Garcons

We've always taken direct submissions for P&P. It's one of the only ways to make sure we're giving artists a shot to be heard and not only considering the same music that every hired music publicist is emailing to hundreds of other outlets. But keeping up is not easy—we get thousands of emails a week, and most of them are not great. Last week we tried something new by letting artists share snippets on their Instagram Stories and tagging us so we could hear. We had low expectations, but the quality of music was better than any other round of submissions. This one song, the soaring "Ladybug" by Ottawa-based duo Garçons, was an immediate new favorite.

Garçons is Deelo Avery and Julian Strangelove, a pair of collaborators who met at a mutual friend's house that became a sort of hub for creatives in the area. The duo is influenced by classic artists like Nina Simone and James Brown, but inspired by the individuality of more modern acts like Tyler, The Creator and Erykah Badu. They're also equipped with a DIY mentality. They write, record, produce, mix, and master everything themselves, and direct all their own videos. "We are independent," they explain. "Very independent."

"It's hard to say what's next," they say. "You never know what direction things might take. We just try to follow our intuition and focus on writing the best music we can. We want it to be as raw, real and authentic as it can be. Being as human as possible is what we strive for. It’s the foundation of our personalities and the music we make together. We always want to come back to that feeling."—Jacob Moore - Jacob Moore

It’s difficult to classify the genre-explorative sound of the Ottawa-based group Garçons – which is kind of the point. Their music is felt as well as heard, weaving in and out of genres with little resistance and pure finesse. The emerging duo, comprised of musicians Deelo and Julian Strangelove, are fans of originators, artists who are not afraid to stand out: James Brown, Nina Simone, Pharrell, Outkast and Erykah Badu. To no surprise, the unquantifiable characteristic that made the aforementioned artist who they are today is the spear-head of Garçons musical profile; no barriers or stipulations, just music that makes you feel.

Garçons first surfaced with their single, “Numba One” released in May of 2018. Incorporating crisp claps, subtle steel-drum patterns and bright vocals, the eclectic duo revels in an island-like energy. The vibe-teaming sound is a resounding and deceiving introduction into a group whose musical facet goes way beyond one style. Before the single’s release, Garçons shared a brightly colored, charismatic video that successfully aided in introducing the dynamic duo to the world.


A month would pass until Garçons released their second single, “Little Things.” Best described as a sonic embodiment of a disco ball, the duos follow-up record reintroduces the neon-lit roller rink energy of the disco era. This revolving carousel of sound reaffirms the groups commitment to originality and standing out. The obvious familiarity with a wide range of genres expressed on their second single made the anticipation for their third single incredibly grueling.


Switching things up, Deelo and Julian Strangelove decided to slow things down for their third and final single, “Pink Dress.” Focusing on the rosy felicities of love, Garçons paints a mesmerizing picture atop glittery production and soulful serenading. The group’s image-invoking performance, dedicated to “the angel in the pink dress,” is yet another incredibly successful showcasing of their musical range and ability.

Garçons debut EP, Body Language, was shared a few short weeks after their final single in late July of 2018. The debut begins with the aforementioned singles sequenced in the order of their release, each record becoming reborn amidst the 26-minute exhibition. To no surprise, the thematic ideals of originality that birthed the previous releases are fully present throughout the rest of the debut.

“Fly Solo,” the seven-track EP’s halfway mark, is a departure from the groovy arrangements of its predecessors. Deelo uses this gleeful medley-interlude to recount a magical night of bliss, infatuation and future charm. This brief moment of idling preps the stage for the debut’s following record “Hang with Us,” a soft and subtle jazz-infused, bass-thumping production that rides in tandem with the welcoming attitude of the song’s subject matter.


The second to last record on the seven-track EP is none other than the body-rocking orchestration of “Take It Slow.” Backed by Pharrell-reminiscent production and sexy lyricism, Garçons come together to effectively turn up the temperature for its listeners. This masterful concoction is without a doubt the steamiest record on the debut comprised of piercing falsettos, soulful scatting and rumbling bass.

Garçons close their stellar introductory debut with “Morning,” a funk-filled lo-fi ballad that leaves a lingering sweetness. This light-hearted closer brings an end to an incredible body of work. Body Language is a towering affirmation of Garçons’ ideals: be original. The powerful pairing of Deelo and Julian Strangelove is one we are beyond excited to watch flourish.

We had the pleasure to catch up with Garçons about being human, the making of Body Language, and their fanboy love for music.



OTW: First, thank you both for taking the time, I’ve been really excited to catch up with you guys. Let’s start at the beginning, how did you two meet one another?

Garçons: It happened pretty naturally. We were both doing our own things in the beginning and then somehow the universe just brought us together and it’s been dope ever since (laughter).

OTW: It really be like that, for those new to your music, what would you tell them about it?

Garçons: Don’t think, just take it in. We’re not trying to do anything, not trying to be anybody or make people think, it’s up to them. If they take something from the music - whatever that may be - like a certain type of feeling that’s great. We are happy as long as they feel comfortable that’s what’s awesome.


OTW: Well the music is super eclectic, who did you guys listen to that helped shape your artistry?

Garçons: We are both big lovers of James Brown, Nina Simone, Frank Ocean, Outkast, Tribe Called Quest, Pharrell, Bob Dylan and Erykah Badu.

OTW: I find that so cool because not only can you hear those influences in the music but it sounds, at least from what I gather from the music, like they also influenced your decision to remain creatively open minded.

Garçons: For sure! I think if you list all those artists that’s something they definitely share in common. It’s just about being weird, being original and not being afraid to be weird honestly.

OTW: What do you want people to know about you two?

Garçons: We’re just two very normal guys and hopefully people can relate to that. Just be human we’re not special or anything we’re just having fun making music.

OTW: Jumping into the music you guys recently released a new music video for your single, “Froggin,” and before that “Pedigree.” Could we take the new visuals as a sign that new music is on the way?

Garçons: Yeah! We are going to put out another EP - seven songs again - in September sometime and “Pedigree” and “Froggin” are the first two singles. We are hoping those songs represent us coming to terms with our own originality. With the previous project you can see influences on every song and with this one we are really trying to create our own sound, so hopefully those first singles are a good example of that.


OTW: Speaking of Body Language, was there anything you were listening to on the side while making it?

Garçons: That one was special because that was the first time we ever really took the time to work together - we pretty much wrote all those songs in a month in my apartment. The cool thing about it was that there was no Wi-Fi for most part so couldn’t listen to music but it was pretty cool (laughs). It’s hard to pinpoint anything, it’s just everything we were individually listening to at some point mixed in and what came out we thought was dope - stuck with that and just tried to push that sound further and further.


OTW: Being that both of you have experience in production and recording, what was that process like?

Garçons: It’s pretty much back and forth whatever each of us can add to the song at the time we work on it and sometimes he records himself sometimes I record him sometimes he will play an instrument and sometimes I’ll do it. It’s more than me making a beat and he just recording on it. It’s really a process – sometimes it’s slow sometimes fast but it’s never the same - I know a lot of artists say that and it sounds cliché but it really is that way (laughter).

OTW: Besides the new EP that is on the way, should we keep our eyes out for anything else from you guys?

Garçons: A lot of those songs on the upcoming EP will have videos for sure. In terms of tour and all that stuff not really at the moment. We are playing a lot of shows in Toronto and Ottawa and in September we will be in Montreal for the first time. We are very excited about that but right now we are just trying to take it day by day - going with the flow. Really just excited to have people see and hear the new stuff we have coming out.

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OTW: Alright last question, are there any artists you are listening to right now that we should know about? Who are your Ones To Watch?

Garçons: Burna Boy! We are opening for him next week - it’s going to be awesome. Love the new Blood Orange stuff personally and Steve Lacy. We are listening to a lot of our own music at the moment though (laughter) since we are in the process of mixing it but obviously keeping an eye out for other music dropping. Our ears are always open, we love hearing new music and seeing new artists come up and we are both such fanboys - we know so many artists and songs by heart and just big fans of everything. - Chuck Ramos

Ottawa duo Garçons gracefully toes the lines of multiple genres, including funk, soul & R&B, and their most recent single "Pedigree" pulls from strong Afrobeat influences are well.

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Songwriter Deelo Avery explains that he drew inspiration from his Nigerian upbringing and love for Fela Kuti. "His music constantly played in my house, on the TV and everywhere on the radio. It runs in his blood, hence the name 'Pedigree," Avery said of the song and its inspirations to The FADER via email. "It was fun to start there with those elements of funk, jazz, and soul, and develop that into something with our own little original touch."

The video finds Deelo as a school's night janitor who finds himself in all sorts of shenanigans. - SAJAE ELDER

The Canadian duo Garçons is made up of the Nigerian-born singer-songwriter Deelo and his Ontario-born partner, the producer Julian Strangelove. The music they make tips its hat to everything from garage-rock, to leftfield soul, to the West African highlife — but all of it is indebted to the notion of rhythm, and deeply in love with song-form. Their wonderful new seven-song EP, the self released Be Human, fluidly moves from style to style, but all of is hooky like a motherf*cker.



They apparently also like hooks in their dance music, because the DJ mix that Garçons made for AFROPUNK is, like, hit after hit — sexy-ass fun for the weekend. We’ll let them tell you about it — and about themselves.

What are your names and ages? Where are you from? What instruments do you play – or what do you do in the group?
Deelo Avery, Julian Strangelove. Born before 2000s. We both exist on a planet called Earth and reside in Canada, We both play the instrument of life; music, love.

Talk a little bit about how the two of you met and decided to start a band. What did you bond over? What kind of music did you agree you both wanted to make?
Deelo: We met at a mutual friend’s house. The house was a hub. People rolled through, creating and networking. We happened to both be present at the studio one night and kept in touch. We love music and most especially the freedom you can afford yourself, if you are willing, when creating. That’s what we bond over. Our music. We make it how we want.

Julian: I think the best part was that there wasn’t any particular style of music we were trying to make. And it’s still that way these days. It’s much easier to let the song lead you wherever it wants to go, instead of you forcing the song into a box. Letting go of expectations and putting the feeling first is what we bond over.

What are your favorite things about where you are from? Especially when it comes to Black culture of where you are from.
Deelo: I’m from Nigeria, I was not “black” until I was taught I was “black”. In Nigeria nobody cares about your skin.

Julian: For me, I love the people. We’re not afraid of change and we stand up for what we believe is right. Because of Canada I have friends from all around the world, and I’m very proud of that.

If there was one or two core thoughts or ideas that you want your music to convey, what are they?
We both feel the same about this. It’s important for our music to be as real and raw as it can be. That’s about it. We try to let the music flow through us, rather than force it to exist. There’s no superimposed message. We just want to make great music that’s real to who we are.

Do you DJ regularly? Talk a little bit about your DJ roots and influences, and what DJ culture or non-live-music-playing culture means to you.
Deelo: We are starting to get into it. Julian has DJed in the past so he definitely knows his way around the deck. I am starting to get the hang of it. I like the new age DJs. I go dancing quite a bit, so I’m very familiar with how DJs spin.

Julian: I love the underground house music culture. It’s never been about playing hits or whatever is on the radio. It’s about staying true to the rhythm and taking people on a journey. The sun goes down and people gather from everywhere to dance. It’s very spiritual, almost tribal in a way. We’ve been doing for thousands of years.

Talk a little bit about the mix. What’s on it and what did you want to achieve with it?
Julian: There are different generations of music we draw inspiration from, so there’s a long list of songs we would have liked to play. But we did our best to stay true to the art of DJing and played songs that felt right in the moment. DJing is about conducting the room with a feeling. Whatever song can push that feeling further or introduce something new is what should be played next. The audience trusts you, and you’re in control of their emotions. That’s the responsibility you have. - AFROPUNK

The dynamic ability of the Ottawa-based duo Garçons returns with their new seven-track EP, Be Human. Their latest marvel in genre-bending is a towering example of this group’s ability to create freely, disregarding preconceived ideas of what can and cannot be. To no surprise, at least in my opinion, Garçons has successfully delivered another jaw-dropping exhibition of their ever-evolving musical brilliance.

Garçons’ overarching theme of “being human” comes alive in the 25-minute genre-bending expedition of their new EP. Applying the core foundation of the group’s credo, band members Deelo and Julian Strangelove concoct a stellar showcasing of not only their unhinged creativity but their ability to package that sprawling spark into something cohesive. Each record comes to life on this project, from the guitar-led opening of “Ladybug,” the funk-soaked nature of “Firestarter” and electronic pulsating of “Froggin” – there is something for everybody. This commitment to versatility and true unfiltered expression is no easy feat, both members must shrug off the implied pressures of creating music in this industry to remain steadfast in their crusade for authenticity. Groups like these are far and few in between, meaning when you hear something this eclectic you pay attention. Garçons’ attempt to not only showcase who they are as people but musicians can be considered an undeniable success allowing listeners of all musical palates the chance to discover something that stirs them – the only requirement is to be human. Read what the dynamic duo said about their new EP below,

“Every song on the project is so different from the next, and because of that it paints the entire spectrum of our experimentation and moments of self-discovery over the past year. It’s a kind of a full circle moment since the first song we ever made together was called ‘Be Human’. This was years ago before we started the band. There were no expectations, just two kids making music. We wanted to come back to that feeling, regardless of what direction the song took. Being as human as possible is what we strive for – it’s the foundation of our personalities and the music we make together.” - Chuck Ramos