Part 1 – Max Bujold

A true phenomenon, after the release of Calvaire in 1997, La Chicane quickly released their first album, En Catimini, and began collecting awards and recognition. Just a few months after leaving their native Abitibi, the young group—made up of Boom Desjardins, Martin Bédar, Christian Legault, Alain Villeneuve, and Dany Bédar—received multiple nominations at the Gala de l’ADISQ, including Revelation of the Year, Group of the Year, Rock Album of the Year, and Song of the Year for Calvaire. They also earned recognition at the Juno Awards, winning Best Selling Francophone Album.

In the fall of 2000, La Chicane released their second album, Disparu, earning the Félix Award for Group of the Year along with three additional nominations. The following year, the album won Rock Album of the Year, again at the ADISQ Awards.

Their third album, Ent’nous autres, was released in the spring of 2003. In July, La Chicane opened for The Rolling Stones in Toronto during a benefit concert supporting the fight against SARS. The event also featured performances by Justin Timberlake, Rush, and AC/DC.

Later, Boom Desjardins left the band and released his first self-titled solo album, which achieved success similar to La Chicane’s early records. In 2006, he was nominated at the Juno Awards for Pop Album of the Year and Artist of the Year alongside Michael Bublé and Diana Krall. Five more albums followed.

In 2017, twenty years after their explosive debut in the Quebec music industry and more than ten years after the band’s breakup, La Chicane announced their long-awaited return to the stage, delighting their many fans with the album and tour 20 ans déjà (“20 Years Already”).

After a highly successful tour, the band returned with a brand-new album, Quand ça va ben, celebrating the group’s 25-year career and its undisputed leader, Boom Desjardins.

In 2024, following record-breaking crowds at major festivals and sold-out additional performances, La Chicane released a new album, Comme le printemps pis l’automne, featuring a refreshed sound closely aligned with current trends and themes. Today, their continued success and loyal fanbase confirm that the group, once a favorite of Quebec audiences in the late 1990s, could never have predicted this unexpected continuation of their story.