Queer Country Music Artist Brigitte Jardin is touring the Yukon
“More than anything, I want to create a space of connection. In a society where rituals are becoming more rare, gathering together in person around music is powerful.”
From behind a drum kit in Montreal’s bustling music scene, to centre stage in the North, Brigitte Jardin has found her voice in the vast landscapes of the Yukon. The singer-songwriter’s upcoming tour promises to showcase how geographical and personal transformation can reshape an artist’s entire musical identity. The bilingual music delivers country songs with a honky-tonk touch.
Jardin tells What’s Up Yukon that she finds the North has given her space, both physically and emotionally, to step forward as a songwriter. “I truly found my own voice.” She draws her inspiration from the community in the Yukon and also from the northern landscape. She raves about the soft pastel light in winter and the quiet benches along the trails. “All that shapes the songs I now create, songs that feel both rooted and personal.” She weaves French and English language seamlessly in her music. For example, “Lonely Time” is in English while other songs are in French.
How does she decide which language serves a particular song better?
“For me, the language of a song usually follows the emotion and the context in which the experience happened. So, if I’m writing about a memory with my family, for example, the lyrics naturally come out in French. That’s the language those moments were lived in.”
On the other hand, if the feeling or situation she wants to express unfolds in English, then the song tends to take shape in English, she explains. Not only is Jardin a bilingual artist, she calls herself a queer artist. She explains that country music, as rich and beautiful as it is, is often perceived as existing within a set of strict, traditional codes. “That can make it feel like there’s little room for voices that fall outside those norms.
“As a queer artist, I want to push those boundaries to the best of my ability by reframing country music through a more modern and inclusive lens,” she says. It’s about honouring the tradition while creating space for new stories and identities, she tells What’s Up Yukon, and adds, “Representing queer voices in this space is not only an act of visibility, it’s also an act of joy.”
In the past, Jardin performed with The City Slickers, but the upcoming tour will be different. “Since I now sing while playing a full drum kit, and also because band members are out of the territory, I had to put together a new live set-up for this tour. I’ll be joined by Wyatt Best on pedal steel, Daniel Witt on electric bass, and my sibling Caroline Allatt on electric guitar and back vocals. I’m really excited about this new combination of musicians.”
The tour will be the perfect opportunity for the audience to listen to some of Jardin’s new songs from her upcoming album. The music on her new album will explore and express themes of duality, between north and south, French and English, past and present.
“Performing these songs will allow me to shape and refine them in real-time, before heading into the studio. That said, I’m keeping a few tracks under wraps, to leave a little surprise for later,” Jardin says.
Speaking of duality, the musician will show traditional country music and Cajun repertoire. She says that she tries to keep a dialogue alive between old and new, tradition and modern context. “I’m honouring traditional music by having a conversation with it. What I mean is, I love diving into folk music—la musique du peuple!—to learn its codes and understand its roots. That naturally influences my songwriting. But, at the same time, my compositions are also shaped by the world we live in today.”
Combining traditional and modern, Jardin also wants to give her audience emotions. She hopes that people feel seen when she plays music—that they feel something real.
“More than anything, I want to create a space of connection. In a society where rituals are becoming more rare, gathering together in person around music is powerful. Actually, I don’t think there’s anything stronger in life than genuine connection.”
For more about Brigitte Jardin, visit her site here (brigittejardin.com).
