Sutton's Funky Moped Kids

Funky group of musicians adored in Sutton

above from left to right, Antoine, Etienne and Charlotte
By Nancy Helmuth
They call themselfes "Les Nitrates de Madame Mimieux". "They" are a group of three Sutton musicians, namely Charlotte Paquin-Bichard, Antoine La Mothe and Etienne Hamel. There is a fourth member to the group  but she is not a musician but calls herself "chief cook and bottle washer, Kim Besre. (Who also does many of the groups graphics and photography). The four have been pretty much inseperable for some time, live in the same building in Sutton and practice and perform together.
Their music is a funky blend of completely original lyrics and composition where every member of the group participates in the development of a new song. From pop to neo ballades, they encompass an enchanting variety of styles and textures and what makes every performance of this young group, (they are all 20 years old) charming, is, that every member can play every instrument and they will alternate on the keyboard, the drums, the guitar or the bass. All sing and sing well, all have excellent grasp of their instruments and their coordination is exceptional.
Recently they performed (for free, as a gift to the town  of Sutton), to a large audience in the Salle Pelletier in Sutton,.On July 2, they will play at a venue in Montreal, and at the end of July, they have a gig in Dunham. Theyr first album was recently released to excellent acclaim (at least by their loyal following and some Montreal press).
There is another dimension to the group: They are locally known as the "moped kids". Their hobby is the restoration of vintage mopeds of which they now own eight. They have their own spacious garage and when not practicing music, they can be found tinkering with theyr bikes, which are all in pristine working condition and joyfully used by all four members of this group.

Kim, Antoine and Charlotte in the moped barn
The "company truck" for the "Nitrates" is a 1962 Chevrolet C-10 which they are also currently restoring and which has become a fixture in Sutton. But beyond their musical activity and their love for mopeds, they all work hard at a variety of "day jobs", are highly esteemed by the people in Sutton they come in contact with, because with their openness, friendly demeanour, the absence of drugs and other side effects of a young band, they have made themselfes a well established and much liked facet of the fabric of Sutton.

 Photo courtesy Kim Besre