The Rise of Tailor Made Fable

(bum) - Tailor Made Fable, the pop-rock fivesome from Quebec, is seeing big and making waves. Last year, the band grabbed the spotlight when they performed at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool. The following spring, they were awarded second place in the "Rock" category for the International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, with the song A Case of Mistaken Identity. During the same time, they released their first complete album titled All These Questions, which was distributed in record stores by DEP/Universal Music Canada. This album was Canada's most downloaded album when it was digitally released on PureTracks in fall 2008, outshining Nickelback and Guns N' Roses. The album was produced by Oliver Haze (Nelly Furtado, David Usher), mixed in Vancouver by John Webster (Aerosmith, The Cult) and mastered in Los Angeles by Eddy Schreyer (The Offspring, Queen). This is an interview with Rémi Chassé (vocals, guitar, piano) and Mike Normand (vocals, guitar). 

Where does the name of the group come from?

Mike: The four original members (Rémi, P-E, Matt and I) all attended the same secondary school. We had separate projects. At one point, we were all solo. Rémi and I met, and it seemed natural to recruit Matt and P-E, because we knew that they were no longer part of a group. We never knew we'd be playing together. At the beginning, things naturally fell into place. That's where we got "Tailor Made" (custom made). "Fable" comes from... fable. We wanted to write songs with feeling by using words and metaphors. We didn't want to simply paste text that sounded good as a melody.

Five years after your debut, your career took off. Did your patience pay off?

Rémi: I think it did, but that depends on how you look at it. When we began our career, we were much younger. Over time, we lost our illusions in a way. We now know that we didn't become rock stars overnight. As time goes by, we let things come to us. We always work actively, but we've stopped making unrealistic goals. We prefer to have surprises, participate in projects that surprise us and propel us somewhere, rather than figuring out where we should be the next year. Otherwise, we would often be disappointed.

You made some contacts while performing in Liverpool last year. Do you plan to perform in Europe again? Is your motto still "the sky's the limit?"

Rémi: Absolutely. Even if we are not fixated on tangible objectives, there is no limit to our boundaries. We want to give as many shows in as many countries as possible.

This year, you won second place in "Rock" at the Nashville International Songwriting Competition. Did you meet any inspiring people among the judges there, any iconic artists?

Rémi: We spoke to organizers at the competition, but we did not talk directly to Robert Smith (The Cure) or Jerry Lee Lewis. However, they listened to our song, A Case Of Mistaken Identity, which they judged and liked. That's good enough for us, it was really a big pat on the back. Even if we're confident with our songs and their content, it's nice to have recognition from the American side. It's as if to say, "Not only did we try to write in English, but we did it well." (Note: Tailor Made Fable is formed by French-speaking artists.)

The title of your first complete album is All These Questions. Were you asking yourselves a thousand and one questions?

Mike: That was the case when we were trying to come up with a name for the album. Sometimes a title comes naturally, sometimes we have to go far to find it. We examined our tunes together, and realized that they were all asking questions. The song All These Questions defines the path of our group. In other songs, we question our ambitions, we wonder how far we want to go.

Rémi: We crossed our fingers. With all the sacrifices taken and energy invested, we sometimes want evidence that we have reached our destiny. Certain people say that they can predict the future, but we don't really trust in crystal balls (laughs).

One of your songs is called My Comfort Zone. What is your comfort zone?

Mike: In my bed, on Saturday morning, I love that!

Rémi: We still don't know our comfort zone. The industry is always moving. We don't ever really know where it stands. We create comfort by letting things happen. We're happy to go through a good period, but nothing is certain. There is no "stable" comfort.

Another one of your songs is titled Monday Morning. What do you do on Monday morning?

Rémi: That is not our comfort zone!

Mike: This song is about the 9-to-5 work day. I have lots of respect for people who are able to follow that rhythm of life, because I am not made for that. Each time I wake up on Monday morning, I never have words of encouragement in my head. When you get to the end of the week doing shows, and you have to go to work on Monday to pay the bills... Companies are based on that: 40 hours of work per week, from 9 to 5. Right now, we are at the point where we can only live for our music, but not hold down jobs at the same time.

 

Tailor Made Fable's sound is a mixture of styles, since the group, according to their own words, gets bored of always having the same rhythm. Inspired by Brit and American rock, the group gathers influences from beats across the world.

Visit the Tailor Made Fable Website to learn of the band's upcoming concert dates.

By Carolyne Marengo

 

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