“Windows in the Sky” available on LP once more

Written by Your Favorite Enemies. Posted in News

After quickly selling out the limited-edition gatefold version of Alex’s album “Windows in the Sky”, you have been numerous to ask for a reprint of the album as a double LP. This time, we offer it to you in a hand-printed wide spine sleeve, and on a different color. Also new is a silk-screen printed insert.

When a rock band takes over a church

Written by Your Favorite Enemies. Posted in Interviews

They turned it into a professional recording studio


Jeff Beaulieu, Ben Lemelin, Sef and the other members of the band do their own recording in their studio, which is completely soundproof. 

DRUMMONDVILLE | When the rock band Your Favorite Enemies bought the church Saint-Simon, in Drummondville, they also agreed to respect numerous conditions in the sale contract, one of which the interdiction of turning the church into a topless bar.


The Saint-Simon Church and its presbytery have been sold in 2009.

The members of the alternative rock band, who have often toured internationally, felt at-home when they visited the Saint-Simon Church, which was then on sale. 

After one year of negotiation with religious authoritative figures, the band finally entered an agreement, in 2009, and was able to move in the presbytery and the place of worship that had been desacralized. 

Rules

“It was a super long, never-ending contract. […] We had a lot of rules to follow”, says guitarist Jeff Beaulieu. 

For example, the new owners of the church couldn’t ask for a permanent liquor licence and couldn’t exerce another religion on the grounds. They also needed to remove the huge cross on the rooftop, etc. 

“We needed to saw it. Sparks were flying all over the place […] It seemed out of a Stephen King movie”, does he remember. 


The nave of the church is now used as a rehearsal spot for Your Favorite Enemies. Sound panels have been added to the walls and hang from the ceiling to erase some of the reverberation.

The whole story most definitely lacked in discretion for the 6 musicians who didn’t want to come by as rock stars, especially that their coming to the neighborhood raised some feelings of unease. 

The wind quickly turned in their favor once they started denouncing the illicit activities that were taking place in the church’s parking, at night; prostitution, drug trafficking, car stealing, amongst other things. “We did some kind of a clean-up. […] This is when we got the people’s appreciation”, relates the guitarist. 

The DIY adepts deal their own musical career and share tasks between them. They painted the walls by themselves, in both the church and the presbytery, which they acquired for $200,000. 

In 10 years, they estimate having spent twice as much in needed renovations. A professional recording studio has also been built.

Caroline Lepage 
Sunday, August 18, 2019

Our Studio in Journal de Montréal

Written by Your Favorite Enemies. Posted in News

10 years ago, we bought a church in Drummondville. As a band, we needed a place to relocate. We transformed it into a studio, that we still operate today and where we still record. But a church comes with a history of its own… The story behind ours? A little more in this article in today’s Journal de Montréal (in French)

Read the article