Eye on the Arts: Pat Robitaille
By Josh Kolm
Lance Writer
September 17, 2008
 Windsor’s own folk-rock songster Pat Robitaille’s top priorities are his musical standards.
Putting over 250,000 km on a three-year-old van touring and promoting seems to indicate that.
“I’ve become an unbelievable parallel parker. I want you to put that in the story, I can parallel park like you’ve never seen.”
Robitaille is a rare kind of artist in the sense that he maintains a high level of artistic integrity both in the creation of his music and in utilizing it as a career.
In a fashion that more resembles a DIY punk band than a singer-songwriter, Robitaille is content with remaining totally independent, using only the help of a single tour manager to book shows, fill orders, assemble CDs, and create exposure.
“It’s really hard without the help of any promotion to build a following in a large way,” Robitaille says about his completely autonomous role.
“From a career standpoint, I just want to see how far I can push being an independent musician.”
Robitaille’s independence is not for a lack of opportunity.
“I had an opportunity three years ago to sign to some U.S. labels,” Robitaille said about his experience with the prospect of mainstream exposure.
“I was supposed to hook up with a bunch of other songwriters and do an album. I totally bailed on it. I wanted to do my own thing and that was when I picked up the van and just started touring independently.”
Foremost to Robitaille is ensuring his songs are honest to himself.
“You put yourself into your songs. People will respond if there is an amount of honesty to them.
“The best part about playing music, I find, is creating it. Just sitting and writing a song, that’s what I love.”
Robitaille feels his recently released third album, the emotionally arousing Two Forty Eight, incorporates that sincerity in a way he wasn’t able to do when he started performing.
“I feel like lyrically and musically it’s a lot more honest. It’s totally and wholly me. I was trying a little too hard before to be something instead of just saying something.”
The reaction from crowds shows that there is definitely a response to Robitaille’s music. While thrilled by the crowds and readily available to talk to fans after a performance, he hopes fans find something in him, rather than having to find it for them.
“I don’t think about [getting new fans] too much. Just kind of hope that people will pick up on whatever music I put out there. I don’t go out of my way to try to get new fans or impress old ones.
“I’ve had shows where I play to a packed room of people who’ve never heard me before and buy a whole bunch of records afterwards. That does feel good, too. But people that come up and say, ‘I just saw you and I’m going to buy your record,’ usually what they’re liking is more the atmosphere of the show. The new fans are exciting but it’s a little more surface.”
For Robitaille, it’s about when fans feel as personal listening to a song as he does writing them.
“What’s exciting is when someone comes up to you after a show and says, ‘I’ve just lost someone and your music helped me get through it.’ It’s a different ballgame when someone says they’ve found a connection with your song. That’s more of an emotional thing. It really makes what you’re doing seem worth it.
“That’s the ultimate honour.”
For more information, check out Robitaille online at http://www.myspace.com/patrobitaille/.
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