Montreal’s Independent project Vanwho, created by Vanessa Boivin-Drolet in 2009, offers bilingual Dreamy Alt-Pop fused with Folk and Grunge accents, smoky vocals and a unique guitar style. Contemplative, ethereal, intimate and soaring, their songs invite their listeners to explore the spheres of existence. Above all, it’s music that brings people together, emphasizing the importance of the present moment and what we do with it, all of us together, at the same time, in this same paradox.
Up to this day, Vanwho has have performed over 350 concerts in Canada, the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the USA.
We’ve heard more about them since they took part in 3 episodes of ”The Voice ” in 2018 as part of Alex Nevsky’s team. An experience that brought Van strong, beneficial, professional and friendly connections with Olivier Girard through Julien Charbonneau, another performer on the show that year.
You may also have noticed them as a semi-finalist at the Festival de la chanson de Granby in 2021 and on the TV show ”Faites comme chez vous” in 2015.
Since meeting Olivier Girard, with whom Van co-produces their songs and whom they often refers to as “The genie of their lamp”, many of their Francophone songs have found themselves spinning on SiriusXM (Ici Musique chanson, Franco-Country and Attitude Franco) on Stingray, as well as on Quebec’s community and commercial radio stations such as CKUT, CISM, CIBL, Radio-Canada, CKIA, CFIM, Weeknd, Energie and many others.
Name:
Vanwho
Genre:
Alt-Pop-Rock
Founded:
2009
# of Albums:
Only singles and 2 EPs
Latest Album:
Les lignes de l’horizon EP
Latest Single:
Jusque-là
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Oooooffffffff Thom Yorke? Radiohead, The Cranberries, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Silverchair
Favourite musician now:
Grizzly Bear, Title Fight, Jay Som, Crumb, Spirit Of The Beehive, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Guilty pleasure song:
Pat Benatar – Love is a Battlefield
Live show ritual:
Aaahhhhhh I tend to do the maniac dance before I jump on stage to release any nervosity, but I also really like to sit at the merch table and meet the crowd.
Favourite local musician:
Lavande, Taupe, Maudit Vincent, Erik Fines
EP or LP?
I think of EP when there are nothing that links songs to each other, if it is the same topics in different songs or if it is 5 songs that speak about totally different things, but the sound and tones are linked. I think LP. If there is a story to tell, if you f*ck it all up by pressing shuffle on it, if you simply have to press play and listen to the full concept and be part of it. I am not the kind of artist who will write 15 songs and record them and end up choosing the order after, if I have to choose the order later on, songs would be better off being released as singles, in my opinion.
Early bird or night owl?
Night Owl, definately, I used to work at Club soda in the Coatchecks for like 10 years and I am so used to play shows and to have the nightlifestyle, I don’t like having to put an alarm to wake me up, i like to wake up naturally, fulfilled with energy instead of cutting a dream at the best moment and wake up grumpy. I work in the movie industry too, and let me tell ya, every time I have to work the next day at 5 am, I have insane insomnia. I am either scared to simply not wake up, or literally wake up and see my alarm on but muted. Which happened once, and I felt terrible.
Road or studio?
Road!!!! I prefer to play shows, show my music to the world, rather than recording it ( Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE STUDIO TIME ). But touring is the thing I like the most! Meeting people from all around, having friends all over, the feeling of being discovered and sharing amazing moments with the crowd is what I like the most. Cause I love interacting with other people, isn’t it fascinating? To simply live in this world, being conscious, being able to feel, to think, to touch, to taste, to be !!!! With other people just like us, at this same moment.
Any shows or albums coming up?
I am hosting the Open Mic night on the first Tuesday of the month at Le Social Verdun!!! And I am releasing a song in June with Sympa Cesar! I’m trying not to play too many shows in 2026 and really want to focus on the writing of my first LP.
Where can we follow you?
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Cinco de Mayo St-Henri YUMMMMZIEEEE
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Wellington, I’ve lived in a lot of neighbourhoods in Montreal so far, and I have been part of the Verdun Community since 2020. I am so in love with La Well for all the amazing diversity of boutiques, grocery stores, restaurants, bars and dépaneurs hahaha. And I have now developed a new passion for Pokémon Cards, and I am so glad I can just walk to Game Keeper if I want a booster pack.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
I lived in Le Plateau for a couple of years between 2012 and 2019 and was completely in love with Parc Lafontaine and Parc Laurier, not so far of a walk from any metro station, it is alive, I used to play a lot of music and relax under the sun, organize birthday fiestas and throw football there… Good old days! But now, I am completely in love with Verdun Beach and its Parks that goes all along the water, we can swim ( Safely ) during the summer, and find spots to relax in nature and almost forget that we are in the city with all the birds and trees and nature…. We have the beach, the skatepark is AMAZING, in winter we can borrow cross country ski on weekends, there is a mountain for crazy carpet and tubing.
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
So far, I really always loved Le Quai des brumes, L’Esco and Turbo Haüs as small venues for the sound and the vibes, medium venue, I’d say a big WOW to Fairmount, the sound is always so ON POINT every time I go, Petit Campus is also great!
Bigger venues, for the beauty of it, the Rialto and Beanfield, for the sound Metropolis ( Oh Mtelus ).
If only people who goes to shows would stop considering artists playing as background music and really enjoy it instead of talking (Screaming) with their friends about what they ate last night, it would be fantastic, not only for fans who’ve been waiting for so long to see a band they like, but also for the artists touring far away from home who feels like they are not appreciated while they sacrifice so much.
What is your favourite music store in your city?
33 tours
