This Montreal-based all-female band “Les Shirley” has shared the stage with Avril Lavigne and opened the show for The Foo Fighters, and ,next up, the girls will be the opening act for a European tour with “Jimmy Eat World.”
It began in 2018 when three musicians met in shared practice spaces (jam rooms) and became friends.
They then created their unique all-female rock power trio.
Lisandre “Lili” Bourdages plays drums.
“First I studied Latin percussions,” she said. “I used to play salsa and the Latin music, and then I started the drums, but I always listened to rock music. Then when I met Raph, we’re like, ‘Hey, we should we should start a band!’”
Raphaelle " Raph” Chouinard plays guitar in the band.
“Everyone has a mic and there’s a lot of interaction between us because we’re such good friends,” she said. “I think it was important to us to bring that side of us to the show.”
Sarah Dion used to be a drummer, but she changed instruments to be in Les Shirley.
“I happen to be a drummer and Lili is already on the drums, so I bought a bass and then I said, ‘I can just play bass with you,’ and it kind of just started like that,” she said.
Les Shirley have performed across Canada, including in front of their biggest crowd ever at the Festival d’Ete de Quebec in front of 80,000 people.
“It was intense, like survival mode, and it was like 40 degrees or something outside, pretty crazy,” said Dion.
That exposure led to the invitation from Jimmy Eat World on the band’s Europe tour in June.
“It’s always so much fun to go there and it just going to start off the summer real good,” said Dion.
“I’m beyond words,” said Chouinard. “I don’t even know because so many of these countries, I haven’t been to yet, so this is going to be very interesting. Like Luxemburg! I have never been there and probably would have never been there either.”
Their skills got them the opportunity, now Les Shirley say they’re ready to deliver their signature high-energy live shows.
“I think we’re going to realize it once we’re there and we meet the band and we are actually playing the music, but it’s crazy,” said Bourdages.
Dion added that European crowds are different than the homegrown audiences she’s accustomed to.
“They’re more into rock music and they’re even more into discovering new bands and especially bands from Canada, Montreal,” she said.
Onstage the women like to explode.
“We go so crazy,” said Dion.
Their summer calendar is filling up with tours and festivals, and in between, Les Shirley are working on their third album.
“When you get like, slammed at work and everything, you’re like, ‘it’s just work,’ but then you’ve got to remember [that] it’s insane and amazing and it’s the best job you could have!” said Dion.
