The Transfixing Melodies of Victrix
Victrix. Photo courtesy of the artist.
It was June 24, 2023 and Sled Island was in full swing. I was at the Palomino to check out the new project featuring Calgary music titan Chris Dadge, called Victrix, led by Micky Jane (referred to as MJ going forward in this piece), and was instantly transfixed. Since that time, Victrix have released the debut EP, called I Saw Me, and it’s one of my favourite releases of the year, a true labour of love for MJ (who wrote every song, as well as sung, and played guitar, keyboards, and synth) and producer Chris Dagde (who played drums, bass and other fun little sonic details, including Dadge playing a janky cable on “Dysfunctional”).
The musical journey for MJ began with a ukulele, a gateway instrument before getting into playing guitar, which she long wanted to play. She ended up starting to play guitar shortly after and gained the confidence to sing and write songs shortly after, with the first song she wrote “I Saw Me,” years later being the name of the first Victrix EP. But I am jumping ahead! MJ described the origin of “I Saw Me” as her getting a melody stuck in her head, and wrote the song from there, thinking it was a one-and-done hobby, as she pursued her main passion of acting (which she acted since the age of 16, including voice acting work in video games). Studying at the University of Calgary for a computer science degree, she decided to pursue a music minor, taking theory courses, which helped her further develop her songwriting skills.
After being referred to by a friend to work with Chris Dadge, they decided to collaborate on the EP together. What was only supposed to be a one week recording session in July 2022, ended up lasting off-and-on from July to April 2023 (with MJ also juggling being a full-time student), both of them putting more time into than they had anticipated, due to being so passionate about the work. The alphabetically-arranged five song I Saw Me ep (with track one titled “A New Thing” and track five being “Zombie”) is both a musical feast for the ears (with numerous fun easter eggs that reveal themselves on future listens) and also a powerful document of MJ’s raw talent. The first song “A New Thing” is, in MJ’s words, “debating about why you are self medicating. Is it for yourself to feel something or to fit in with others or peers?” and that raw emotion comes out in the song. The second song “Do You Know,” deals with, to quote MJ, “betrayal, from someone you loved and someone who took advantage of you and your feelings. The song is an open letter to telling them I am strong despite what happened.” Musically “Do You Know” is the most musically upbeat and catchiest song on the record, as despite the heavy subject matter, the strength and resilience of MJ, of her bouncing back better than ever, comes out in the form of the synth-driven, cheery music, a wonderful, thematically appropriate musical choice for the song.
What makes MJ such an inspiring and wonderful person, beyond being a great artist, is her advocacy for long COVID illness/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, which she has been diagnosed with. These are invisible illnesses that create a lot of fatigue, which she writes about on the Victrix song “Dysfunctional.” MJ explains “Dysfunctional is about living in a dysfunctional body, a cry for help, when doctors can’t or won’t do anything for you, and dealing with people who expect you to get over it or don’t believe you. What I am trying to emphasize is that some illnesses are too big of a burden to carry alone, and some people need support. It's really hard to advocate for yourself at times.” Due to that, she is currently on a break from performing shows, due to how much it takes out of her, the heavy, debilitating crash after performing a show. As she works on getting her body stronger, she continues to be an inspiring force, spreading awareness of events like August 8th being Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Day, shining a light on these invisible illnesses that millions of people like herself go through.
Victrix now has a raft of new songs (previous sets were in the thirty minute range, but in recent months, Victrix have been doing hour-long sets featuring tons of new songs) which MJ will record as their next full-length album very soon. Going back to that June 23, 2023 day (which was the second Victrix gig ever, with the first being in April 2023, opening for Marlaena Moore and Lovelet), it has been so satisfying to witness the rise of Victrix, from supporting Laurence-Anne at Sled Island 2023, to headlining their own Palomino show in December for the I Saw Me EP release, to most recently supporting Juana Molina at the #1 Legion for Sled Island 2024. The confidence that MJ has shown, as the I Saw Me songs get road tested (Victrix on average were playing a show a month this past year), to the audience singing along to the lyrics, and then later adding new songs to the repertoire, it has been gratifying to witness the rise of Victrix in real time and I cannot wait for the next chapter that MJ writes in Victrix’ story.
MJ’s favourite albums: Cabinet of Curiosities by Jacco Gardner. Extreme by Molly Nilsson, Don’t Disturb the Garden by More Like Trees. Brotherocean and Ghost Days by Syd Matters.