Set Feux (a.k.a. Toronto based musician, Diana Planche) blends dreamy, sometimes bittersweet, nostalgic pop with lush vocal harmonies, ambient synths, guitars and sax on her debut self titled album, ‘Set Feux’,which released on 19^th April 2024.

Planche spent her formative years singing in church choirs and performing in community theatre productions. After finishing her studies in classical music at Queen’s University, she began writing her own songs, and eventually received an OAC and F.A.C.T.O.R grant to produce her first album released in 2009. In 2010, she joined indie rock band, The Paint Movement (Nevado Music) as a singer/keyboard player, and in 2011 released their self-titled album produced by Dave Newfeld (Super Furry Animals, Broken Social Scene). The Paint Movement toured extensively over Canada opening for bands like Yukon Blonde, Zeus and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. In 2015, Planche toured Europe with Toronto singer songwriter, Barzin. Upon returning from the European tour, Planche began working on new material with long time collaborator, Kevin Kralik (wearenotwhoweare, Mass Paves) and her husband, Barzin (Toronto based singer/songwriter) for what would become, ‘Set Feux’.

The album took over 5 years to complete, recorded in Toronto and Hamilton. The songs explore love, passion, loneliness and the overwhelming desire to unravel the mystery of one’s self. Take for example debut single ‘Say It Again’, a gorgeous reflective track that weaves piano, infectious rhythms and Planche’s stunning airy vocals into a spellbinding nostalgic pop gem to die for.

On ‘Say It Again’, Planche explains, “Sometimes I feel unknown to myself and I’m searching for the world to reflect myself back. The song explores the theme of the multiplicity that exists in all of us. I think when I wrote the song, I was remembering the loneliness I felt in my childhood alongside a close spiritual connection. The song is partly about a longing to recapture some of that.”

Musically, Set Feux’s songs reflect diverse influences, ranging from R ‘n’ B/soul to the pop/folk genres that Planche has been inspired by throughout her life. Her influences range from Debussy to Dusty Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Lauryn Hill, Imogen Heap, Wilco, Feist and Solange. But whilst Planche allows all of these influences to come forth on the album, she maintains her own distinct identity and voice as an artist, honouring the journey she’s taken to get here.

The album was mixed by Howie Beck at his studio in Toronto. Howie is a Canadian musician, mixer and producer. He has been nominated for three Juno Awards in Canada on three occasions for Adult Alternative Album, Engineer of the Year and Producer of the Year (2017). He has produced and/ or mixed albums for The Weather Station, Hannah Georgas, Dragonette, Charlotte Day Wilson and Sarah Harmer. The album was mastered by Joao Carvalho, a grammy nominated mastering engineer, who has worked on albums by some of Canada’s finest artists such as KD Lang, Tanya Tagaq, Buffy St. Marie, Carly Rae Jepsen and Charlotte Day Wilson to name a few.

Can you share the inspiration behind your stage name, Set Feux, and what it signifies for you as a musician.

The name translates to “set fires”. I liked its metaphorical implication, as I’ve had to “set fire” to many things in my life that were no longer serving me. Fire also signifies rebirth, and the potential to create something new from the ashes.

How would you describe the musical journey and evolution that led to the creation of your debut self-titled album?

We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but my mom always thought music was important and managed to buy my older brother and me a small Casio keyboard to start playing on. I distinctly remember the joy it gave me to hit the keys and create something that had come out of my imagination. I didn’t have any clue what I was doing, but a seed was planted and I grew up with the desire to create. When I decided to pursue music as an artist, I was still discovering who I was and what I wanted to say. It took years of singing and playing in various bands, and making albums with others before I was able to hone in on my voice. During that time, I discovered I liked to collaborate with others, as it has a way of igniting my creativity. Barzin encouraged me to write these songs and Kevin helped me to experiment with new ideas on them. We had developed a great working relationship with each other, I trusted their instincts implicitly. When you’re working in that kind of environment, the possibilities are endless and I’m grateful we were able to make something we’re all proud of.

Can you share more on the artists and genres that have inspired your sound, and how these influences come together in your music?

I’ve been influenced by many styles of music throughout my life. My first inspiration came from singing in church and I still find sacred music deeply moving. I think part of it comes from the mystery of faith and that mystery somehow plays out in the music. The songs of Billie Holiday, Dusty Springfield, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush, and Lauryn Hill have all stayed with me over the years. I fell in love with their vocal character and mastery. They all have unique styles, phrasing, and timbre. I wouldn’t say I’m completely conscious of these inspirations when I’m writing, it’s all pretty unconscious really, but if there’s one unifying thread, I’d say it’s my attraction and attention to the human voice. 

The debut album Set Feux took over 5 years to complete. Can you take us through the creative process and the challenges you faced during its production?

I can be quite obsessional when I’m working on something I love, and while it’s great to have the ability to hyperfocus on your work, it can become quite emotionally draining. So, I needed to take breaks and work on other things, which was one of the reasons why the album took five years to make. The past five years have also been filled with a lot of personal growth for me. I got married in 2019 and then not long after there was the global pandemic. We were also trying to start a family and I struggled with the emotional highs and lows that came with that. I sort of went through a bit of an existential crisis. Music became a place of refuge for me throughout this period, and I’d like to think I can look back on things with a little light, knowing that we created something beautiful from it.

How did working with long-time collaborators and your husband, Barzin contributes to the unique sound of the album.

This album was a true collaboration between Barzin, Kevin Kralik, and myself. Most of the songs started on the piano. I’d share an idea or the scaffold of a song with Barzin, and he would encourage me to continue developing it. Barzin anchored this project and was so committed to seeing it through to the end. I am still in awe of his work ethic and determination to create art.

Kevin and I first started playing together in an indie rock band, but we always talked about working on something outside of that. I began bringing the songs Barzin and I had been writing together to Kev, and we started recording them in his home studio. Kev added his unique experimental ideas and slowly, the songs took shape into the sound you hear on the album. I’m sincerely grateful we were able to make this record together, and ultimately, I think the album benefited from all three of our distinct musical personalities.

Can you share a bit about the significance of the lyrics in Say It Again how does it connect to your personal experiences?

“Say it Again” is a song about searching for meaning in your life and looking back to one’s childhood to try and recapture something that was lost. I was very shy and sensitive as a child, which I think inevitably led me to feelings of loneliness. I remember being comforted by my spirituality and there’s a part of me that longs to return to it.

Are there specific songs on the album that hold particularly meaningful stories or emotions for you?

“Don’t stop”. It’s unusual for me to write lyrics quickly, I typically have to chip away at it slowly. However, on this particular night, I was alone in our apartment and I just felt inspired to finish the song. I ended up writing the lyrics and recording the vocals in one shot. The whole process felt a little mysterious to me, but I connected to how the song turned out, a little like a gospel hymn.

With the debut album set for release on April 19th, what can fans and listeners expect from Set Feux in the coming months?

Over the coming months, we’ll be releasing a couple of new singles and music videos from the album, starting with “Jumbotron”. Multimedia visual artist and writer, Ellie Anglin created the video for “Jumbotron” using collage and it’s truly a wonderfully imaginative piece. Followed by the single, “Young and Lonely” and another new music video created by Barzin. I can’t wait to share them.

Watch Say It Again Right Now