The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music and produced by Blue Ant Media, has revealed its newest SiriusXM Polaris Cover Session featuring Les soeurs Boulay reinterpreting “Complainte pour Ste-Catherine” from Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s 1976 self-titled album.
Originally written by Anna McGarrigle and poet/songwriter Philippe Tatartcheff, Stéphanie and Mélanie Boulay recorded the song at Montréal’s Studio PM in February 2017.
“It was really a challenge because it’s a particular sound. We were worried about doing the same thing. If we were to do our own version, we didn’t know how to go about it. It took us a lot of time to find our way to do the song. In the end, we’re really happy with the result,” said Mélanie Boulay of the recording.
Les sœurs Boulay’s is the first of three cover sessions planned for 2017 that will feature past Polaris nominees adapting songs from the “hall of fame” albums that have received Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize designation. The sisters made the Polaris Music Prize Long List in 2013 for their album Le poids des confettis. Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s self-titled album earned its Heritage Prize last year in the 1976-85 jury vote category. The two remaining cover sessions will be announced in the coming weeks. All three of these cover sessions will be compiled onto a collectible 10” vinyl record that will be given free to purchasers of 2017 Polaris nominated albums at participating record retail stores in the fall.
Other songs in the cover sessions series, which are also supported by SOCAN and Precision Record Pressing, include Zaki Ibrahim performing Leonard Cohen’s “Show Me The Place,” Whitehorse performing The New Pornographers’ “Bones Of An Idol,” Sarah Harmer performing Caribou’s “Odessa,” Great Lake Swimmers performing Sarah Harmer’s “I’m A Mountain,” Arkells performing Owen Pallett’s “I Am Not Afraid” and Joel Plaskett performing Feist’s “Bittersweet Melodies.”
