Michel Rivard Confronts Mortality with New Album, ‘Afterwards, Where Are We Going?’
A new album from the celebrated Quebecois artist delves into universal questions of life, death, and faith, offering a poignant reflection on a career spanning decades. At 74, and despite recent health challenges, Michel Rivard remains creatively vital, channeling a lifetime of experience into his latest work, Afterwards, Where Are We Going?—a project he describes as “an album that assumes its age.”
Rivard, recovering from a recent knee replacement, approaches the subject of mortality not with fear, but with a quiet acceptance. “I’m recovering, I walk with a cane, but I didn’t want to talk about that,” he explained. “Rather the fact that at a given moment, the end, we must tame it.” This exploration stems from a deeply held belief that death is an inherent part of life, echoing the sentiment expressed by Claude Léveillée in a past song: “When you are born, you already die…”
The album grapples with the biggest questions of all, the uncertainties that lie beyond what Rivard calls “the good weather never seen before.” He acknowledges the comfort some find in faith, admitting a certain envy for their certainty, having himself explored beliefs ranging from Catholicism to Buddhism and atheism. “Arriving at the end, telling ourselves that we don’t have any more answers, we almost come to envy people who have faith, for their certainty.” He observes a paradox in religion, noting how believers often “stone the rest of the world” in the name of their truth, a dynamic he finds both tragic and, at times, darkly humorous.
Despite distancing himself from organized religion, Rivard maintains a deep appreciation for the cultural impact of faith. He reflects on his own upbringing, recalling 14 years spent attending mass and serving as an altar boy. “Culturally, it’s always going to be a part of me,” he says. “I will never lose the thrill of the beauty of works of art created by artists inspired by faith.” He cherishes the aesthetic legacy of religious art, recognizing its role in fostering civilization and shared human experience. He also expresses a fondness for his 1950s Quebecois roots, acknowledging a complex past while affirming its enduring influence on his identity.
Afterwards, Where Are We Going? evolved organically from a contribution to the film Paul in Quebec, where the title track first appeared as closing credits. The song posed fundamental questions—”Then where do we go? / How do we get there? / What do we bring back with us? / What do we leave for the living?”—that ultimately shaped the album’s thematic core. The songs coalesced like puzzle pieces, focusing on time, memory, and the acceptance of life’s inevitable conclusion.
The album’s opening track, “The man who looks like me,” is lauded as a masterpiece, comparable to the most celebrated works of French song. It explores the carefully constructed personas people present to the world, the delicate balance between revealing and concealing. The lyrics—”The man who looks like me / is not quite me / he took my appearance / he took my armor”—offer a profound meditation on self-perception and the complexities of identity.
Rivard emphasizes the importance of connecting with audiences through his art. “We always start from who we are, hoping that we will touch on the universal,” he states. He acknowledges that his songs never reveal the complete truth, but rather aim to please and resonate with listeners. This desire to connect has sustained his career, evidenced by the continued support he receives from fans, both for his classic hits and his newer material, including the 12 songs from The Origin of My Species.
The album’s creation was a collaborative effort, born from guitar-voice arrangements in Rivard’s personal studio and refined with the expertise of François Richard (production and arrangements) and Ghyslain-Luc Lavigne (sound engineer). The instrumentation ranges from minimalist arrangements to lush orchestrations, featuring contributions from musicians playing instruments like the double bass and the ondes Martenot. “It doesn’t follow any fashion, it’s sometimes very minimal and sometimes very orchestrated, it’s my response to the desire to live together in the present.”
The release of Afterwards, Where Are We Going? coincides with the publication of Jean-François Brassard’s definitive biography, A Shame. It’s Well Etched in My Memory. Rivard acknowledges the serendipitous timing, finding a symbolic resonance in the juxtaposition of the album and the book. “Yesterday, at home, without placing them, on the table, there was the book with the famous photo of the group on it, and then there was my album… And for me, it just went wow! This is my path, from yesterday to today. Our living together.”
Ultimately, Afterwards, Where Are We Going? is an album of questions, observations, and acceptance—a testament to a life fully lived and a poignant exploration of the journey towards the unknown, echoing the wisdom of his mentor, James Taylor: “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”
