Resembling a celebrity can have its perks; getting free things after answering yes to “Oh my gosh! Are you [insert celebrity name here]!?”; good looks (generally speaking), or even writing a song about the similarity and then receiving front page attention from the celebrity themselves.
Partner (Photo by Ian Chew)
Maritime lo-fi punk duo Partner can thank the latter for their growing popularity. After being repeatedly told she looked like fellow-Nova Scotian actress Ellen Page, Joseé Caron wrote a song about it with her bandmate/partner Lucy Niles. “The ‘Ellen’ Page” was that song, and the 2-minute musical burst was noticed by none other than Ellen Page. Page then shared it on her Twitter and Facebook page.
Now, Partner have released the accompanying video for the doppelgänger-track which features Page rocking out in an old audition tape to their song.
You can enjoy the single below, plus read Partner’s letter to the world explaining the inspiration and celebration behind the single. As well, head to their bandcamp page to purchase the track and listen to more of their music.
“I remember it well: it was a cold night in February, almost too cold to go outside. Lucy and I were keeping warm with some cans of Alpine when we heard the news: Ellen Page has come out as a lesbian. We high fived, we hugged, our joy knew no bounds. Maybe we knew it in our hearts all along; to hear it from Ellen herself was so special. She was free.
The light of a soul unburdened can be blinding. We felt it then and we can see it now: Ellen Page is kicking ass, and she’s more herself than ever before. Though the idea for this song wouldn’t strike us for another year after her coming out speech, when it did, it was so easy. We were, and are, still inspired.
This song is intended to be a celebration: a coming out anthem, a source of pride, strength, and joy, a chorus of solidarity. It’s a tip of the hat to Ellen Degeneres, who has done so much to shape the pop culture climate into a place that is safer for many of us, and to Ellen Page who is doing so much good work and making us Maritime lesbians (and lesbians the world over) so damn proud.
There is still so much work to be done, but the fact that we are able to sing this song is a triumph. It is a privilege to have our voices heard, and that privilege is predicated on the long and harrowing history of queer folks of all identities, and especially those with intersectional identities who have faced (and continue to face) realities more complex and dangerous than we can fully understand. We are profoundly grateful to those before us, and ever-mindful of the struggles of those who do not share in our privilege who are working and making art alongside us.
So, if you’re on the same page, this one’s for you.
