English transcript of the GENERAL CHAOS : Can't please 'em all episode
Please note : This is an English translation of an automated (yet perfected) AI transcript. It is provided for informational purposes only. While we did our best to capture the vibe, automated tools can sometimes twist spoken words—especially with our local Quebec slang! For official or accurate reference, please consult the original audio episode.
Hugo Lachance: It’s August 10, 2026, coming to you from Café La Ligne Verte in Montreal. You know that I usually host veteran artists, but today I’m welcoming a young group already well-established in the Quebec punk scene. We’re diving back into the energy of youth with General Chaos on L’Album Podcast!
Hugo Lachance: Hello everyone. Before we dive back into the energy of youth with General Chaos, I want to thank the new subscribers who have joined us on YouTube, iTunes, and all other platforms. Come subscribe; you know how it works, we can be annoying with it, but it’s the name of the game. I also want to thank Café La Ligne Verte, which is sponsoring this episode by lending us their space. It’s the new gathering spot in the Centre-Sud, located right in front of the Frontenac metro station. The café specializes in comfort food; it’s a safe and inclusive place where there are comedy shows, jazz, and all sorts of variety.
Hugo Lachance: I also want to thank the Hopera microbrewery, which is also sponsoring this episode. Hopera is a resto-bar on Saint-Dominique Street in Jonquière, but it’s also the "La Shop" factory located in the industrial park, where you can taste their products. They are a fantastic crew and very culturally involved. Thanks to Vlad and his crew. If you like what I do, you can go to www.lalbumpodcast.ca to make a one-time or monthly donation. I would be extremely happy.
Hugo Lachance: So, I’m here with Rémi Jacques, Constantin Blondy, and Aude Deniger. Welcome to L’Album Podcast!
Constantin Blondy: Thanks.
Hugo Lachance: Finally we managed to meet up; we’ve been chasing each other for a long time. Your album, Can't Please 'Em All, was released on May 8th. How has it been going since then?
Rémi Jacques: Well, it’s going very well.
Constantin Blondy: Yes, very well.
Hugo Lachance: Are you playing a lot of shows?
Aude Deniger: Yes.
Hugo Lachance: Cool. While working on my introduction, I looked into the concept of chaos and stumbled upon a quote by Jiddu Krishnamurti, an Indian philosopher from the 60s counterculture. In my opinion, it represents the lyrics and the philosophy of the album well: "The chaos of the world is but the projection of the chaos in each individual." Does that make sense to you?
Constantin Blondy: I think so. I find it fits with the lyrics of the album. We’ll have the opportunity to listen to it track by track.
Hugo Lachance: I also did some research and found an article by Dominic Tardif published in La Presse on September 14, 2023. The introduction read: "Constantin Blondy is full of apologies. At the scheduled time for the interview, the drummer of his band, Rémi Jacques, hasn’t returned from his excursion to the dépanneur. 'He went to get some Kool-Aid,' explains the General Chaos leader." Rémi had finally appeared on his bike with a two-liter bottle of pop and a chocolate bar, but no Kool-Aid. Constantin had told him: "Give me my change back, now." It’s a brilliant introduction, very well written. For old guys like Dominic and me, it’s a bit like returning to our youth. What has changed since that article?
Rémi Jacques: It’s been three years. We don’t drink Kool-Aid anymore, that’s over.
Constantin Blondy: I never drank that much of it. We did it two or three times before shows and they were really good shows.
Rémi Jacques: We’re avoiding cancer; water is better.
Hugo Lachance: Is Rémi still late?
Constantin Blondy: No, I don’t think so, not for reasons like that.
Rémi Jacques: No, no.
Hugo Lachance: You formed when you were 12 or 13, I think?
Constantin Blondy: Yes, 12 years old. Rémi was 13.
Hugo Lachance: Where does the name General Chaos come from?
Constantin Blondy: It was really spontaneous; we just came up with it like that.
Hugo Lachance: You made your first appearances at Pouzza Fest in 2022 and 2023?
Rémi Jacques: Yes, we played the outdoor stage.
Hugo Lachance: Alright, I’m going to introduce you one by one. Rémi, where are you from?
Rémi Jacques: Montreal.
Hugo Lachance: Your childhood album, the earliest one you remember?
Rémi Jacques: It would be something like the first Iron Maiden albums, like Run to the Hills or Piece of Mind.
Hugo Lachance: Your most formative teenage album?
Rémi Jacques: Every Dead Kennedys album, especially Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
Hugo Lachance: Your first instrument?
Rémi Jacques: Drums.
Hugo Lachance: When did you realize that music was going to be fundamental for you?
Rémi Jacques: There wasn’t a specific moment; it’s just always been that way. I’ve always been into music; it’s present in my family too.
Hugo Lachance: Aude, where are you from?
Aude Deniger: From Saint-Hubert, in Longueuil.
Hugo Lachance: Your childhood album?
Aude Deniger: The Avril Lavigne album with the song "Complicated" on it.
Hugo Lachance: Your teenage album?
Aude Deniger: Punk in Drublic by NOFX.
Hugo Lachance: Your first instrument?
Aude Deniger: I played violin for four months, but I moved to bass afterwards.
Hugo Lachance: When did you realize that music would be fundamental?
Aude Deniger: During the summer I was 13. I started going to see more shows at festivals and that’s when I picked up the bass.
Hugo Lachance: Constantin, where are you from?
Constantin Blondy: Montreal.
Hugo Lachance: Your childhood album?
Constantin Blondy: There are several, but I would say In Utero by Nirvana or the first Ramones album.
Hugo Lachance: Your teenage album?
Constantin Blondy: The first Rancid album or Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion.
Hugo Lachance: Your first instrument?
Constantin Blondy: I played piano, but not seriously. I’d say trumpet and flute in elementary school.
Hugo Lachance: When did you realize that music would be fundamental?
Constantin Blondy: I realize it more and more every day, at every show. I realize the place it takes in my life.
Hugo Lachance: We are here to talk about your album Can't Please 'Em All. How did you form in the first place?
Constantin Blondy: Rémi and I started playing together during COVID. I learned guitar during that period and Rémi was already playing drums. We were at the same school, FACE. We picked up a mutual friend to play bass at the beginning.
Rémi Jacques: We had several bassists after that, but Aude has been with us the longest. There was Zoé Chapman before you.
Hugo Lachance: In your discography, there’s the General Chaos demo in 2023, Outta My Way in 2024, and Can't Please 'Em All in 2026. There’s also a reggae EP on iTunes, what is that?
Rémi Jacques: No, that’s a mistake. That’s definitely not us. That’s why you need to buy physical copies!
Hugo Lachance: I want to play the labels game. Stomp Records released a press release saying your style sits between the punch of Rancid, the urgency of Descendents, the energy of Green Day, and the cutting edge of Propagandhi. How would you define the album?
Constantin Blondy: It’s music. It’s straightforward punk. We didn’t try to be original; we just did what we felt like doing.
Hugo Lachance: What are the differences from Outta My Way?
Constantin Blondy: Outta My Way was more of a compilation of all the songs we had at that time. The new album is a whole piece that we composed together.
Hugo Lachance: What was the writing context?
Constantin Blondy: We had several phases. We had planned a pre-production session, but we were missing songs, so we wrote a huge amount in one month. The songs "You Proved Nothing" and "The Idiots Have Taken Over" were composed very quickly just before recording.
Hugo Lachance: How did your signing with Stomp Records go?
Rémi Jacques: We pestered them. Basically, we contacted them for booking, then we asked if they wanted to release our album. They said yes without even having seen us in a show before. The first time they saw us was at Bâtiment 7 for the launch of the first single.
Hugo Lachance: Are you all in Cégep now?
Rémi Jacques: Yes, I’m heading to Cégep de Saint-Laurent for music, in jazz drums.
Aude Deniger: I’m also going to Saint-Laurent for music.
Constantin Blondy: I’m doing a DEP in electricity.
Hugo Lachance: Constantin, you said in the press release that this album is much better than the previous one. What’s the approach to the lyrics?
Constantin Blondy: It’s very impulsive; it often comes out in less than an hour. For example, "200 Yards" was written the day we learned that Charlie Kirk had been shot.
Hugo Lachance: We’ll move on to the album presentation. It was produced by Fred Jacques. How did you come to work with him?
Rémi Jacques: He proposed it to us. Since he’s my father, he gave us a very reasonable price; it was convenient. He got involved from the pre-production stage. We spent two days together listening to the songs and changing stuff.
Hugo Lachance: The recording was done with Ryan Battistuzzi at Le Stuzzio studio. What’s your studio method?
Rémi Jacques: We did drums and bass at the same time, then we added guitars and vocals afterwards. We recorded the album in three days in November, the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Those were big days.
Hugo Lachance: The cover was photographed by Justin and the graphic layout was done by Aude’s mother with you.
Hugo Lachance: On October 6th, I hosted the band Yesterday’s Ring and I did a segment titled "Children." I had asked Rémi and Milan Mudie to ask their fathers questions. Today, I’m doing the "Parents" segment. Rémi, we’re going to listen to the question you asked your father: "What’s the worst situation you’ve been in on tour?"
Fred Jacques (audio clip): "There are several! Once in the States, or maybe out West, I’d had a lot of alcohol and I really had to shit. We stopped on a side road, I opened the back door of the trailer, and I did my business in the trailer triangle. It wasn’t very glorious."
Hugo Lachance: That shows the difference between your generations. You’re sober, you don’t consume?
Rémi Jacques: I don’t consider myself sober in the strict sense, but I’m not a "crackhead." It’s up to each person.
Hugo Lachance: Fred also said he was proud of you. He said: "He’s fucking good on drums, he’s going into jazz." Constantin, your father, Karim Blondy, also left you a message.
Karim Blondy (audio clip): "Constantin, I’m proud of you. If you are where you are, it’s thanks to your efforts. Your parents were able to put you on the path by making you listen to music, but you’re the ones delivering the goods. I know that music has brought us closer. Big kisses."
Hugo Lachance: That was Karim, your father, Constantin. Your father played in The Karlof Orchestra, which did quite well in the underground. Rémi, obviously, your father is Fred Jacques from The Sainte Catherines. Constantin, what does it feel like to hear things like that from your father?
Constantin Blondy: It’s fun. It’s reassuring. I don’t know, these are things I think about too. It’s great.
Hugo Lachance: We’re continuing. We have a message from Éric Deniger, Aude’s father. Listen to this closely.
Éric Deniger (Audio message): Yo! I’m supposed to be making videos with your mother, but you left to climb Mount Saint-Hilaire with her. We were feeling lonely, so I decided to do it with Flucky. It’s almost the same thing. I’m very happy to have you. You had a bass in your hands in fifth grade and you were able to play with the Royal Star band, the extracurricular band. Since then, you’ve made us proud to the max. Before that too, but now we share the same passions and it’s really cool: the shows, the music, it’s sick. Body surfing at MTELUS while you’re singing on stage... Wow! No matter what you do in life, we’ll be there to support you. Forty hours of driving for a forty-minute show at Summerfest at 16, it’s incredible. You decide to go play theater in high school instead of making music? That’s okay. We know music is made for you. We let you go anyway, we support you. It’s great. Don’t give up, we love you a lot. Constantin, sorry, your guitar that we’re going to drop on the stage at MTELUS, it’s serious, excuse me! And Rémi, stop sleeping everywhere in the car, you drool, it’s disgusting.
Hugo Lachance: So, that was Éric, your father, Aude. The reason I did that is because I also work with young people and I find it important to highlight their efforts and work. I think your parents all support you. There’s one last person who left you a message, maybe a better one on video, but anyway. What’s up, General Chaos!
Milan Mudie (Audio message): You guys are tough, you are nice, you are smart. I love you!
Hugo Lachance: That was Milan Mudie! That’s cool, I contacted your parents and we did that in about a day. We’re going to move on to the "One Song After Another" segment. The concept is simple: we listen to a clip and then it’s your turn to talk about the track, the lyrics, or any anecdotes. We start with "You Prove Nothing."
(Clip of "You Prove Nothing")
Hugo Lachance: So, tell me about that song.
Constantin Blondy: It’s one of the tunes we did in two seconds. There’s almost no production on that one. We did it between the pre-production and the recording.
Hugo Lachance: And regarding the lyrics?
Constantin Blondy: It’s pretty instant and self-explanatory. It tells itself.
Hugo Lachance: So it’s one of the tunes done at the last minute. Anything to add?
Rémi Jacques: The pre-chorus sounds a lot like Motörhead, like "Ace of Spades."
Hugo Lachance: Ah yes, I agree! It’s funny, you did that without meaning to. That’s punk rock. We continue with "The Idiots Have Taken Over."
(Clip of "The Idiots Have Taken Over")
Hugo Lachance: Who are we talking about in there?
Constantin Blondy: The title is a nod to NOFX. They said that twenty years ago, but now the idiots have really taken control. We’re talking about American politics, but it’s everywhere in the world with the rise of the right. It worries us. Musically, it’s another song composed quickly, but it’s one of my favorites, maybe even my favorite.
Aude Deniger: I love it too. It was just before Constantin, the skeleton was there but it wasn’t finished for the pre-production. We added stuff after. The back vocals on the whole album stand out well, maybe because I really like Vulgaires Machins; the female presence is cool in there.
Hugo Lachance: The third one: "Zipko." Who is this Zipko?
Constantin Blondy: He’s a real person. I got a book for Christmas 2026 from my uncle called The Bike Riders by Danny Lyon. He followed the Chicago Outlaws, a biker club from the 60s. They are interviews with crazy stories, very worthy of a film. Zipko is one of the characters and the tune is a reformulation of his story.
Hugo Lachance: I think I saw the film, it came out in theaters not so long ago. Constantin, I really like your voice. I find it has changed a lot between the first and the second album.
Constantin Blondy: I recorded all the vocals in one day because we were out of time, we had to finish on Sunday. I sound less like a kid. You can feel a bit of the influence of Tim Armstrong from Rancid.
Hugo Lachance: It’s clearly better than on the first album. It’s interesting because I’m a high school teacher in Ville-Saint-Laurent and I work with secondary 3 and 4 students. I find it cool to be with you today for that. We continue with "Busted."
(Clip of "Busted")
Hugo Lachance: "Busted," it cuts a bit short. What is there to say about that?
Constantin Blondy: It’s a fun tune. It’s not so much a personal tune, but I tended to always be the one who got caught at school. When everyone was doing the same thing, it was always me who paid. Since the beginning of high school.
Hugo Lachance: What kind of student were you?
Constantin Blondy: I was really not good at school. I had issues with the teachers. Growing up, I realize it’s the education system in Quebec that didn’t suit me. Music helped me; playing shows and opening for The Offspring is very rewarding compared to the labels the school put on me.
Hugo Lachance: And Rémi, what kind of student was he?
Rémi Jacques: We were both causing trouble, but I had good grades. In secondary 5, my whole class decided to do whatever at the end of the year. I went on the roof of the school and I got caught; I was the last one to do it while everyone else had done it without getting caught. At the prom, we confessed everything to the administration; they couldn’t believe it. They were really angry.
Hugo Lachance: We continue with "Bon à rien."
(Clip of "Bon à rien")
Hugo Lachance: What’s the story behind that tune?
Aude Deniger: It’s self-explanatory. Constantin had started writing and I added one or two verses. I’m the one singing. It wasn’t planned in advance, but Constantin doesn’t like singing in French that much.
Constantin Blondy: I find it difficult to write in French; it’s not very pleasant to sing either. It lacks a certain attitude that we have in English. You can’t please everyone. But we might try to have one per album; it would be a good idea.
Hugo Lachance: We move on to "200 Yards." The lyrics are quite intense.
Constantin Blondy: We were inspired by the day Trump got shot in the ear. It was instant. Rémi had the riff, and I jammed the bass at home. It’s mind-blowing to experience political moments like that and turn them into a tune; it’s free writing material.
Hugo Lachance: We continue with "No Bullshit."
Constantin Blondy: It’s very direct. It applies a lot to the scene, to superficial bands that do too much. It applies to everything in general.
Hugo Lachance: We continue with "65 Cadillac."
Rémi Jacques: It’s a party tune, very rock’n’roll. It’s the first one we wrote for the album. We already had a demo before Aude arrived; it was Zoé Chapman who composed the base and Aude redid it. There’s a bridge where we all three can be heard; it’s cool.
Hugo Lachance: Next: "Stupid."
Constantin Blondy: It’s subliminal. It targets people who glorify consumption and who think they are better than you because they consume. The intro is very The Clash. It’s not my favorite on the album, it’s a bit flat in a show, but I like the solo a lot.
Hugo Lachance: One I really like: "Trust Anyone." Vera Bozickovic from Taxi Girls sings on it.
Aude Deniger: We wanted a fast hardcore tune. I hummed the riff into my phone so I wouldn’t forget it and I showed it to Constantin. I don’t really play guitar, but I can play power chords. We contacted Vera because we liked her voice; she wrote her own lyrics and the result is great. Fun fact: Vera was my bass teacher and Rémi’s drum teacher.
Hugo Lachance: We continue with "El Bato." A ska tune!
Constantin Blondy: We have a background of ska bands like Operation Ivy or Rancid. We’re on the label of Matt Collyer from the Planet Smashers, so it was the thing to do. My father found the name; basically, it was "Passing the Boat," but during pre-production, Fred was shouting "El Bato" at the beginning of each take. We kept it.
Hugo Lachance: "Junkie Territory." Who wrote that?
Constantin Blondy: It’s me. It’s about the Centre-Sud. There are many junkies who have migrated there since COVID with gentrification. These are skate memories where there were syringes on the ground. Recently, at MTELUS, I saw a guy on the ground, people were trying to wake him up and he wasn’t moving anymore. Ambulances arrived. It’s part of the urban landscape, it’s trivialized, and it hurts to see friends fall into that.
Hugo Lachance: The last one: "Wilder Days."
Constantin Blondy: It’s about consumer society. It’s one of the first tunes we played with Aude in 2024. It’s a good conclusion for the shows.
Hugo Lachance: In closing, what’s coming up for General Chaos?
Rémi Jacques: We have a tour with the Planet Smashers, Mustard Plug, and K-Man & The 45s in September. We have many dates in Quebec and one in Ottawa. We’re really happy to have made this album together; it’s a checkmark on our bucket list.