The not-so-small business of being P’tit Belliveau

After another successful year filled with jam-packed, self-booked shows and the release of his eponymously titled third LP, P’tit Belliveau — his first fully independent studio effort since parting ways with his former label Bonsound — the touring season is finally slowing down. 

When we reached him by phone in early October to discuss his upcoming MTELUS concert and the transition from finding success at home and abroad with the support of a label to taking the reins of his career in hand, we found Jonah Guimond messing around on his guitar and appreciating the calm in his hometown of Clare, Nova Scotia. 

 “Ever since I’ve been doing my own booking, I have more office-type work,” he reflected. “It’s nice to be at the house to catch up on that and also just be in the studio and everything.” 

For Guimond, running P’tit Belliveau as a project, a band and the small business he’s been busy developing is as much about self-sufficiency as it is about creating music.

“For me, it’s practical,” he explained of his decision to go fully indie, which he began by taking on his own tour bookings in 2023. 

“I’m not going to go out there and lose money if I don’t need to, and if I can still do a good job.” 

He’s noticed the contrast in how other signed artists approach touring, often traveling with large teams regardless of venue size, and working with promotions people and other label-appointed help.

“A lot of artists are really deeply in tune with music. It’s almost all they could do in life. The sensitive, deeply in-touch artists — people that are really committed to the music — need a team around them.”

“It’s a different mindset, you know?”

While Guimond says he’s “not the most organized,” he’s comfortable with making big decisions and taking risks in the name of staying on top of his ambitions.

“The business mindset is not something I’m a pro at, but I always knew I could handle it. And for me, it was a good decision and I have no regrets. It’s been good. I don’t know to what degree I would recommend it for most artists.”

“I can go into a booking negotiation without fear. At this point, I still have a small team and delegate the stuff I’m lousy at or don’t want to do. I’m just the chef of this team.”

As ever, Guimond speaks with a mix of common sense and humility. While he didn’t dive deep on the subject, he most certainly deserves credit for keeping P’Tit Bellieau viable not only for himself, but for his longtime accomplices les Grosses Coques, his four-piece touring band, as well the outside help and the studio musicians he occasionally hires. 

Consider the first single and video from P’Tit Belliveau, “Comfy,” which features Guimond’s friend and occasional stage collaborator FouKi, a Quebec superstar in his own right. 

While we didn’t discuss specifics, it’s fair to infer that despite the pair being pals, even the most closely knit industry friendships still require a contract at the end of the day. 

That said, over the past half-decade and change, the creative universe Guimond has been forging with P’tit Belliveau is entirely his own brainchild. 

He described a songwriting process that isn’t about adhering to a specific genre or style, but instead about following what feels right in the moment. 

If a song naturally unfolds as a mix of “broke country with Auto-Tune and an unexpected touch of nu-metal,” Guimond doesn’t resist or overthink it. The real work, he says, is in identifying the unique character of each track early on and then executing it with that vision in mind. That approach allows him to break open his own preconceptions, trusting instinct over structure to let each song emerge as it wants to.

It’s this kind of creative pragmatism that allows Guimond to keep his music financially sustainable and successful in terms of audience appeal, making it possible to tour without dependence on a label’s budget. 

“Even when someone else was bankrolling it,” he said, “it was just practical for me to think that way.”

His choices stem from a hard-earned understanding of business, a sense shaped by both his time working construction as a roofer, and even observing his father’s work ethic.

“I’ve worked for big companies, too, but the work ends up being the same at the bottom,” Guimond reflected. “My dad runs a small refrigeration company, and I’ve seen him plugging away at that kind of stuff my whole life.” 

In that sense, the “P’tit Belliveau Company,” as he offhandedly referred to it, is like any small business, something he manages personally to keep it both creative and profitable.

That approach carries into Guimond’s songwriting process. He cites the philosophy that ‘perfect is the enemy of good’ to describe his belief that a song is better served by instinct than over-refinement, be that in the studio or on stage, where any composition is free to take on a new shape. 

“I don’t want my musicians to be stressed about mistakes. I don’t want them to be stressed about perfection,” he added, describing a stage atmosphere that favours honesty over polish in the pursuit of having fun.

“I’m not trying to introduce concepts so much as raise questions,” he explained, adding that he prefers his albums to have the same eclecticism as a playlist.

His philosophy doesn’t end with the music. Guimond questions the structures that shape conventional career paths, particularly those that leave students financially limited by early debt. 

“It’s messed up that we expect every kid to go straight to university with no break,” he said. The pressure to go directly into higher education locks people into financial obligations that aren’t always necessary. 

“It should be weird to go to university at 18 or 19,” he argued, proposing that a few years of experience would help young people explore options before they commit to debt. 

“If you want to be an engineer or a doctor, go for it, but I’ve avoided debt and live a modest life regardless of how much money I make.”

That avoidance of debt is about more than just financial practicality — it’s about having the flexibility to pursue creative goals without the anxiety of “Plan B” pressures. 

“I think it’s impossible to live a ‘Plan A, don’t look back’ life if you’re burdened with debt and unrealistic lifestyle expectations,” he said. In Guimond’s view, the best way to build a lasting creative life is to set up a foundation that makes it sustainable. 

The balance he’s crafted between pragmatism, creativity and personal conviction even extends to how he approaches relationships, especially in a world where polarized opinions often turn conversations hostile. 

Guimond is vocal about his belief in empathy over absolutes.

“Some people think it’s wrong to be friends with someone who has certain opinions,” he said. “I find that to be a disgusting way of seeing the world, full of hubris.” 

He sees value in open dialogue, in allowing space for perspectives to evolve. “People come to conclusions over time and can change them. How are they going to change if you don’t even talk to them?” 

But for Guimond, staying true to his values matters more than popularity. 

“Wanting to be right is such a toxic goal.”

This grounded approach defines Guimond’s vision for P’tit Belliveau and for the life he’s building around it. By managing his music career with both business sense and a sense of freedom, he’s setting his own terms and offering a version of success that’s as adaptable as it is independent.

When P’tit Belliveau takes the stage at MTELUS later this month, it will be the Acadian talent’s first-ever concert experience at the city’s most storied surviving large-capacity music venue, having never even seen a show there himself.

But for Guimond, it’s just another busy day at the office to look forward to.

“I’ve always been slow at learning, but persistent. It’s not a superpower, but I can end up knowing a lot. I still make a lot of mistakes, and I’m sometimes aware of it,” he offered.

“A lot of artists are perfectionists in a way that paralyzes them. I’m not like that. For me, it’s about identifying the essence of what’s important and prioritizing, always asking, ‘What’s really important here?’” ■

P’tit Belliveau performs at MTELUS (59 Ste-Catherine E.) on Friday, Nov. 22, 8:30 p.m., $40.

This article was originally published in the Nov. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

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