Sebastien Lefebvre of Simple Plan Goes Solo

(bum) - In his Man of the Hour studio, guitarist and back vocalist for Simple Plan, Sebastien Lefebvre, records his radio show of the same name, and also wrote his first solo EP. The album, titled You Are Here, represents where his personal style is right now; a mixture of pop, folk and acoustic, which is quite different from the rock music of Simple Plan.

   

Sebastien, have you always wanted to release a solo album or did you first want to make it big with a band like Simple Plan?

I haven’t always wanted to do a solo project. It was really a momentary project, which I did in parallel when I had the time. The idea came to me during a writing session with Simple Plan. Normally, when I write and it comes out sounding like hard rock, it’s perfect - I send it to members of the group. When my compositions don’t sound like Simple Plan, I record them and save them on my computer. After a while, I found myself with several tunes.

 

What was the first reaction from Simple Plan members when they learned that you wanted to make an EP?

It went well. The guys thought it was great from the start. It’s surprising, because in a group, when a member goes solo, we get the impression that business isn’t going so well. In any other group, what I did could have evoked some bitterness. I’m glad that that wasn’t the case, because I really wanted to do this album. The guys supported me a lot. I made them understand from the beginning that Simple Plan was my priority, and that I truly did this album in parallel. Chuck’s even going to direct my first video!

 

 

Did the other members of the band give you advice for making You Are Here?

No, I pretty much did it by myself. This was my thing. I felt really nerdy in front of my computer, trying out all the arrangements myself, making all the decisions. I found it very interesting to work alone. I’m very lucky to have been able to work in a group and in solo, to try out both.

 

You began writing songs for your EP when you joined Simple Plan. Why did you wait all those years to finalize your solo project?

It really wasn’t planned. The desire came with confidence, which I gained while touring, I think. Maybe it’s also because I’m now satisfied with my songs. In addition, Simple Plan is in between two albums, so that worked out well; I had the time to work on my EP. When we’re on tour, I don’t have time to do things other than interviews, shows and travelling!

 

Being a back vocalist and a guitarist for Simple Plan was not enough for you?

It’s not that at all. It wasn’t because I wasn’t satisfied or that I wanted to sing - nothing like that. I just wanted to release my songs. I love writing. It’s my passion. I love being in my studio. I write non-stop. I take out my guitar and have such a good time.

 

Why did you write a bilingual song: La nouvelle vie?

Simple Plan is not at all against the idea of doing songs in French, but it hasn’t ever happened; maybe because it doesn’t work so well with our hard rock. I wanted to try something new, and French was sounding good with my more folky, acoustic and relaxed music. There are a lot of artists and Quebecois singers who sing in French, and it’s good. I really enjoyed the experience. Composing it was much more difficult, because I ‘m used to working in English. I’m really happy with the result. It’s a nice, cute little song.

 

Were the songs The One and I Fall For You written for your girlfriend?

I wrote I Fall For You three or four years ago, well before I had a girlfriend. The One is more recent. It’s a song about how we feel when we’re in love. When I write a piece, I really think of a precise moment. For example, if I have a conversation with someone and it makes me think, I’m going to write a song about that moment. My songs often have a direct link with my experiences, though not always.

 

 

Have any other Simple Plan members gotten the urge to do a solo project?

I don’t think so (laughs). Pierre and Chuck write a lot more for Simple Plan. They have a talent for these more energetic types of songs, while I probably have less, because my songs are more relaxed and acoustic. Jeff always has a bunch of projects. ­­­­­­­­­­­­Everyone is really busy. No one gets bored - far from that. I don’t think they are going to release albums of their own. Not yet at least.

 

Releasing an EP makes us expect the arrival of a complete album. Are you planning to release a disc with a dozen songs in the months to come?

No, that’s not in my plans. It’s nice to do an EP. It takes less time than making a complete album, so I feel that I’m able to release them more often. I also think that we prefer to buy one song rather than an entire album. A mini-album, that’s just enough to create an atmosphere, to let the listener understand the artist.

 

What other goals do you have?

Simple Plan is writing a fourth album. I would really like to do a world tour again, meet people, go to new countries. I would also like to release other mini-albums. I really liked working on this one, and I can’t wait to work on the next ones. In fact, my goal is simply to make music for as long as possible, and I hope that people will still want to listen.

 

With your friend Patrick Langlois, you host an online radio show (The Man of The Hour) on the Idobi Radio station. Do you want to be a professional host?

I think when hosting would become a profession, I would lose interest. The concept of our show is to have a drink and talk about almost anything. We joke, we find good music, we meet groups of people. It’s very impromptu. On the contrary, I really like doing radio, so I wouldn’t mind if it would become a profession! Having to report the weather every five minutes turns me off a little. As long as our program lasts on the Internet, I am happy. It’s exactly the program format that I like.

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The first EP by Sebastien Lefebvre, You Are Here, is on sale at music stores and online.

By Carolyne Marengo

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