feel like my knowledge of music history paid off to give the label a direction. I've been reading a lot about indie labels like 4AD, Sub Pop, Factory, Creation and Goner. Still, we had to learn how to adapt their DIY ethic in a digital era. We are also very lucky to have a strong community from DISTORSION supporting and our bands.

The Sounds from Mothland compilation was also a great way to spread the word about our different bands from around the world. The goal was to forge something greater than the sum of its parts.

AC: What are your plans for 2021?

Mothland: More records. We have at least three more releases coming up.

We'll be announcing a really catchy sophisti-pop record from a local crooner. We've been playing it all year, and it made 2020 more bearable. We also have a really loud and cerebral LP coming up right after to balance our first pop release. It's the perfect soundtrack to our troubled times. These LPs will be followed by raw punk via 7" later in the year. The kind of music to scare suburban parents and make kids go nuts.

Needless to say, we're really excited about these projects and can hardly wait to finally announce them! Hopefully, we can have a little DISTORSION as a treat…

AC: What's your advice for someone who's new to the scene and unsure of how to get involved right now because of the current covidian conditions?

Mothland: I'm really into Facebook fan groups! They are a great way to be part of the scene without going to shows. I'm in this No Wave group with tons of artists like Thurston Moore, Weasel Walter, Dougie Bowne, Fred Schneide. People post pictures of zines, posters, LPs, talk about shows they've been to, and share the music they've been doing.

It inspired me to start one for the Canadian underground scene, I called it Les Durs de la Feuille. It's really nerdy, but it's a fun way to discover new stuff and communicate with your peers. The Internet can be really useful; there are no barriers between fans and artists. Blogs & social media are the new zines. It is easier for anyone to get involved and spread the word and support your favourite bands.

AC: I really like the idea of Mothland as a physical place. Since we're all in need of a little escapism, what would Mothland be like if it were an IRL spot we could visit?

Mothland: We want people to think of their own version of it.

The idea I had for the Sounds From Mothland cover was to ask Paul to draw his version of "Mothland." His version ended up being a person playing guitar in a small apartment with a cat and some wine. For each volume of the mixtape, we will ask an artist to draw their version of Mothland. It can be anything.

Mine is like a planet without a sun. It would be night time all the time but with a really bright moon. Moths & dogs everywhere, of course. The Flaming Lips & The Cure would play there sometimes.

Everybody is dressed in black. That's really important, we have a strict dress code, but that's the only restriction. You are free to do anything else. Everybody is welcomed, you just have to follow the noise.