Splendid: So what's all this travelling away from your family like? You sing a little bit about it on Goodnight Nobody.

Julie Doiron: It's kind of a drag that it's happening right now, because technically we were supposed to be in our new house at the beginning of August, so we would have been in it for a little while before I had to go on tour, but that house fell through. So we had to get a different house and going away this much having just moved in isn't really great for the family.

Splendid: Does John have a studio at the house?

Julie Doiron: We have a barn and he's going to insulate a space within the barn, build some walls, and he'll have his studio there -- but he has to wait for me to get back before he can do all of that and start to paint.

Splendid: So how long will you be out on tour?

Julie Doiron: For now, I know that I'll be coming back and forth until the end of November. It began with those four days in France to do interviews with radio and magazines in Paris, but my tour of France will be at the end of October and November.

Splendid: Will you be playing with Herman Dune on that tour?

Julie Doiron: Unfortunately not at Pop Montreal, but I just finished six shows with David from Herman Dune. We did a short tour of southern Ontario.

Splendid: I remember hearing some of the songs over a year ago in Montreal -- it was actually a year ago tonight at Pop Montreal -- but have the songs grown much from their shape on the album?

Julie Doiron: They've changed a lot! I've grown and changed a lot in the last year, and the last week playing with David was great. We played some rockin' songs with just the two of us -- you'd be surprised how we're able to make it work.

Splendid: How do you explain your luck with always being able to find such talented collaborators?

Julie Doiron: I think I only try to collaborate with people that I like, so maybe that's it.

Splendid: I saw you play with Herman Dune in Montreal a couple of years ago -- you came out of your post-childbirth "temporary retirement" to celebrate their North American tour -- so that was my introduction to them. How motivated were you to make sure Goodnight Nobody could be recorded with them? Or did it just happen that you could record an album with them within the schedule you hoped to have a new album released?

Julie Doiron: I definitely wanted to record with them -- that was a conscious decision that I made. And we've toured a lot together in Europe and we had talked about it before, so we both wanted to do it. But I wanted to do it in a really quick manner, so I only booked one day off during our tour -- but in hindsight I should have booked two because then we could have done the whole album. We had time to do eight songs in that one day, then I mixed it in Canada. I think we both really wanted to record together because we love playing live together. They're very inspiring -- they always make me do guitar solos! Every time I play with them. They are teaching me a lot, just in terms of how to relax. I'm so much more relaxed on stage -- and confident.

Splendid: It still sounds like a "Julie album". In terms of instrumentation there are differences, but the overall sound is quite consistent. Was that just a happy accident?

Julie Doiron: Probably. I think it's unavoidable -- it's always going to be me. I think. I don't know, maybe my next record will be totally not a "Julie" album... I'm not sure.

Splendid: Are you at all aware of how you play the guitar? Most listeners familiar with your work could hear the opening bars of any given song and recognize the sound as your own before your voice ever appears. I wonder what your musical background is and if that's why a consistency of style emerges.

Julie Doiron: I don't know how it keeps emerging -- I've been trying to figure it out where it all comes from. I guess I've been thinking about it more because I've been doing a lot of interviews. I'm always at a loss for words to explain it. In terms of musical background, the basis for the reasons I play the guitar the way I do came about when I revisited some classical guitar books that I had when I was sixteen years old. I went back to them when I was twenty-four or twenty-five years old -- I found them in an old guitar case and I decided I would try to learn some of the songs again. That's when I started finger-picking. And now it just comes out like that -- I don't really know where it comes from. I do know that last year I made a conscious decision to try to write a different style of song. I wanted to try strumming a little more and use more major chords in the first position. I wanted to try that because it seemed like I was always making up my own chords. Which is fun, and I love doing and would never stop, but I wanted to try different kinds of stuff...even if it doesn't necessarily sound like it. When I was pregnant with Rose and I took a year off, I was listening to a lot of Bob Dylan records and at that point I decided it was time to start changing my approach.

Splendid: Obviously there are particular songs that focus on family and children, but I've often wondered if you think of the songs in terms of place. Do songs get assigned to places? The new album sounds like winter in Montreal.

Julie Doiron: I agree with that. It definitely was a winter record and that was when most of the songs were written.

Splendid: In the last year you've travelled as far as you've ever travelled. So how was that experience -- I'm thinking specifically of your trip to Japan with Jeremy Gara and Mike Feuerstack.

Julie Doiron: It definitely changed my life at the time. Now it's been a year since I was there so I don't quite feel as overwhelmed by it. I was so excited for eight months after -- I wanted to live in Japan and learn Japanese, and part of me still wants to and I'm excited to think I will go back. Maybe when I do go back I'll feel exactly the same way. It was such an incredible experience. It was so much fun and the people were incredibly nice to us. It was beautiful. And the food was delicious.

Splendid: Did you make new friends? Do you have places to stay whenever you return?

Julie Doiron: Definitely. I'll be looked after by the same people who brought me over last time.

Splendid: What about your experiences in the United States now?

Julie Doiron: I've sort of neglected the States. Last year I was mainly touring in Europe and I toured a lot with Gord Downey, so when we toured in the States it was with his band and not as Julie Doiron.

Splendid: Will you be making an effort to spend time there in support of Goodnight Nobody?

Julie Doiron: I am going this time and as long as all goes well at the border the shows have the potential to be really good. Jagjaguwar is really excited about me spending some time there.

Splendid: Will you be bringing anyone with you or will it just be a solo thing?

Julie Doiron: Actually, I'm touring with Mount Eerie and travelling in their truck, but I will be performing solo for that tour. I was hoping to have Herman Dune with me for the whole tour, but the two brothers are in New York and the drummer is in France staying with his father, so it's just not going to be possible to tour with them at this time. But some day -- they recorded a new album in July, and they invited me over to play bass and sing backing vocals on the whole record. They consider me a member of the band now. (laughs)

Splendid: How do the press in Europe talk about your older records? Do they talk about Eric's Trip? Is there an explanation required as far as the Wooden Stars are concerned? I'm just wondering what those conversations are like.

Julie Doiron: It all depends on who I'm talking with and in what country. In France, they talk about the new record and some of the older ones, but they don't go into any detail about Eric's Trip. The recognition I get overseas is not dependent on the fact I was in Eric's Trip. The interviewers seem to be aware of it but that's not what brought me to their attention.

Splendid: What about the success of the Wooden Stars collaboration? Does it travel well?

Julie Doiron: That does really well in Canada. It's interesting to see the different territories. It seems like a lot of the European people really love what I do solo. It's never been a problem for them, whereas in Canada it seems like if I'm not on stage rockin' out then people just don't get it.

Splendid: Really? Maybe I've just been spoiled in terms of when I see you play, but it's usually a sea of admirers.

Julie Doiron: You're right -- let me explain myself: the eighty people at my Canadian shows love it. (laughs) But all those other people not going is basically because they just don't get why I would want to get on stage solo. I could be wrong, but I know that suddenly with this record people are excited that I did one with a band again. It's getting a good response. I think when I playing solo, people who can really appreciate it love it -- there's no denying that those people have been really great to me. The Canadian music industry has always waited for me to make a record with a band before they've given me any recognition.

Splendid: How do you reflect on the Juno Award? (Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars won the 2000 Juno Award for Best Independent Album -- it's our humble equivalent to the Grammy Award.) Where is it? And what does it look like?

Julie Doiron: (laughs) It's in a box right now because we just moved here. Actually, it's been in a box ever since I got it. But I like it -- I would like to show it somewhere. I think I might give it to my mom and she can put it on her shelf. It's piece of glass with a pewter spiral wrapped around it.

Splendid: Hypothetical question -- if someone were to follow you around with a video camera and make a road movie, would you let them keep all of your stage chatter or would you make them cut it out? Because every time I see you perform you get more and more forceful about how you're going to censor yourself in terms of chatting to the audience, but thankfully you're never able to stick to your word. Have you grown fond of your habit?

Julie Doiron: (laughs) I would leave it in because that's who I am and that's what the shows are. If they were filming a show it would certainly stay in.

Splendid: Does the way you talk about yourself on stage speak to the fact that you're not really a mom first or a musician second, or a musician first and a wife second, et cetera? There seems to just be one person -- is that fair to say?

Julie Doiron: I see myself as all of those things -- but when I'm at home I switch gears and I become "mom". It's rare that I actually get a chance to practice, but I really want to and I'm aching to. That's only because we've just moved and when I'm at home I need to give Jon some time to work on things since I'm away so much. When I'm away I can play whenever I want. Once life is back to normal after the move, I definitely think I'll just sit down at the piano and play -- I really want to get better at piano. I think when I'm home I have to be a mom first, because I'm here and my kids needs me. I can't say, "I just need to finish this song. You can eat later." When I'm on stage I'm certainly a musician but I can't resist talking about my kids.

Splendid: Are the kids taking an interest in music? I assume they are to some degree.

Julie Doiron: Well, do you know what happened this summer?! Ben discovered Nirvana. He'll be ten years old in December. So he loves Nirvana and he loves the White Stripes. Today I told him about a band called "Pavement". (laughs) The lesson this morning at breakfast was Pavement -- he hasn't heard them yet and I finally decided to tell him about them. I didn't ever bring up rock music with the kids -- Jon and I would listen what ever we listen to, but the kids would decide what they like. They like Tom Waits, Hal Gelb and Giant Sand. But this summer he discovered Nirvana on his own with his friends. He's really into rock and he's learning to play guitar. I taught him how to play "Yellow Submarine".

Splendid: I always wondered about that for myself -- whether or not there would be a moment when I'd want to introduce them to the record collection or if it would just be a thing in the corner of the room that they'd investigate on their own one day.

Julie Doiron: I think if you just keep listening to music -- and you don't try to tell them what is cool and they just discover it -- then I works out for the best. Most kids don't want to get into what their (parents) are into, even if it is good.

Splendid: Now you've got the perfect excuse to go out and buy the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain re-issue. I only have a vinyl copy so I don't need an excuse.

Julie Doiron: I just heard it was re-released! Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was a really important record for me and my husband -- we had just started dating at that time. I never bought Wowee Zowee but I was listening to it recently and I would say two-thirds of it is incredible. There are some songs on there that I really want Ben to hear, but unfortunately most of the albums we have at home are on vinyl and our turntable broke. So maybe the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain would be good.

Splendid: I'm sure it happens most often in Canada, but is it strange when interviewers and fans ask you about your children instead of your records?

Julie Doiron: (laughs) No, not really. I always talk about them anyways. I think that the people who've been going to my shows all of these years probably feel that they have the right to ask about them since I've been so forthcoming with the stories. I know a lot of performers don't bring their children into it, but because I'm a chatty person and people see me with my kids when I'm out it just comes up. It's not like I'm famous and I'm talking about my kids all the time. (laughs) They're not going to grow up with the world talking about them. Maybe five thousand people have any idea who I am and that I have children. (laughs) And maybe one-percent of those people might care.

Splendid: Will there be a time when being mother is all that you want to do or all that you have time to do? Or will you always work the effort to involve yourself with music?

Julie Doiron: I think there will always be an effort. There will always be an involvement with music to some degree. But as far as family is concerned I certainly want to start staying at home more often and being on the road less often. That said, I'm still going to need to do a minimum of performances each year to feel fulfilled, but I'm trying to cut it down to really specific events. My husband is such a great painter and he deserves to be painting full-time -- he can't do that if I'm on the road all of the time. So it's his turn, really -- he's devoted the last ten years of his life to supporting me and I feel now is the time for him to be able to work and become known as the wonderful painter that he is. He's bursting at the seams and he really just needs to let it out.

But we're both really coming into our own in terms of knowing who we are creatively, so I think it's an important time for both of us to channel these feelings of strength and confidence. It's an exciting time for us in that way. I'm very comfortable now with regards to music -- I know what I want to do, and I know how I feel, and I'm not getting stressed out about it anymore. I don't care if no one comes out to a show, because I'm not doing shows I don't want to do anymore. And as my children grow older it won't be as difficult -- as they become teenagers and adults they could always travel with me.