Moss Lime
Moss Lime always gets what they want; photographed by Sarah Statham.
Late last year we reported on Montréal by Lille, France’s Moss Lime who released Zoo du Québec on cassette via Atelier Ciseaux, and on vinyl from Telephone Explosion and now we are proud to present the world premiere for the music video for “I Always Get What I Want” from their friend Alexis. Caitlin, Jane, & Hélène are here seen doing and getting everything they want in a day spent leisurely doing anything they want to do like professional flâneurs embracing all the hidden relaxing virtues that both idleness and indolence offers. A group founded by sisters Charlotte Bonamour and Hélène Barbier and Caitlin Pinder-Doede in Montréal during the summer of 2014 with the Fixture Records release July First EP, followed by a single, and then Zoo Du Québec made after Charlotte’s return to France found their friend Jane joining Hélène, and Caitlin (Charlotte still joins the group for tours). Like the audio art blueprints made from the beginning with their July First EP, Moss Lime marches forward carrying their own self-styled torches while celebrating and dancing to their own fashionable, yet refreshingly primitive, Franco beat.
Moss Lime relish in a DIY approach to their music expressing sentiments of needs, wants, and casual observations that sees the group earning their rightful place in continuing the pop lineages of Françoise Hardy, Jane Birkin, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Kleenex/LiLiPUT, and so forth. Adopting and employing the laissez faire attitude toward life and desires; Caitlin, Jane, & Hélène do what they want when they want to do it throughout the video for “I Always Get What I Want” from brainstorming and scheming their way through goals and dreams. Having professed a kindred connection through bicycles in our recent conversation, the intuitive theme of two-wheeled cycles permeates Alexis’s video where our troupe is seen going Tour du France on stationary/decorative bikes in a park, to circling about on a bicycle carousel built for three, and an obligatory scene of Moss Lime posing by their own favorite fixies and roadsters. Moss Lime makes the absolute most of a day spent about Montréal having fun doing improvised screen tests for the camera, practicing the artful practice of stylish loitering, eschewing the advisories of others with an intentional deaf ear. From here our heroes take up real estate on a park bench to watch for potential suitors skating by (featuring and framing Caitlin’s verse of “I want a boyfriend, I haven’t got one”), to a lively round of shooting sidewalk dice for various currencies, hockey cards, business cards, and any arbitrary items found from the recesses of pockets or a backpack. “I Always Get What I Want” is a tongue in cheek manifesto from the band where everything desired is coupled by everything else that is undesired ( like the lyrics “don’t wanna work…don’t wanna talk”). The video finds Moss Lime having fun while taking over the town in the process. Read our recent interview roundtable with Caitlin, Jane, & Hélène.
Tell us about what sorts of behind the scenes/behind the lens fun was at work during the making of the “I Always Get What I Want” video?
Jane: Hum, us chilling in our fav neighborhoods, doing all of our fav things but like on steroids because there’s no way that we’re that active in one day. We ran into a couple of friends while shooting it, our bud Chad was skating next to the b-ball court so we asked him if he wanted to be in it when Caitlin sings, “I want a boyfriend, I haven’t got one,” and we all look at him passing us.
Caitlin: I had such a blast for this video, it was really nice especially since I had not been playing with the band for a couple of months it felt really genuine. Before meeting them to film it I was at work at Jean Talon market which is funny, because the first EP was centered around our shitty jobs there, so kind of a full circle I guess back to Moss lime origins and feelings. I like that it was in Little Italy which is where we used to write lyrics and where our first jam space was, and pretty much where we spent every day and night of July 2014-April 2015.
Meet Montreal by Lille, France trio; Moss Lime.
How did the bicycle motif come about to be the central focus of the video, and how important are bikes to everyone in the world of Moss Lime?
Caitlin: It’s weird because after Charlotte (original guitar player) left for Europe I bought her bike, and then when Helene left for Europe she gave me her bike so its like my only tangible like physical connection with those two is through their bikes! Unintended but very relevant motif!
Jane: Ha ha I’d say very important because it’s all our main mode of transportation, except for Caitlin and her busted bike. If it weren’t for our bikes I think me and Alexis the video’s director wouldn’t have made it to the shoot. I love bikes, they’re the best.
Live with Moss Lime.
What is next in the works recording/release-wise as the follow-up to Zoo Du Quebec?
Hélène: Our Euro tour was great and very fun (we just had a flat tire and it got fixed incredibly fast by two men who were just there), we will put out a tape with live recordings from it, and a new song that we recorded in Rennes on a day off.
What were the holidays like for everyone?
Hélène: I cooked a lot and it was the perfect time to hang with old friends, family, cats, dogs, and horses that I did not see for a while, they all grew old but were still the same.
Jane: Pretty relaxed, it hadn’t snowed yet so I got to walk in a beautiful forest full of green moss and pretty sunlight. There’s a lot of snow out now, and cold.
Caitlin: Lots of family, food and sleeping in!
Braving the elements with Moss Lime.
What sorts of hopes, visions, and missions do you all have for 2016?
Hélène: I want to play more bass, make more songs (with Moss Lime and Phern) and would like to play for other people too, if someone needs a bass player I promise I will try to learn your songs fast. I got accepted in a herborist school also, so I hope I am good enough to make potions and that I will succeed my witch degree, and that I get to know how to playCargo Culte by Gainsbourg on the bass as if it was mine.
Jane: Do more music as well, I want to play more drums. Start a cover band maybe and also maybe do a lil’ short movie. Ever since we came back from the European tour I’ve been hella inspired in general.
Caitlin: I saw this French movie about a high school girl who discovers her singing voice and I guess it was a bit cheesy but I just broke down and was crying so much like “I need to sing!” so I would like to try to sing more, and maybe just be louder in life without feeling self-conscious.
Stepping into the shadows of Moss Lime.
Top three things you all are listening to, watching, reading, etc right now?
Hélène: Right now I am listening a lot to Fanfare in the Garden by Essential Logic and Barter 6 by Young Thug, and just got trapped in the British Sci-Fi TV series “Black Mirror”. To be honest, these days I just read Rob Brezsny’s Free Will horoscope once a week and the definitely not cheering up news.
Jane: Currently reading Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel, and super stoked to start a new book by Ursula K. Le Guin, I read The Left Hand of Darkness on tour and it really rocked my world. I think I can only read science fiction on tour. Listening to Jeremih’s new album and other stuff like that. Been watching a lot of comic book related movies and series.
Caitlin: I’ve been listening to Justin Bieber’s new album and the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack, high school feels! I have been reading this book called The Book of Eve, which is about a woman who left her husband in the 70’s in Montreal to go live alone in this rotted basement apartment so she can be who she wants, it’s great so far!
Moss Lime’s Zoo du Québec is available on cassette from Atelier Ciseaux & vinyl from Telephone Explosion.
