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Cœur de pirate
Cœur de pirate performing in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Béatrice Mireille Martin
Born	(1989-09-22) 22 September 1989 (age 35) Outremont, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Indie pop folk pop
Occupation	Musician
Instruments	Vocals piano melodica keyboards
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Grosse Boîte Barclay Cherrytree Interscope
Website	coeurdepirate.com
Spouses	Alex Peyrat ​ ​(m. 2012; div. 2016)​ (m. 2017; div. 2018)
Children	2

Béatrice Mireille Martin (French pronunciation: [beatʁis maʁtɛ̃]; born 22 September 1989), better known by her stage name Cœur de pirate ([kœʁ də piʁat]; French for Pirate's Heart), is a Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist. A francophone from Montreal, she sings mostly in French and has been credited in Montreal Mirror with "bringing la chanson française to a whole new generation of Quebec youth."

Career

Early beginnings

Born in the province of Quebec, Martin started playing the piano when she was only three years old. She entered the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal at age nine and studied there for five years.

She is the niece of actor Alexis Martin.

At age 15, she played as a keyboardist in the post-hardcore band December Strikes First, which starred her best friend, Francis, who would later become the subject of the song "Francis" on her debut album. Martin had a brief stint as keyboardist for Bonjour Brumaire from late 2007 to April 2008.

2007–2009: Debut album and first success

In a report broadcast on French television, Martin explained that she chose the name "Cœur de pirate" to appear not "as an isolated musician, but to get a band identity from the start". She initially called herself Her Pirate Heart, but translated the name to French when she stopped writing songs in English. She released her debut album Cœur de pirate on September 16, 2008, on Grosse Boîte. Described as "rather simple" musically, it mostly featured her voice and piano playing along with some minor additional instrumentation.

In February 2009, Martin attracted wider media attention when a photographer from Quebec City, Francis Vachon, used the song "Ensemble" as the soundtrack to a viral video on YouTube entitled "Time lapse of a baby playing with his toys", leading to coverage on Good Morning America, Perez Hilton's website, The Globe and Mail, and elsewhere.

2009–2011: Side projects Pearls and Armistice

In March 2009, Martin released a song in English, "One for Me," under the name Pearls on MySpace. In a later interview she described the project as a joke and said she did not plan to continue it, though she did not rule out the possibility of releasing music in English at a later date.

In June 2009, she made a special appearance on CBC Radio's Q radio show. She performed her single "Ensemble" and a new song, "Place de la République".

Martin performed with Jay Malinowski of Bedouin Soundclash in May 2010 on Q and talked about collaborating with him in the future. She was later featured in a Bedouin Soundclash song, "Brutal Hearts", on the album Light the Horizon. Martin, Malinowski, and several members of the American rock band The Bronx subsequently collaborated on a five-song EP under the band name Armistice, which was released on 15 February 2011.

Martin contributed a new song, "La Reine", to the 2010 edition of CBC Radio 2's Great Canadian Song Quest.

2011 to present

On 27 March 2011, Martin revealed via her Facebook page that she was to return to the studio to commence work on her second album the following day. Her second album, Blonde, was released on 7 November 2011, in both digital and hard copy versions. "Adieu" and "Golden Baby" were released as singles from this LP.

After announcing her pregnancy in February 2012, Martin stopped touring during the second half of the year and gave birth to a daughter in September. In early 2013, Martin returned from her hiatus with a music video for "Place de la République", the first for which she acted as director, and an international tour beginning in March.

In 2013, she recorded music for the fifth season of the Canadian drama series Trauma, with a soundtrack album released on 14 January 2014.

In 2014 she composed the soundtrack for the Ubisoft Montreal's video game production Child of Light. The soundtrack includes a song, "Off to Sleep", sung in English.

In April 2015, she released the single "Carry On" in both English and French. Both versions of the song appeared on her album, titled Roses. The music video for it was filmed in the Ruins of St Raphael's Church, South Glengarry, Ontario.

On 12 August 2015, it was announced by PR Newswire that Martin has signed a record contract with American record imprints Cherrytree and Interscope Records. Upon signing, she made a statement on Facebook: "It feels wonderful to have Cherrytree Records/Interscope Records join the team," "When I first started listening to music seriously, my musical heroes were all on Cherrytree. I'm sure I'll feel right at home. Huge thanks to Martin Kierszenbaum for believing in me. I can't wait to discover what's in store as I embark on this new adventure."

On 1 June 2018, she released the album En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé, her fourth album which also marks the tenth anniversary of her career.

In 2020, Martin was featured as a coach on the eighth season of La Voix. Her final artist, Josiane Comeau, won the season making Martin the winning coach.

On 30 April 2021, she released Perséides, her fifth album.

Collaborations

Martin has appeared in concert with French singer Julien Doré, performing a duet of the Rihanna hit "Umbrella". In 2009 she recorded a new version of her song "Pour un infidèle", with Doré featured as the male vocalist. They appeared together in the video for the song, styled as a 1960s-era celebrity couple.

Martin contributed vocals on "Brutal Hearts", the fourth track on the 2010 Bedouin Soundclash album Light the Horizon. Frontman Jay Malinowski and Martin subsequently collaborated under the band name Armistice, releasing a five-track self-titled album on 11 February 2011. In 2010 Martin also contributed vocals to the second track of David Usher's album The Mile End Sessions, titled "Everyday Things".

She also appeared in Peter Peter's eponymous debut album Peter Peter in the song "Tergivere".

Martin co-wrote the song "Jet Lag" with Simple Plan and a demo was recorded with her voice. The final version was recorded with Marie-Mai. The final version is shorter.

She appears on the track "Voila les anges", a cover of the song recorded originally in 1988 by Gamine on the 2012 album Couleurs sur Paris by Nouvelle Vague.

Martin contributed vocals for "Peace Sign" by Canadian synth-pop artist Lights, on the acoustic version of her 2011 album Siberia, released on 30 April 2013.

Martin also contributed vocals on "Suicide Bomber" and "All This (And More)" on the album "Shape Shift with Me" by punk band "Against Me!"

Martin collaborated on a 2023 remix of "Dernière danse" by the French band Kyo.

Personal life

In July 2009, it was revealed that Martin had been a nude model for the alt-porn website GodsGirls under the name Bea. About 800 naked pictures were featured on the website for many months. GodsGirls removed the pictures at her record company's request when she signed her contract, but the pictures keep reappearing on the web via some blogs and forums throughout the years. Martin always acknowledged that she had done these pictures but never wanted to talk about them before July 2009.

On 29 February 2012, Martin announced on Twitter and Facebook that she was expecting a girl with her fiancé, Alex Peyrat, a tattoo artist. Martin and Peyrat were married later that year on 26 July and their daughter, Romy, was born on 4 September.

On 16 June 2016, in an op-ed for Vice magazine's Noisey, Martin came out as queer as a response to the shooting at Pulse, a gay club in Orlando. The following day, she announced that she was filing for divorce from her husband. At the time, she was known to be in a relationship with Laura Jane Grace, who fronts Against Me!, although they later broke up. Martin and Peyrat remarried in March 2017, but were divorced again in 2018.

On 17 August 2021, Martin announced her second pregnancy with partner Marc Flynn. Their son, Arlo, was born 16 January 2022.

She has publicly revealed having generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD.

Discography

• Cœur de pirate (2008)
• Blonde (2011)
• Trauma (2014)
• Child of Light (2014, soundtrack for video game Child of Light)
• Roses (2015)
• En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé (2018)
• Perséides (2021)
• Impossible à aimer (2021)

Awards

Cœur de pirate received a 2009 CBC Radio 3 "Bucky" award determined by listener votes. Her song "Comme des enfants" received the 2009 "Bucky" award for "Best Reason to Learn French". In 2010, Martin won the International Achievement Award at the Francophone SOCAN Awards in Montreal. Martin won the 2014 Original Light Mix Score, New IP award by National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers for her work on the video game Child of Light.

Félix Awards

The Félix Awards are presented by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois to artists from Quebec. Martin has won four awards from 13 nominations.

Juno Awards

Victoires de la Musique

The Victoires de la Musique is an annual French award ceremony. Martin has won one award from four nominations.

Canadian Independent Music Awards

Martin has been nominated for five Canadian Independent Music Awards, of which she has won one.

References

1. "Amoud d'un soir". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
2. ^ Leijon, Eric (4 December 2008). "Ride the Wave: Coeur de pirate ends her teens on a high note". Montreal Mirror. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
3. ^ Deudon, Benjamin (8 July 2010). "Mathieu Chédid et Coeur de Pirate : au Cœur du Mystère des Francofolies". Sud-Ouest (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2013.
4. Ballingall, Alex (19 April 2012). "Canadians under 25: Here are the ones to watch". Maclean's. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
5. Élizabeth Lepage-Boily, "Coeur de pirate et Alexis Martin en deuil". Showbizz, May 21, 2021.
6. "Télé Matin, France 2, 13 September 2012.
7. "Interview with Coeur de Pirate – a musical mix of Gondry and Jarmusch – indieberlin". indieberlin. 18 April 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
8. "25 best Canadian debut albums ever". CBC Music, June 16, 2017.
9. 88 notes pour piano solo, Jean-Pierre Thiollet, Neva Editions, 2015, p. 202. ISBN 978-2-3505-5192-0
10. Birchmeier, Jason. "Cœur de pirate review". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
11. Dixon, Guy (11 February 2009). "The indie It-girl and a YouTube baby". The Globe and Mail.
13. "Francis Vachon Video that made it Viral". YouTube. 24 January 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
14. Martin, Béatrice (8 December 2009). Interview with Anika Mottershaw. The Line of Best Fit. Accessed on 20 March 2013.
15. "Coeur de Pirate and Bedouin Soundclash's Jay Malinowski Announce Debut EP as Armistice". Exclaim!, 12 January 2011.
16. CBC Radio 3, 12 September 2011.
17. "Cœur de pirate présente le clip officiel de "Place de la République", son nouvel extrait (VIDÉO/PHOTOS)". Quebec.huffingtonpost.ca. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
18. Bondy, Halley (18 January 2013). "Coeur de Pirate Returns, All Grown Up". Mtviggy.com. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
19. "Coeur de Pirate Covers the Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Bon Iver for New 'Trauma' Soundtrack". Exclaim!, 10 December 2013.
20. "La musique de Coeur de Pirate dans un jeu vidéo)" [The music of Coeur de Pirate in a video game] (in French). 22 January 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
21. "Cœur de Pirate dévoile sa nouvelle chanson, "Oublie-moi"". 8 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
22. "Coeur de Pirate Stops to Smell the 'Roses' on New Album". Retrieved 7 August 2015.
23. "Cherrytree Records/Interscope Records Signs Coeur De Pirate (Heart Of A Pirate), Solo Project Of Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter/Pianist Beatrice Martin". PR Newswire. PR Newswire. Interscope. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
24. "Cœur de pirate En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
25. "David Usher – The Mile End Sessions (2010, CD) - Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
26. "Peter Peter – Peter Peter (2011, CD) - Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
27. "Lights To Release 'Siberia Acoustic' In April". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
28. "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
29. Coljon, Thierry (8 July 2009), "Coeur d'enfant dans un corps de femme", Le Soir (Brussels)
30. "Coeur de pirate: difficile d'échapper à un passé olé olé", Le Soleil, 29 July 2009.
31. De Repentigny, Alain (30 July 2009), "Des photos qui font parler", La Presse
32. "Béatrice Martin alias Coeur de Pirate fait le point sur ses photos érotiques". patwhite.coma. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
33. Agence QMI, Cœur de pirate est enceinte (in French). Canoë. 29 February 2012. Accessed 20 March 2013.
34. "Cœur de pirate, bientôt maman… et désormais mariée" (in French). RTL.be. 28 July 2012. Accessed 20 March 2013
35. "Cœur de Pirate, maman d'une petite fille" (in French). quai-baco.com.
36. "I can no longer be scared of what people might think about me.". Vice, 16 June 2016.
37. "Rupture pour Coeur de pirate" (in French). canoe.ca. 17 June 2016. Accessed 17 June 2016
38. "Vogue: Coeur de Pirate Talks About Coming Out as Queer". 15 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
39. Schwartz, Stef (21 December 2016). "Year-End Roundup: Celebrity Breakups That Remind Us That Love Is Still A Lie". Autostraddle. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
40. "Cœur de Pirate: Moins d'un an après son coming out, la chanteuse se remarie avec Alex Peyrat". 20minutes.fr (in French). 1 March 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
41. de la Fontaine, Aliénor (9 December 2020). "Coeur de pirate : la chanteuse à nouveau en couple avec un homme après son coming-out". Public (magazine) [fr] (in French). Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
42. Lapointe, Josée (16 August 2021). "Cœur de Pirate enceinte". La Presse (in French). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
43. Média, Prisma (25 February 2022). "PHOTO Coeur de pirate : la chanteuse dévoile pour la première fois le visage de son fils Arlo - Voici". Voici.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2022.
44. Le Fur, Antoine (19 March 2024). "Cœur de Pirate enceinte". VSD (in French).
45. Martin, Béatrice (30 March 2024). "Cœur de Pirate atteinte de TDAH". Tiktok (in French).
46. "CBC Music". Music.cbc.ca.
47. "21st Annual SOCAN Awards Montreal 2010 – Winners List". Socan.ca. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
48. "NAVGTR Awards (2014)". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
49. Hugues, Bastien (6 March 2010). "Le palmarès complet des 25es Victoires de la musique". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2013.

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Coeur de Pirate interview on YouTube

• 1989 births
• Living people
• Canadian women pop singers
• Canadian indie pop musicians
• Canadian pop pianists
• Canadian women singer-songwriters
• French-language singers of Canada
• Canadian LGBTQ singers
• Canadian LGBTQ songwriters
• Canadian queer people
• Melodica players
• Queer singer-songwriters
• Canadian queer women
• Singers from Montreal
• 21st-century Canadian pianists
• 21st-century Canadian women singers
• Félix Award winners
• 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people
• Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year winners
• 21st-century Canadian women pianists
• Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal alumni
• 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters
• People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• LGBTQ women singers
• Canadian queer musicians