FOR a teenage musician who "retired" for two years to his Montreal home with only his mother for company Elliot Maginot has come a long way from Canada, literally and figuratively.
When he was around 18 Maginot sank deeply into his own world of music until he was ready to work full-time work as an entertainer, leading him to Sydney on his first trip to Australia.
"Even now I don't enjoy going out much but it is part of my job — although I'd rather be home on my own," he said.
The singer/songwriter/guitarist, now 27, is embarking on a 15-gig tour along the east coast, including an appearance at the Brass Monkey, Cronulla, on Thursday, January 21.
"I find it hard to describe my music: it has its roots in folk, it is kind of dreamy, folk, pop," Maginot said.
His first album is called Young/Old/Everything.In.Between, into which he said he has put a lot of emotion.
Some of the work has echoes of personal depression. "I suppose almost everyone gets into that kind of mood; it is something you just have to deal with."
Maginot is appearing solo; he usually has a backing band when performing in North America.
His professional name of Elliot Maginot is one he invented to be a long way from his own real one, but he does admit to being the son of French-speaking parents and he himself speaks French.
He laid down the first fragments of his songs on a small and cheap audio recorder, a few snippets of music, scattered choruses and verses which soon became real songs.
Maginot adorned his new tunes with layers of vocals, a mood said to resemble a small cathedral choir. This experiment led to a home recording of his first EP in 2013.
The tracks delved into sensitive and dark folk embracing influences of the likes of Nick Drake and Bob Dylan.
Young/Old/Everything.In.Between is described as "dreamy pop, with lyrics infused with painful love, regrets and dualities".
The album was released in February 2015 to a sold-out crowd at Le National in his home town of Montreal.
His current single in Australia is Monsters At War, an acoustic-led piece crafted by Maginot with help from producer Jace Lasek.
As a songwriter Maginot has discovered he has been able to reinvent himself. The music allows him to choose who he wants to be, with a name chosen without any real reason.
Elliot Maginot, Grace Pitts, Hein Cooper and Shelly Fitzpatrick will appear at the Brass Monkey, Cronulla, 115A Cronulla Street, Cronulla, on Thursday, January 21.
