June 1, 2010
Laurent Leemans of Ceilí Moss
CEILÍ MOSS is an acoustic folk-rock band from Belgium founded in 1996. “The name came from Ceilí, Irish Gaelic for a party with traditional music, and Moss, the nickname of Alain Mossiat, boss of “L’éblouissant,” the pub in Namur where they learned to deal with stage fright.” Perhaps it is Genevieve Williams from Widdershins who described them best: They are not as punk as The Pogues, but they have a bit of that attitude and it gives them an edge many folk groups lack.
I recently talked to Laurent Leemans vocalist and rhythm guitarist for CEILÍ MOSS about the future of CEILÍ MOSS and what does the band want fans to get from their music.
“…I think once you sent your songs out there in the wild, they don’t belong to you anymore, and the listener should be free to invent his/her own world using them. I would in fact be flattered if someone came to me and told me he found something in our songs we didn’t intend to put there.”
Please introduce yourself.
Laurent Leemans: We are Ceilí Moss, an acoustic folk-rock band from Belgium.
Who are Ceilí Moss, and what instruments and brands do they play?
Laurent Leemans: The band started in 1996, with Benjamin Delforge at the accordion. I Laurent Leemans on vocals and guitar, and Yannick Sterpin playing guitar and harmonica. Over the years, there have been comings and goings I’ll spare you, but today; Ceilí Moss consists of Matthieu Collard (fiddle, a Ladislav F. Prokop from 1924), Stéphane Jalhay (guitars, an Ovation from the ’70s and sometimes he takes out his Strat. Man, he has taste!), Laurent Leemans at the vocals and rhythm guitar (I play on Seagull guitars, an Artist-Studio CW 6-strings, and an S12 12-strings), Thibaud Misson at the double bass (a nearing death ‘Stradivari’-type double bass), Jeremy Pineraat the drums (a Slingerland jazzette and Zildjan cymbals) and finally YvesVan Elst who plays the transverse flute (Mateki) and the pipes (made by a local maker called Remy Dubois) and in whose house we also rehearse.
Who or what inspired you to pick up your first instrument and how old were you?
Laurent Leemans: As for me, and though we hated most of what the other listened too. My father bathed me in music from my youngest years. He was fond of Italian19th century opera and of French chanson (Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens,Michel Sardou…) and the Beatles were the only rock stuff he didn’t think was crap. He was an excellent singer (he actually could have made a more than decent career) and played guitar very well. I sure owe him my hunger for music, and my distaste of confining myself to only one genre.
In 1988, a friend named Jérôme Richardeau convinced me to join the fun-punk band called Moïse et les manches de pioches he and his cousin had founded (I played bass). We were not even able to play a Ramones’ tune, and we did two gigs, but that was great fun. The virus was in. Then in 1990, another pal called Stéphane Platteau (who plays today in Liz Teria) wanted me in his new project as a singer. It didn’t last, but he later spoke on my behalf to a band in Namur who were looking for a singer: La Vierge du Chancelier Rolin (LVDCR).
LVDCR was an arty-avant-garde band with enormous potential. We kicked off in 1992, and immediately drew attention on ourselves. We toured Belgium intensively for 7 years and made three acclaimed records, but we also made psychological (swollen heads issues) and managerial mistakes that led to the end of the band in 1998. The end was bitter, but I owe the 5 other members of LVDCR the chance to become a lot more professional as a singer.
Could you tell me how you all came together as Ceilí Moss?
Laurent Leemans: During a quiet period with LVDCR in 1996, Benjamin (I was at college with his girlfriend) and Yannick (we had met at a concert) offered me to join their folk-band, for fun and free pints. What was just a recreation ended up being the most durable, enjoyable and professional project I’ve been involved in. In this band, I found the perfect balance between the professionalism you need if you don’t want to sound and look like an ass, but with the enjoyment and positive attitude of amateurism in the noble sense.
The name came from Ceilí, Irish Gaelic for a party with traditional music, and Moss, the nickname of Alain Mossiat, boss of “L’éblouissant,” the pub in Namur where we learned to deal with stage fright.
Remembering back to your first time in front of a live audience, what comes to mind?
Laurent Leemans: Dreadful haircuts… And we sounded like crap. We have made progress since. How did we dare step up in front of an audience with so little rehearsals behind us?
What has been Ceilí Moss’ biggest triumph as a band? Greatest challenge?
Laurent Leemans: I think our greatest triumph is to be still alive and kicking. Having fun and having preserved our musical identity and our lack of earnest for 13 years, all with our own sweat. We financed the recording of all our albums ourselves. We never had any subsidy, grant, manager, booking agent, company or any of that parasitical stuff on our backs. We have played the whole of Belgium and established a more than decent reputation as a live act. I hate to be rude, but when I see some bands who seem unable to tune their guitars unless they get some grant by the cultural authorities, I have to sit on my hands otherwise there would be some slapping of faces.
The challenge is that we are now at some sort of turning point in our career. We become a bit too big to handle everything ourselves: booking, management, press, CD and digital distribution, accountancy. OK, we’re still far from being U2, but amateurism shows its shortcomings. Still we feel uncomfortable with making the leap towards hiring an agent, maybe getting a record deal… The coming months will be decisive!
If the whole world were listening, what would you play? And why?
Laurent Leemans: If I was able, I’d love to play “pride (in the name of love)” from U2. As I consider it THE perfect song, but I would make a fool of myself and not do the song justice… I have a special tenderness for “the foggy dew,” an Irish traditional about the 1916, “Easter Rising.” Unlike most patriotic songs, it has a real tragedy content in it, and it speaks not of the abstract nation one is supposed to give everything for, but of the people who chose dignity and freedom, even for short, rather than submission and humiliation.
What do you want fans to get from your music?
Laurent Leemans: We want people to take whatever they want from our music. I hate it when someone tells me how I should listen to his/her music. I hate dogmas in general, and I think once you sent your songs out there in the wild, they don’t belong to you anymore, and the listener should be free to invent his/her own world using them. I would in fact be flattered if someone came to me and told me he found something in our songs we didn’t intend to put there.
What is your favorite song to perform live? Why?
Laurent Leemans: There’s an old tune of ours called “Psychefolk.” It’s as basic as can be, with a drone in C, but we often use it to close the show, and improvise, tease each other, dueling between guitars, or add a rap interlude, or whatever stupid stuff we find on the spot. We made it 12 minutes once. Sometimes we screw the whole thing up totally, but it’s always a good laugh.
If you could, is there a band or artist that you could recommend (Who our readers may not know about, but you think they should.) to our readers?
Laurent Leemans: We Belgians are renowned for chocolate, beers and waffles, but there is a blossoming folk and roots scene, with bands aplenty, and venues and festivals in all major cities. Bands I particularly recommend are; Kadril, AedO, Turdus Philomelos, Laïs, Clochard, Orion, and Omnia (though the latter are actually Dutch).
What are your immediate future plans, releases or gigs?
Laurent Leemans: We have 10 concerts planned in 2010, more should be confirmed for the second half of the year, there is a new album – working title “La Vie Sent Quoi?” (or “life smells what?”) – scheduled for May (with a bit of luck) and I’m also trying to get the word out about my solo album (http://www.myspace.com/laurentleemans for details).
I would like to thank Ceilí Moss and Laurent Leemans for his participation in this interview.
~Denise Smith (interview 2010.04.01)
Ceilí Moss homepage
Ceilí Moss myspace
Ceilí Moss at CDBaby
Buy the album: Laurent Leemans & the Imaginary Friends Ensemble by Laurent Leemans at CDBaby.
Shows for Ceilí Moss
April, 3 2010 08:00 PM – Cabar’Aiche
Salle “Les Calbassis” Place d’Aiche, Aiche-en-Refail (Eghezée), Namur 5310 – 0
Support-act: Claire TasiauxMay, 1 2010 08:00 PM – Uni-Vert Festival
, Petite-Chapelle (Couvin), Namur 5660 – nc
More info asapMay, 7 2010 08:00 PM – MJ Antistatic
Ferme Massart – Chemin Massart, Tubize, Walloon Brabant 1480 – 5€
Org.: http://www.mjantistatic.beMay, 30 2010 04:00 PM – Rencontres de Cornemuses
Ferme du Joncquoy, Arc-Ainières, Hainaut 7910 -http://www.culturecollines.com
June, 19 2010 08:00 PM – Fête de la Musique
Centre Culturel de Hannut, Hannut, Liège 4280 – 0
Avec aussi Pacific, Les Escargots du Dimanche, MJ La Rib et 109 http://www.cchannut.beSeptember, 11 2010 08:00 PM – Rencontres médiévales
, Braine-le-Château, Walloon Brabant 1440 -
More info soonSeptember, 25 2010 08:00 PM – Salle “La Gelbressée”
Rue Ernest Moëns 58, Gelbressée (Namur), Namur 5024 – n.c.http://www.gelbressee.be
October, 15 2010 08:00 PM – La Ferme de l’Ancienne Cure
Rue de l’ancienne cure, 28, Evregnies (Estaimpuis), Hainaut 7730 – nchttp://www.fermedelanciennecure.net
