Majical Cloudz Use Matador Records to Get Free Cat Power, Belle and Sebastian Albums

When Montreal's Majical Cloudz recently signed with indie heavyweights Matador Records, frontman Devon Welsh found a distinct perk to sharing a label with some of his favourite artists.

"I got to go through their warehouse and I got to take a bunch of records," Welsh tells Spinner. "It was cool because it was a lot of things that I listen to a lot, like Belle and Sebastian and Cat Power, it's amazing to have them also release my music."

Although pleased by his new stack of records, Welsh admittedly doesn't own a record player. Compelled to buy one now, Welsh unabashedly claims to be an mp3 guy, adding that he's "been like that since I figured out how the internet worked."

And a computer is often all Welsh needs for listening and creating purposes. All of Majical Cloudz's music, including their upcoming full-length, was made using a laptop and various low-quality gear, Welsh admits.

"I'm such a terrible person in terms of my lack of commitment to being a musician or something like that," Welsh says. "I don't own that much gear at all. I just use really bad stuff and I don't know much about music gear because I'm not a techie or anything.

"A true musician would definitely look down on me and I should be using something that a much higher quality, and maybe I will, but I don't really own anything in terms of synths. We just borrow and make do with what's around."

This makes touring infinitely easier for Welsh and new bandmate Matthew Otto, who joined the former one-man-band earlier this year, as all their equipment can literally fit into one small suitcase and a plastic shopping bag.

"We were talking about slimming it down even further," Welsh explains. "Touring is definitely good when you don't have that much gear and I'm really glad I don't play in a five-person rock band with drums and stuff like that."

Though Majical Cloudz started off as a solo recording project, it's transformed into the exact opposite, where Welsh relies on Otto's opinion and input and performing is the real driving force.

"Performers are just these people who are hopelessly looking for an audience wherever they can find it and being on tour, you can find lots of audiences," Welsh says, of playing live.

So, does Welsh regard himself more as a performer than a musician then? Sort of.

"I feel like the term musician describes somebody who can play their instruments really well and has a knowledge of how music works from a theoretical perspective," Welsh argues. "I can do that to a certain extent, and I used to do that a lot in older bands, but nowadays I definitely identify more with being a performer."