Montreal rock band Your ex and I release their debut single, “For All the Loves,” the first track taken from a keenly-awaited upcoming EP to be released early in 2023.
“For All the Loves” captures the exciting potential of the group, one comprising five pals with a very positive personal and musical chemistry. Opening with insistent piano, the dynamic cut integrates interlocking synths and guitars that give it an ‘80s British synth-rock feel, while the dramatic vocals of frontman/keyboardist Danny convey a narrative exploring the end of an affair.
The track is evocatively accompanied by an eye-catching video that incorporates footage from the German horror film Nosferatu, a classic turning 100 this year. The atmosphere it projects fits perfectly with the planned Halloween (Oct. 31) release of the video.
The provocatively-entitled Your ex and I are a band in it all for the right reasons. The five comrades (Danny, Gor, bassist Guillaume, guitarist Frank, and drummer Simon) have all paid their dues playing music or working in music-related fields, and are suitably realistic about their motives and goals. We came together with the right people and the right vibe, so it was ‘let’s all have fun with this,’” notes Danny.
That original organic approach expanded as the band realized the strength of the material they were creating. “When we started jamming and rehearsing around 2018, we weren’t planning an album,” says Danny, “but the more we worked together, the more people heard our tunes and they’d go ‘guys, you have to release this.’”
Simon explains that “we are basically all audio techs and audio geeks, so we were able to record at our homes during lockdown.” As circumstances allowed, intensive rehearsal and recording sessions followed at Simon’s east Montreal studio, La Salle des Machines. “It’s a vintage recording studio with all kinds of rare and old analog gear, tape decks, tube pre-amps etc,” he says.
“The bulk of the records were recorded there,” says Danny. “With the vocals, we wanted to be comfortable, doing it any time of the night we wanted, so we got excellent microphones so we could do it at home during Covid. I used blankets and created a vocal booth in my apartment, so when inspiration hit I’d just do a take of a song there.”
The resulting six self-produced tracks they have recorded demonstrate that this is a group with a coherent and compelling sound and vision. Your ex and I recruited top producer/engineer Pierre Duchesne (Richard Desjardins, Richard Séguin, Kevin Parent) to mix their self-produced tracks.The result is a high fidelity and radio-ready wall of sound that is dark yet danceable, polished yet never too slick. Your ex and I deliver a tasty mix of melody and muscle, as the combination of ‘80’s
synth lines, fat bass hooks and
driving indie rock guitars, and the
skilful use of both vintage analog
and modern instruments and
recording gear is an irresistible one.
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20 | JANUARY | 2023