Currently, in the midst of recording their latest full-length record, Stefanie Blondal Johnson and Jodi Dunlop spoke with us about their start in music, and giving Harvest Sun audiences an exclusive sneak peek of their brand new tunes.
How did you both get involved in music and how did Mise En Scene begin?
Stef: Jodi and I were both in Fine Arts School when we started hanging out and painting together. I got into music kind of late in my life. I’m self-taught, and taught myself to sing, how to play guitar and write songs. Jodi played in jazz band in high school and played in a punk rock band growing up. When we were both in art school and started painting together, and we started writing songs together. Then we got out of art school and pursued music.
Did you both come from musical families?
Stef: My family has always appreciated music, and I grew up knowing a lot about the history of rock and roll. I’ve always been a major lover of music, but we didn’t have a family band or anything. I started going towards it because it made me feel good. It made me feel great. It felt like being on this cool creative adventure.
Jodi: For me, growing up in Gimli, during the winter there wasn’t a lot for kids to do there, so I got into music and started a band with my best friends to fill the void during winter. Music was always a huge focus in my life to basically try to get through the winters in Gimli.
Tell me about how you developed your alt-pop-rock sound? You mentioned Jodi, you have some history in high school band, and Stef grew up with rock and roll, so how did you come together with all your musical tastes?
Jodi: I don’t think we ever made a conscious decision of what we were going to sound like. Stef has always written poetry and was always into singer/songwriters but also Led Zeppelin. I liked punk and jazz, and so all of our tastes were all over the place. I think that’s what has helped us stay unique is that we’ve never said, ‘we’re going to be pop, or we’re going to be something,’ we just are what we are, and all of our influences have blended together to help us make what we make.
Stef: That’s totally it. We were never going for a specific sound. We just started playing together, and it’s just what happens when we get together. Our influences are very different but also very similar because we have a very inherent understanding of rhythm and music, and when we’re creating something, it's very easy. We’ve tried working with other people, and it’s not always that easy [laughs]. We’re lucky that it’s been that easy.
Do you think that ease comes from just knowing each other for a long time and knowing each other first on a friend level?
Jodi: I don’t know because we actually became friends as adults and have always played music together. We formed our friendship on music.
Stef: Yeah, music, and art. It wasn’t too long after [we met] where we just start playing music together, and all of a sudden we're like, ‘oh! I like that. I like what we’re doing.’ It was different from what Jodi was doing with her other band at the time. It was different from what I was doing with my music at the time. We just kept making little art and music dates. I think we became such good friends because we speak the same creative language. It’s really easy for us to understand each other in other aspects of life because we understand each other creatively.
You’ve been pretty busy after releasing your last album, Still Life on Fire. Can we talk about some of your career highlights since then?
Stef: One of our biggest dreams that ever came true was playing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for Canada Day at the Forks. That was something that was on Jodi and my bucket lists for such a long time. It was just amazing to hear our original work put to the symphony in front of thousands and thousands of people. It was probably the most surreal moment.
So where do you go from there? That’s such a huge thing.
Stef: Oh yeah! It’s a huge thing as far as some of our local Manitoba goals, but we’ve also gone to SXSW in Austin, Texas and that’s a very prestigious tastemaking festival. We ended up playing for the editor of Rolling Stone magazine, which is really cool, but it keeps just getting better and better. We’ve been so lucky with our experiences. We have a lot of great people who believe in us, and our team is really great.
We’re right in the middle of recording. We’re trying to keep it chill, in terms of our performances. Harvest Sun is the only festival we’re doing this summer because we are so busy recording and getting all of our content ready. What’s really exciting is the crowd at Harvest Sun is going to get some new material. We’re going to be playing some of our bangers from before, but we’re going to be playing some new stuff, and we’re really excited to be presenting it to you guys.
Something that’s a known tradition at Harvest Sun is impromptu on stage, collaborations. Is there anyone playing this year that you’d want to do something with?
Jodi: The Veneer girls are going to be there, and we’re friends with them, so that might be cool. Stef and I don’t get to collaborate a lot, but we wouldn’t complain if one of them came on; also Matt Foster is going to be there. And also, Eric Rogers from Slow Spirit if he brought his sax.
Stef: Oh my god! Bring me a saxophone any day of the week. I want more saxophone in my life, so that would be cool.
Catch Mise En Scene at The Harvest Sun Music Festival in Kelwood, MB - August 16 - 18th. Early Bird Tickets are on sale now!
Follow Mise En Scene on Facebook and Instagram. Tune into the Harvest Sun Instagram on July 26th, as the ladies take over our feed and take you through some behind-the-scenes action.
Janet Adamana is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief of Sound, Phrase & Fury Magazine - a Winnipeg-based digital publication dedicated to promoting independent artists and industry professionals from all over the world. More than just about inciting hype, she interviews/writes to capture an artists’ essence and their greatest passions to ignite meaningful connections between fans and really great bands.