“De Lioncourt isn’t just a frontwoman—she’s a force of nature. Watching her transition from delicate piano ballads to thunderous protest anthems at Montreal Jazz Festival revealed an artist of remarkable range. Her voice carries both vulnerability and defiance, often within the same phrase.”
“De Lioncourt’s classical training shines through even in her most rebellious moments. During her solo encore at Casa del Popolo, she seamlessly wove fragments of Chopin into original compositions, creating a bridge between revolutionary past and present.”
Formed in the tunnels of Montreal’s Metro system in 2022, Pocket Rochelle has quickly become one of Canada’s most compelling indie-rock acts, blending powerful melodies with revolutionary fervour.
Led by pianist and vocalist Rochelle de Lioncourt, Pocket Rochelle creates music that serves as both personal revelation and call to action. The band—featuring Marie Nguyen (drums), Sophia Durand (violin), Julia O'Neill (bass), and Leah Martinez (guitar)—crafts a sound that critics have compared to “early Joni Mitchell with the edge of Fiona Apple,” creating what Le Devoir called “a thunderous backdrop for de Lioncourt's razor-sharp lyrics.”
Born to French and Vietnamese parents, de Lioncourt’s multicultural upbringing infuses the band’s music with diverse influences, from traditional Vietnamese ca trù to French chanson. After going viral with a Metro station performance of Cohen’s “You Want It Darker,” the band quickly built a devoted following through relentless touring and their unflinching approach to social activism.
Their debut album, “The Path That Takes Us Home” showcases the band’s evolution from underground phenomenon to national voice of resistance. The single “Hold the Line,” written in response to the 2024 Women’s March in Ottawa, has become an anthem at protests across the country.
Despite growing commercial success, Pocket Rochelle remains committed to their roots. When not headlining festivals like Osheaga and Montreal Jazz Festival, they can still be found performing impromptu sets in the same Metro station where they began—a testament to their belief that music belongs to everyone, everywhere.
As de Lioncourt says, “We're building a movement, not just a career. Every song is both a warning and an embrace—a reminder that we need to hold the line together.”
Pocket Rochelle is a fictional band from the world of The Path That Takes Us Home. All information here is from the imagination of the author and should not be accepted as truth. Explore the band’s “Wikipedia” page for more insights or read this blog post about the recording process.