Justine Blanchet is a country singer-songwriter hailing from rural Quebec. While young, nothing seems to be out of reach for this rising talent. Her hard work and dedication to her music have earned her opportunities to play at several respected venues and festivals, including “Big Valley Jamboree, RBC Bluesfest, Global News and the Festival Country de Lotbinière where she shared the stage with the Reklaws and James Barker Band.” (Blanchet). She also played at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, located in the heart of Nashville, TN when she was 16 years old. As she recalled, “We were travelling by BB, across the United States on vacation. My parents both called the Bluebird nonstop the whole day in order to get me a spot the same day.” In regards to the nature of the establishment, Justine mentioned, “It’s a super small, crowded place. There was a huge lineup outside the door.” Over the past three years, Justine has also independently released “8 singles which have been played on several Canadian country radio stations. Her songs quickly gained more than 300,000 streams on Spotify and over 1 million views on YouTube. Her single Heartbeat rose to the top 50 Judges’ Choice & Top 10 Teens to Watch of the CBC Searchlight 2020 competition.” (Blanchet). To kick off 2021, Justine released her latest single, “Get out of the Mud” to all streaming platforms and Canadian country radio.
Produced by Yann Belanger (Emerson Drive) and written by Justine herself, Get out of the Mud is an upbeat pop-country tune with a punchy drumline and catchy lyrics. As Justine explained, “Fans of new country music will love the new upbeat track that uses the analogy of a truck stuck in the mud to express a timely message that bad times are not eternal, and the sun always comes out after the rain.” (Blanchet). This point is further emphasized by the lines, “Cause I’m feeling stuck, stuck in the mud, got my truck going in circles and it sucks just how much bad times always feel eternal… But I forgot that when it rains, like it did, it leaves a sunny day.” (Blanchet). In terms of the inspiration behind the song, Justine explained, “the idea for the song came from a dumb idea I had with my brother, about spinning your tires when you’re stuck in the mud. It quickly became something more–it became an analogy for how we are all stuck in the pandemic (in 2020).” (Blanchet). Which makes the song relatable for many during this time, and offers them comfort in knowing they aren’t alone in their struggle.
Recently, Justine released the official music video for the song. The video portrays strong country imagery, with an F-150 taking centre stage. Justine also experienced a first during the video’s production. As she explained, The truck was borrowed from a friend. “I’ve never driven a truck before. It was fun.” As for the creative direction for the video, Justine took the reins and wrote the entire script herself. As she explained, “My songs talk about nature a lot. I wanted to introduce that in my music videos more.” Thus, she and her experienced Montreal-based video team (Le Clic) decided it would be best to film the video locally, during the fall. One of the scenes was filmed in front of a local church that Justine loved the aesthetic of. In addition, the mud scene was filmed after a rainy day, which provided a natural mud puddle for the truck to get stuck in. However, Justine purposefully didn’t want to show the truck getting unstuck and over the rock, and leave that up to the viewer’s imagination.
Justine is also a part of the Quebec country music scene, which puts her in a unique position compared to other country music scenes across the country. As she made clear, it’s all about connection. “The Alberta/Calgary country music scene is where it’s at. That’s where the advantages are. Being in Quebec where country isn’t as popular, there are fewer resources which sometimes puts me at a disadvantage. However, there’s a new wave of Quebec country artists rising, and while it may be a more difficult wave to ride- it will be all the more worth it in the long run.” (Blanchet). With her determination and work ethic, there’s no doubt she will be at the forefront of it.
In 2021, Justine is looking forward to being back on stage (When safely possible), where she can share her new music with her fans through her energetic performances.
Stream “Get out of the Mud” now:
To learn more about Justine and her music, be sure to check out her music & socials:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/justineblanchetmusic/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/JustineBlanchetMusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/justineblmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/justineblanchet
Website: https://justineblanchet.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3e0O0vP
Works Cited:
Blanchet, Justine. Interview. Conducted by Kyla Pearson, Dec. 15 2020.
Stephanographie. “Featured: Canadian country singer-songwriter Justine Blanchet”. Photo courtesy of Justine Blanchet. Accessed Dec. 15 2020.
Blanchet, Justine. “Official cover art for Justine Blanchet’s single, “Get out of the Mud”.” Photo courtesy of Justine Blanchet. Accessed Dec. 15 2020.