Coeur de Pirate Sets Hearts Afire at NXNE

Even in a bilingual country like Canada, French-language singers can wind up second-class citizens outside of Quebec. But if anyone is going to break through this linguistic glass ceiling, it is Montreal's petite and heavily tattooed indie-pop pianist Béatrice Martin, who goes by the guise of Coeur de Pirate.

Outfitted in a cocktail dress to croon French chansons at her very first Toronto show for NXNE could have seemed out of place. Especially at the Dakota Tavern, a hipster country bar filled with animal skulls, a low six-inch stage and folks waiting to see hipster country band $100, slated to perform next.

But Coeur quieted the crowd with her pixie-sweet vocal tone, classy Old World arrangements and adorably sarcastic between-song banter -- her impeccable English, peppered with slang like "whatevs," no doubt helped the French songs go down easy.
As did her explanation that, say, a song like 'Printemps' (French for "spring") was about falling in love with a guy at the Vans Warped Tour.

Backed only by an acoustic guitar player/violinist and her own impressive piano skills, Coeur de Pirate ran through a beautiful set of lovelorn songs that hearkened back to France rather than her home province. Then, to top the night off, she closed with a gorgeously stark cover of 'I Kissed a Girl' that made one realize it is Katy Perry, not the song itself, that can grate on the nerves. (Though it would've been cooler if she'd translated the song into French).

Recently long-listed for the Polaris Prize, this quirky and confident 19-year-old, whose stage-name means "heart of a pirate," is fast gaining momentum in Anglo circles. Coeur de Pirate's stunning performance at NXNE will only help spread the word, regardless of the language.

Coeur de pirate || Ensemble from Dare To Care Records on Vimeo.