If you listen closely to Won’t Be Scared, you probably noticed the harmonies that come in at 2:08. Everyone singing backup vocals on this track is family. One of the voices that you may recognize is that of my father, Paul Campagne–and he is a major reason this album has two versions–French and English.

You see, I am actually the third generation of francophone singers in my family. Both my grandparents, Emile and Marguerite Campagne, were vocal advocates of the French language in their native Saskatchewan–and they both independently received l'Ordre des francophones d'Amérique. They believed in the power of music to encourage the french language and my grandfather even recorded his first album at the age of 77. You can listen to my grandfather Pépé singing a traditional French tune from La Bonne Chanson below. That song, titled Mon Chapeau de Paille, is the reason that I reference my grandfather’s chapeau de paille (aka his straw hat) in the first verse of Sparklers and Gin. Likewise, my father, Paul Campagne, followed in their footsteps. He and his sisters formed a French, trad band in the 80s called Hart Rouge (originally called Folle Avoine) and my aunt, Suzanne Campagne, even coined the term Fransaskois–the designation for those who identify as French speakers in the province of Saskatchewan. I am very proud of my French heritage and happy to be able to share it with you.