motel void

MOTEL VOID: You’re based in St. Petersburg, Florida. How would you describe the current music scene there? Do you feel that you’re part of it?

CANALSS: St. Pete is really artsy and beachy, and the true St. Pete sound, to me, is like older hippies with no shoes on playing folk songs at beach bars. The younger, indie-rock-adjacent scene really seems to be spread between St. Pete, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota, and hell, even Lakeland, with no one city really taking precedent. When I go out to shows, I see a lot of aging punks and some fresh-out-of-college hipster shoegazers who might be better suited to Brooklyn.
I make music in St. Petersburg, so I guess that makes me part of the music scene. But as far as I know, I have not been super successful in enticing the locals with my music.

MOTEL VOID: Your favorite local venues and artists?

CANALSS: The Bends is my go-to pub/club. There’s not really a stage, and the sound sucks, but all the cool St. Pete artists who dress like me seem to play there. Plus the drinks are cheap and there’s no cover.

I follow this Tampa-based artist on Instagram, CJEANCRY. I’ve never seen them perform live, nor have I even met them in person, but we’re kind of like pen pals, listening to each other’s bedroom projects when we post them. I really like what they’re doing because it seems super DIY and homegrown, which are virtues I strive to embody in my own music. Also, last year I saw this band called Bored Operator play a set to like six or seven people, and the singer was totally in a bad mood over it. It was at this weird sober-space hippie hangout called Roots to Crown as part of St. Pete’s yearly “Lost in St. Pete” music festival. I loved that set. It was super noisy and bratty.

MOTEL VOID: Canalss is a recording project. Any ‘live shows’ plans?

CANALSS: I’m performing down in Fort Lauderdale on May 17. The label that put out “Done Sleeping,” Zerowell Records, is having a book release party that I’ve been invited to play. Sometimes I perform with my friend Austin, who is a kickass accordion and keyboard player. We’ve been known to book local gigs every now and then. Your readers can follow me on Instagram (@j.t.lacroix) for updates.

MOTEL VOID: You’ve just released your sophomore album Done Sleeping. Could you tell us more about the recording and writing process of this record?

CANALSS: I started working full time as a middle school English teacher in Miami. Between working days, I found moments of manic inspiration and recorded more. Most of the time, I would record an entire song over the course of a day and mix it periodically in the following weeks. I often worked on music when I was home sick from my job (working with kids was hell on my immune system). I (mostly) used a single Audio-Technica condenser mic and preset guitar effects in Logic Pro, but a lot of the drum patterns were made on a Korg VolcaBeats and a lot of the synthy parts were created with the help of my Yamaha MX keyboard. The lyrics mostly revolve around life in South Florida. A lot of that has to do with being stressed out over money. Many of the songs are also a bit like love letters to this very unique part of the country. I have my gripes with South Florida, but I would not be who I am without it.

MOTEL VOID: Your biggest inspirations right now?

CANALSS: Gezebelle Garburgably is this 20-year-old artist out of Orlando (I think? Information about her online is scarce, but I watched this really lo-fi YouTube documentary about her). The documentary talked about how she got this sizeable online following when she infiltrated the incel-core songwriter community. Since all these incel dudes just know each other from chatting about their miserable lives online and recording shitty little songs about it, Gezebelle tricked them into thinking she was a guy too by like, pitch shifting her vocals and dressing like a guy when she got in front of the camera. Now they all talk mad smack about her. I could be missing a lot. But I see it as this weird sort of feminist-underdog story for the chronically online. Plus her latest album “Gaburger” is incredible. The vocal performances give Thom Yorke a run for his money.

Also I saw “Enjoy” play a show in Tampa the other night and it totally made me want to pick up my bass.

MOTEL VOID: Your other plans for 2024?

CANALSS: I’d like to see the new Dune movie. And I want to buy a Behringer RD8. And I’d like to master making Cacio a Pepe.