One of the greatest aspects of Winnipeg’s music scene is an undeniable, commanding presence from some of Canada’s greatest female musicians, who not only demand attention, but also deliver fresh, creative, passionate music. Local indie rock duo Mise en Scene is a prime example of a strong female presence within our city’s music scene.

Stefanie Blondal Johnson (guitar/vocals) and Jodi Dunlop (drums) released their debut EP Late Night Triple Feature in 2010, and with it made their first trek outside of Winnipeg bringing their raw, melodic sound across the country. The pair has been drawing attention ever since and is now ready to unleash their next album.

With the impending release of their follow-up full-length album entitled Desire’s Despair, Mise en Scene have begun to gain momentum in the Canadian music scene, with their newest release reaching #11 on the Earshot National College Chart prior to the album even hitting stores.

The Manitoban had the opportunity to chat with Mise en Scene about their new album and here’s how it went.

 

The Manitoban: Desire’s Despair officially hits stores in November. Given that this is your first full-length release, do you feel as though this album came out the way you had planned, and accurately portrays your sound and music?

Stefanie Blondal Johnson: We are really proud of our album. We had to focus on staying true to our sound when we were recording and [made] sure there was heavy emphasis on drums, guitar, and vocals in the production. Since we worked with three amazing different producers on this album, it was interesting to see how they interpreted our music and their take on our sound as a duo.

M: Desire’s Despair has been garnering much attention on the national charts these days. What is your reaction to this?

SBJ: We are obviously very happy to be on the charts and to have our music playing and charting nationally. It’s always great to see results after working so hard on a project. Making an album takes time, patience and tons of effort, so we are very pleased with it doing so well.

M: There are a lot of additional instruments on this recording – did you work with session musicians and if so, how was that experience?

SBJ: We worked closely with the additional musicians on the album – it’s always nice to work with people you know and trust. We oversaw every session they were on in order to make sure that they were adding the right feel and sound to what we wanted.

M: How do you feel that your label Pipe & Hat has impacted your music?

SBJ: Pipe & Hat is a wonderful label that has given us tons of support and helped us get this album recognized at the level that we feel it deserves. We really like that [they] let us do our thing when it comes to writing the music and being Mise en Scene.

Things get overwhelming when you are taking music to the next level, [so] it’s important to start building a great team around you that will help you in the areas where you need help with so you can concentrate on the music, and Tim and Kenny (Pipe & Hat) do a great job with that.

M: What can fans look forward to at your album release show in December?

SBJ: Fans will get a chance to see us play a great show at a fantastic venue. It’s going to be a big celebration in honour of [our] past year as a band. Jodi and I have been through a lot to get to this point. It’s important to celebrate the release of our first full-length album – it’s a milestone in the band’s history. We are ready to party with fans, friends and family – it’s going to be a great night.

 

Mise en Scene’s newest full-length album is currently available online at miseenscene.bandcamp.com/album/desires-despair, and will be released in stores on Nov. 13. Check out their album release show at the West End Cultural Centre on Dec. 1.