Five Minutes With: Montréal Singer-Songwriter Corey Gulkin

Emerging from the world of folk music, Corey Gulkin drew attention early in their career as the 2013 laureate of the John Lennon Songwriting Grand Prize. Their 2016 EP The Wharf was nominated for a GAMIQ award for Folk EP of the Year, and they’ve consistently landed in the top 5 of CultMTL’s fan-voted list for Best Montreal Singer-Songwriter. Across 250+ live shows, Corey has shared stages with artists like Waxahatchee, The Weather Station, and Marissa Nadler.

With Half Moon, Corey takes a confident leap into the thick of emotional transformation, locking eyes with the unknown. Confrontational, restless, and spirited, the Montreal songwriter’s latest full-length album rides the terror and thrill of stating exactly what’s happening and refusing to back down.

Corey Gulkin

Name:

Corey Gulkin

Genre:

Art-rock, alt-pop, folk, indie

Founded:

2018 (as Corey Gulkin), 2011 (as Corinna Rose)

# of Albums:

2 (as Corey Gulkin), 1 album and 3 EPs (as Corinna Rose)

Latest Album:

Half Moon

Latest Single:

Therapist

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

Probably some combo of Alanis Morisette, Blink-182, Weezer and Arade Fire

Favourite musician now:

Way too many to list, but I’ve recently come back to Dirty Projector’s Bitte Orca and have been listening on repeat

Guilty pleasure song:

Hello by Martin Solveig & Dragonette (but I don’t really feel guilty about it)

Live show ritual:

Weird vocal warm-ups in the green room

Favourite local musician:

Also too many to list, but highly recommend checking out Eve Parker Finley (she’s putting out an album of incredible ethereal bangers next month) and Thanya Iyer (who is making some of the most innovative music I’ve ever heard)

EP or LP?

I will forever be an LP guy

Early bird or night owl?

Wake up early, take a nap in the middle of the day, stay up late

Road or studio?

Studio

Any shows or albums coming up? 

I have two album launch shows in April!

April 11 @ La Sotterenea in Montreal

April 12 @ Monarch Tavern in Toronto

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | TikTok | Facebook

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Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Restaurant El Chalateco for amazing pupusas

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Probably Park Avenue, it connects so many people and neighbourhoods together, and is where my grandfather grew up

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Jarry Park has everything and sits at the intersection between 4 neighbourhoods. On any given day you’ll see people having BBQs, college kids LARPing, kids playing every sport from Cricket to Soccer to Basketball, not to mention some of the best duck-watching in the city

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

So many small venues are gone all too soon in Montreal; Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa are somehow still going – they’ve been around since before I moved to the city 18 years ago, and are still the best Montreal has to offer.

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Montreal has a ton of great record stores, but I have to say Phonopolis (for Anglo albums), and Le Vacarme (for Franco albums) are where I find myself most often!

 

About Demian Vernieri 499 Articles
Demian is an Argentinian retired musician, avid gamer and editor for the Montréal Guardian, Toronto Guardian, Calgary Guardian and Vancouver Guardian websites.