M for Montreal 2015

M for memory making, for motivating and, oftentimes, for magic. But more than that, M for Montreal stands for M for amazing music. This year the tastemaking music festival and conference, which aims to assist up-and-coming artists not just at a local level, but internationally as well, is pulling out the stops for its 10th anniversary edition.

For four days and nights, November 18-21, well over 100 local and international acts will be showcasing in more than 20 venues around Montréal in tandem with numerous conferences and networking opportunities with recognized music industry heavy hitters. Panels and workshops with specially selected delegates from around the world are a key feature of M for Montreal which, like the city it calls home, aims to strike that perfect work/play balance.

“It’s really special for us to see many of the international delegates and media experience Montréal for the first time,” says M for Montreal programming director Mikey Rishwain. “And we try to build on that by making magic happen between business and pleasure.”

The wizardry this year includes a markedly increased focus on electronic and hip-hop music. This is in addition to, of course, the usual onslaught of leading edge, mostly made-in-Montréal indie bands that M for Montreal has grown a world-renowned brand around.

“There’s something happening in Montréal right now, lots of interesting producers and upcoming rappers and DJs and I think it’s time for us to put a little bit more of a spotlight on that because it’s the future,” enthuses Rishwain. “I’m not saying rock is dead, but we need to highlight these other things more.”

For visiting and homegrown music aficionados alike, Rishwain points to some key, must-see performances, including M for Montreal’s opening night concert featuring buzz bands Milk Bone and The Franklin Electric, November 18, at the magnificent Rialto Theatre in the city’s Mile End district. Also Duchess Says and Chocolat (“Two psych bands that I really like and I’ve never seen them play together on one stage – beer and blood will be spilt”) at Club Soda, November 21, in downtown Montréal’s Quartier des Spectacles. And last but certainly not least, Montréal indie synth-pop phenomenon Grimes, who will play the spacious Metropolis, also November 21.

“Getting Grimes to play during M for Montreal is a big one,” states Rishwain, “and it’s sold out.”

Grimes is a case example of an artist who, like forebears Arcade Fire and innumerable others, felt the pull of Montréal and its immersive and eclectic music scene. There’s something about the city – and it’s not just the cheap rent, though that’s a part of it – that makes it unlike any other, whether you’re following your music muse or programming a music festival.

“I think every artist, creator or anybody who’s a free thinker who comes to Montréal, there’s something in the air that they connect with right away,” says Rishwain. “I remember what it was like to visit Montréal, how good it felt, and how you want to be a part of it. And I love seeing it on the faces of people who come here, whether it’s their first time or their fourth time. There’s something about Montréal that’s very M for Magnetic.”