Lisa LeBlanc

Biography

Lisa LeBlanc is an Acadian singer-songwriter from Rosaireville, a village of 40 inhabitants in New Brunswick, Canada. Born and raised in this small French-speaking community, she was immersed in a family of music lovers and heard classic rock, metal, and traditional Acadian music during family jam sessions, which gave her a strong folk background. She attended l'École nationale de la chanson in Granby, where she honed her craft, and won the International Song Festival of Granby in 2010 for her song "Name Dropping." Her self-titled debut album, released in 2012 and recorded by Louis-Jean Cormier at Studio Piccolo, was written largely from her hometown and during her studies. The album achieved critical acclaim and platinum certification in Canada, becoming the biggest-selling Atlantic Canadian album of the 21st century, and earned her the Prix Félix for Discovery of the Year at the ADISQ awards.

Throughout her thirteen-year recording career, LeBlanc has defied genre expectations by releasing albums in wildly different styles. She initially described her music as "folk-trash," blending country, punk, and banjo-driven arrangements while singing in Chiac—a New Brunswick dialect combining Acadian French with English. Her subsequent albums, including Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted (2014) and Why You Wanna Leave Runaway Queen? (2016), shifted to English-language compositions and expanded her international reach. After taking a break from touring in 2019 to write and travel, she explored work as a music producer, producing albums for Jacques Surette and Édith Butler. In 2022, she returned with Chiac Disco, a critically acclaimed album that earned ADISQ and JUNO nominations, a Polaris Music Prize shortlist spot, and Félix awards for Record Production of the Year and Pop Album of the Year.

LeBlanc's artistry is characterized by her ability to compose rousing, heart-wrenching narratives from everyday tales of love, friendship, and heartbreak, drawing comparisons to Courtney Barnett's sharp wit, Bob Dylan's rambling honesty, and Dolly Parton's sincerity. Her three studio albums have sold over 140,000 copies, and her catalog exceeds 33 million streams across digital platforms. She has toured relentlessly across Canada, Europe, and the United States, performing in venues ranging from intimate clubs to major festivals. Her most recent project, Live Avec L'Orchestre Symphonique De Quebec, showcases her versatility by reimagining her classics with 63 musicians and a full orchestra, demonstrating that the banjo—an integral part of her musical DNA—transcends traditional music boundaries.

Fun Facts

• Lisa LeBlanc comes from a village of only 40 inhabitants in Rosaireville, New Brunswick, making her rise to international stardom particularly remarkable given her remote origins.
• She performs a banjo-shredding cover of Motorhead's metal classic 'Ace Of Spades,' blending her folk roots with heavy metal in an unexpected and crowd-pleasing fusion.
• In 2020, she created a comedic alter-ego named Belinda and released a part-joke, part-tribute EP titled 'It's not a game, it's a lifestyle,' which helped introduce disco elements into her musical evolution.
• Her self-titled debut album became the biggest-selling Atlantic Canadian album of the 21st century and achieved platinum certification in Canada, a remarkable achievement for a debut from a small-town artist.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Louis-Jean Cormier - Producer and recording engineer who recorded her self-titled debut album at Studio Piccolo (Self-titled debut album (2012))
• l'École nationale de la chanson - Educational institution in Granby where she studied songwriting and musical composition (Foundational training for debut album) [2010-2012]

Key Collaborators

• Joseph Donovan - Producer who guided the production of her later work, also known for producing Sam Roberts and The Dears (Albums recorded at Mountain City Studios and Mixart Studio in Montreal) [2014-2016]
• Mico Roy - Guitarist who collaborated on studio recordings (Studio albums (2014-2016)) [2014-2016]
• Benoît Morier - Guitarist, bassist, and co-producer who collaborated on multiple projects (Chiac Disco (2022)) [2014-2022]
• Maxime Gosselin - Drummer in her band (Studio albums and touring band) [2014-2016]
• Sam Roberts - Award-winning singer who provided guest vocals on her work (Why You Wanna Leave Runaway Queen? (2016))
• Jean-Michel Malouf - Conductor who led the Orchestre symphonique de Québec for her live album (Live Avec L'Orchestre Symphonique De Quebec) [2024-2025]

Artists Influenced

• Jacques Surette - Nova Scotian artist whose debut album she produced as part of her work as an artistic director and music producer (Debut album (produced by LeBlanc)) [2019-2020]
• Édith Butler - Legendary Acadian artist whose 25th album she produced, demonstrating her role in supporting established artists (Le tour du Grand Bois (produced by LeBlanc)) [2019-2021]

External Links

• Spotify