Through pedal steel licks, knee-buckling melodies, and lyrics filled with genuine, unvarnished poetry, Émile Touzin-Deschênes, better known as Spaghatt, has been making his mark on the Quebec country scene since the release of his debut EP, Perte totale, in the winter of 2026. What began as Friday night jams, initially just another good excuse to drink beer, quickly evolved into something more serious. It was at the legendary Montreal venue Quai des Brumes that the crowd’s immediate enthusiasm cemented the interest for this breath of fresh air on the Quebec country scene.
Both on stage and in the studio, the singer-songwriter and guitarist is joined by Patrick Bourdon (guitar, banjo, backing vocals), Xavier Paquette (bass), Olivier Tanguay (drums), Guillaume Scott (pedal steel), Mélisande Archambault (violin) et Melyssa Lemieux (backing vocals, percussion). This is the band that accompanied Spaghatt throughout the 2026 edition of the Francouvertes music contest, where he made it to the semi-finals.
While country and Americana influences lie at the heart of Spaghatt’s sound, both lyrically and musically, he manages to steer clear of the clichés all too often associated with this quintessential genre. Inspired by artists ranging from Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris to Quebec’s own Stephen Faulkner, Spaghatt serves up songs about love, the open road and cash-filled adventures performed with an energy guaranteed to get you moving.
