Biography
Formed in Quebec City in the early '90s, Les Secrétaires Volantes redefined rock‘n’roll in La Belle Province thanks to their exuberant mix of punk, garage rock, and self-deprecating humour. In 1993, they released the demo tape 100 vingt maux à la minute, now a collector's item. The following year, the band returned with the album Méconium, followed by Thermoplastique in 1996, before splitting up in 1998. Known for their sweaty and glittery shows, Les Secrétaires Volantes, now a cult favourite, paved the way for a generation of bands by successfully combining an attitude and sound often associated with Anglo-Saxon culture with the poetry of French punk.
Formed in Quebec City in 1991, Les Secrétaires Volantes transformed Quebec’s musical landscape throughout the ‘90s, thanks to their exuberant mix of punk, garage rock, glitter, and self-deprecating humour.
The original lineup consisted (roughly) of Jean-Guy Lubrique, who remained the lyricist and main composer, La Poufiasse (vocals), who is also his sister, and Cocktail (vocals). Gourmet Délice (bass), Phil Retors (drums), and Eric Sonic (guitar) gradually joined the band. All had played in local bands before, and they all frequented the same Saint-Jean Street record store, Vinyl.
Their daily lives were similar to any other band around the world: sweating profusely in unsanitary conditions, putting up posters while running away from the police, and feeling pleased as punch whenever they managed to score a local gig. Far from being political, socially engaged, or professional musicians, they stood out thanks to their theatricality and catchy tunes.
In 1993, the group recorded Méconium, but ended up scraping the tapes. This cost them all their savings, but the young musicians learned a valuable lesson: when the recording is bad, the mix won't fix it. They re-recorded the whole album, which finally came out in 1994 via Pinchless Productions (their own label) in collaboration with En Guard (Ripcordz's Paul Gott’s record label), before re-releasing it a year later on Tir Groupé.
Backed by the heavy rotation of the Filles ou garçons ? music video on MusiquePlus (Quebec’s equivalent of MuchMusic or MTV), the album was the band's biggest commercial success, selling around 4,000 copies and propelling them into a vague realm of popular recognition. In those pre-social media days, the band owed its early success to zines, college and community radio stations, and, above all, fans who turned up to see them live.
Live shows were constant in Quebec. Les Secrétaires Volantes also travelled to France in 1995 for the ''Tourisme et destruction'' tour. For a variety of reasons, and with some turmoil, La Poufiasse, Eric Sonic, and Phil Retors left the band.
In 1996, Les Secrétaires Volantes released their sophomore album, Thermoplastique. Even less polished and more irreverent, their new sound was partly due to the arrival of Ken Fortrel on guitar and organ, and Vince Posadzki (who was not even old enough to perform in bars) on drums. With a production deal in hand, they recruited Mike Mariconda (New Bomb Turks, Devil Dogs, Raunch Hands), a big name in garage rock at the time, to produce the record. Soon after the recording session, the band members moved to Montreal.
While the distinctly abrasive sound shift was an aesthetic choice, it arose from the neurotic and exciting state of mind that prevailed on the scene in those years, thanks in particular to bands such as The Spaceshits, Tricky Woo and Demolition.
Following the album release, Les Secrétaires Volantes continued to tour, essentially within Quebec, but also in Ontario, France, and Mexico, where they performed in front of 5,000 people in Guadalajara. However, many fans were no longer following them in this new adventure, and Thermoplastique didn’t sell as well as the previous album. After taking stock of everything they had, including an intense fatigue and some relationship difficulties, the band sank into despair and (with a few dollars short) split up in 1998
The band members realized that, in addition to being talented, they had to work very hard to succeed in this business. They immediately jumped into other projects, including Le Nombre, Caféïne, Call me Poupée, Les Slots Machines, and The Fatals.
Against all odds, Les Secrétaires Volantes gave in to the trend of reunions and performed at the 2005 Festival d'été de Québec. This was a unique opportunity to play with their idol—and major influence—The New York Dolls. They got back together once more in 2008 for Quebec City's 400th anniversary and performed their greatest hits on stage for the very last time.
Although the journey really is now over for Les Secrétaires Volantes, fans still have something to look forward to, as Méconium and Thermoplastique will be released on vinyl for the very first time this fall. The two records will be available in a stunning double LP, featuring previously unseen photos. The remastered albums will also be released on all platforms under the title LES SECRÉTAIRES VOLANTES - LES SECRÉTAIRES VOLANTES.
