Pascal Brochu Chooses Peace on “No Hard Feelings”

Pascal Brochu stopped at the side of the road to make a note of the idea that became No Hard Feelings. Back home, he sat down at his computer and wrote the lyrics, with the music following that week. The song’s beginnings were spontaneous, but the thought at its centre took longer to arrive: letting go can mean choosing peace without waiting for circumstances to become fair.

For the Oshawa-based artist, that choice grew out of his own experience of personal development. No Hard Feelings approaches disappointment without making resentment its driving force. Plans change and people let you down; the question is how much of that weight to keep carrying. Brochu says, “Some things aren’t worth staying mad about. This song is my reminder of that.” The lyric “Life’s too short for bitterness” puts the same thought plainly, giving the song a phrase to live by beyond the moment of disappointment.

Brochu describes the music as warm, built around a chorus that stays with the listener. That inviting quality gives the message a setting suited to its sense of release. The chorus offers somewhere to return, carrying an idea about forgiveness through the familiar shape of a pop song. His references include Coldplay, Charlotte Cardin, Benson Boone and Sombr, artists he names when discussing the influences surrounding the recording. His search for a sound of his own continued through the making of the song.

Finding the right musical setting required a second attempt. Brochu had made an earlier version, then realised it did not reflect the style he wanted. He travelled to Montréal to record with producer Cartier Préféré, with Félix Blackburn on guitar and Bobby John also helping with production. Working with that team brought the recording closer to the sound he had in mind. The revision is part of the song’s story, allowing its initial impulse to take a more considered form.

Montréal is also part of Brochu’s background. Born there and based in the Greater Toronto Area, he writes in English and French and identifies personal growth among the subjects running through his work. On this single, that broad concern becomes something practical: deciding what to do with feelings that no longer serve you. The writing began with a roadside note, while the recording developed through collaboration and reconsideration.

No Hard Feelings holds onto that sense of learning as it goes. Moving forward is presented as a choice that can be made again, without pretending that disappointment disappears. Brochu directs the song towards the possibility of leaving a grudge behind, with a chorus to keep the reminder close.