Jessica Cerro, aka pop heroine Montaigne, has released her newest single 'Clip My Wings' and will celebrate with a national tour.
The self-trained singer has also recently released an EP and toured with the likes of San Cisco, Megan Washington and Japanese Wallpaper. “The main lesson I learnt from touring was simply to find what you do best and own it,” Montaigne says.
“I have to figure out what I want to do, because it's easier to do what comes naturally. Megan is so charismatic, which I could never do. San Cisco as a band have this cuteness about them. I have to figure out what I want to do, without copying anyone – it's easier to do what comes natural.”
The role of support act has given Montaigne a look into the life of touring and she'll call upon this experience during her national tour. She's playing plenty of regional centres and festivals, something she's fond of. “I haven't played as many regional gigs as I would have liked to, but when I do it's like playing to a block of neighbours.
"In cities, the crowd are strangers... You really have to put in 100 per cent to keep them interested as a lot of the time, they haven't come to watch you specifically... but in the regional centres, they all know each other.”
Montaigne only considered taking her music further in the last few years. “I've always taken it seriously to an extent because music is important to me, but I never considered it as a career path until recently.”
Montaigne openly embraces 'art-pop', a term her music has been described as. “Strictly speaking, my music is pop. It has the strong melodies, the wide vocal range. It's not totally experimental, but it's not commercial pop; it's a bit different, a bit edgier.”
Montaigne, the name itself, is taken from the 16th century French philosopher Michel de Montaigne. “Firstly, I didn't want my music to be under my own name, I wanted an alias of sorts. Secondly, I think Michel de Montaigne is an excellent person. He was a progressive man who fought the status quo and social norms.”
Most bands have a pre-show ritual to settle nerves and lend some consistency to the touring life. And Montaigne is no different. “My band and I gather in a circle and we do the quack thing from Mighty Ducks,” Montaigne laughs, “Three quacks with our hands in the centre. It's so silly but it's a ritual now.”
Montaigne is looking to begin piecing together her debut LP and is hoping it'll be out by “early next year”. She is also be supporting Boy & Bear on their national tour in the new year.
Written by Conor Hughes
Montaigne Tour Dates
Fri 6 Nov - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)Sat 7 Nov - Goodgod Small Club (Sydney)
Thu 19 Nov - Black Bear Lodge (Brisbane)
Fri 20 Nov - TheGRID (Toowoomba)
Sat 21 Nov - Mullum Music Festival (Mullumbimby)
Sat 28 Nov - Gorgeous Festival (McLaren Vale)
