Madame Recamier Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 2nd 2010 10:40AM by Stephanie Griffin
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Gina Recamier, a Mexican chanteuse performing under the moniker Madame Recamier, has just independently released her debut album, 'Chocolate.' Recamier is not only preparing for her first trip to SXSW in March, but she also has the added pressure of it being her first time ever performing her own material in the United States. Madame Recamier recently had a chat with Spinner about the music scene in Mexico and making a name for herself as an unsigned artist.

How would you describe your sound?

I would say it's kind of alternative pop. I look for different kinds of compositions, not doing the verse-chorus-verse formula always. I like to use a lot of melodies in the voice.

How did you get your start in music?

I always liked to sing. I started studying music when I was about 15. I started playing guitar, and then I went to a music school, so I moved to Mexico City to continue studying. I started working with a pop artist two years ago, and we've been touring and I've been playing guitar and doing back-up singing while I was working on my album. It's all been like a little chain that [has] led me to the point I'm at right now.

What are your musical influences?

I love girls that sing, so Regina Spektor, Feist, Imogen Heap and the Dresden Dolls are the types of bands and artists that I like. Also, some my favorite bands are Death Cab For Cutie and Metric. I have a lot of influences, and every day I'm listening to music all the time, but those would be at the top of the list.

How does the music scene in Mexico compare to the scene in the States?

I think that we still have a lot to work on in Mexico. Many people still don't understand the changes that are going on and the kind of festivals that are going on and the different bands and sounds. I think that we're working on it, and we're going somewhere. The people here have to dig in a little bit more, by going to blogs or using the Internet and buying magazines and listening to the radio, to get informed of other bands. I think it's growing, and I think it's going pretty well. I haven't had a huge experience in the United States, other than playing with someone else. I think that it's amazing that many bands from over there come to Mexico and fill up stadiums, and I think that's pretty cool.

SXSW will be your first time playing in the United States. Do you think it will be difficult to engage an American audience when you are singing mostly in Spanish?

I do have some songs in English because I lived for a few years in Houston, Texas, and I learned English when I lived in Milan as a little girl. I do have three songs on my album that are in English, so I will be playing those in English. I'm also going to be doing a few covers as well, so I hope people will like that.

As an unsigned artist, what steps are you taking to get your name out there?

I'm doing this dynamic thing at home with my computer, and I have a little bit of equipment. With the little things I have, I try to make the most out of it. Every month, I am doing a cover song that is originally in English, and I change it to Spanish and put it on MySpace. It's been working quite well, and people have been noticing me a bit more because of that. I just finished my album in November, so it has not been a very long time, and it's going well.

What is your biggest vice?

I just quit smoking about a month and a half ago, so that's out. Chocolate is my vice. I love chocolate, and I can't stop eating it. Every day I have to eat one or I get really angry. I even named my album after it.

What's in your festival survival kit?

I'll probably take a ukulele in case everything goes wrong. If you just have a microphone and ukulele, you can sing with that and work from there.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

My first real crush was Brandon Boyd, lead singer of Incubus. I was really in love with him when I was 13 years old.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

'Total Eclipse of the Heart' by Bonnie Tyler.

If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

John Lennon.

What aspect of SXSW are you most excited about?

I want to see all the bands and get to know a lot of people. The most exciting thing is that it's my first time playing outside of Mexico with my own music, so that's really exciting. It kind of freaks me out when I think about it.

Stephanie Griffin is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.