Former SCARLET SINS drummer Elie Bertrand, who recently resurfaced with her new band HARBINGER alongside Scarlet Sins bandmate Cristina Bishop, is featured in a new article in the Cape Breton Post. Check it out below.

By Laura Jean Grant

It’s the year of the legends at the 2010 edition of the Cape Breton International Drum Festival and Elie Bertrand, for one, can’t wait to meet them.

Bertrand, from Montreal, is a rising star on the Canadian drumming scene, but also eager to learn from those who have paved the way for her and so many others. In celebration of 10 years of the Cape Breton Drum Festival, some big names are headed to the event at the Savoy Theatre Saturday and Sunday including Dom Famularo, Roxy Petrucci, Denny Seiwell, Alan White, Jerry Mercer, Pete Lockett, Roger McLachlan and Carmine Appice.

“There’s ton of amazing drummers but Carmine Appice has influenced me so much, from pretty much the first moments I first started playing drums because I bought his book and then got really interested in who he was and the kind of music he played,” said Bertrand. “He’s just such a versatile drummer and he specializes in rock and he influenced my playing and my stage presence. I owe him a lot so I’m really excited to finally meet him and see him play live.”

In addition to having role models like Appice, Bertrand credits her family with allowing her to excel in drumming.

“My parents are both musicians. My dad is a percussionist, and I guess I had a lot of energy so I needed something where I could kind of relax and get it all out and one of my uncles had a drum kit over at his place — he was kinda just keeping it for a friend — and I tried it and loved it, absolutely loved it,” said Bertrand. “I begged for drum lessons and my parents were very supportive and they were nice enough to get me a drum kit and get me started.”

Bertrand will be performing for the first time at the Cape Breton Drum Festival, and is also making her first trip to Nova Scotia. After touring Canada over the past few years with different bands including Montreal’s blues band Sensitive Shoes, percussion troop Insolita and Toronto hard rock band Scarlet Sins, Bertrand is now part of a brand new group, Harbinger, based in Montreal. In fact, Bertrand will be joined by her Harbinger bandmates, Cristina Bishop, Jean-Philippe Bourgeois and Bradley Bishop for her drum festival performance.

“This is going to be our first public appearance. We’re definitely going to play hard rock and I think we’re one of the few acts playing as a band so that’s definitely going to be different.”

For more on Bertrand and the band Harbinger, go to harbingerofficial.com.