Montreal’s Aloysius Bell Writes a Letter to Her Past Self on “That Is Me”

Aloysius Bell (a·lo·wish·us bell) is the alter ego of Winnipeg-born, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Annick Brémault. While her name is a nod to the male pseudonyms of the iconic Brontë sisters, Aloysius Bell is a persona born from intense soul-searching who aims to shed light on murky, in-between spaces.

Born from the interplay of otherworldly realms and her imagination, Aloysius Bell’s debut EP Warm Thing artlessly melds her distinctive songwriting with pop, RnB and electro influences. Produced with multi-disciplinary Toronto artist Driftnote (Korea Town Acid, R. Flex) and mixed by David Plowman (July Talk, Dillan Ponders), Warm Thing is set for release in February 2024.

For Brémault, “That Is Me” highlights the way that she was taught to please – like many other AFAB humans – and in this song she’s reimagining herself the way she wishes she’d been in her 20’s: not wasting time trying to please other people. 

I remember looking above my bed at this painting (by a friend’s mom, the artist Louise Gill) of a woman lying alone on a bed in a dark room and thinking, that is me right now. I was feeling cozy and kind of like nothing could induce me to go out at that point even if I had had somewhere to go. And that reminded me of those times I’ve gone out despite not feeling like it (because FOMO), and ended up disappointed that I wasn’t doing something more fun to me – like napping.