After unveiling the dark Les chemins this past spring, Safia Nolin returns with Miroir, a song about unrequited love, one of the worst things in the world, according to the singer-songwriter. Je m’excuse de mon corps / Pour mon cœur [I am sorry for my body / For my heart], she sings softly at the beginning of the song before ripping into hard-hitting lyrics that explore the unhealthy report many of us have with our reflection. Also out today: the song Encore, which tackles the sense of abandonment and the impostor syndrome. Miroir and Encore are the second and third singles off Dans le noir, Safia’s second LP of original songs, to be released on October 5th via Bonsound.
Miroir is accompanied by a performance video - a sequence shot directed by Jean-François Sauvé. Watch and share it via YouTube.
Miroir, Encore and Les chemins are available now on all music services.
Miroir is the first song that Safia wrote after recording her debut album, Limoilou, three years ago. It took a new location and almost two years - mostly spent touring - to draft her next track, France. Then, during a creative residency at Alberta’s Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, La neige, Les chemins, Dagues and Le néant poured out of her. The end results is the album Dans le noir, comprised of 13 songs, all written in Safia’s self-described super depressive style (the style that won her the Prix Félix-Leclerc de la chanson, the SOCAN Breakthrough Award, and the Félix for Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2016). Like with Limoilou, this new collection of songs deals with the artist’s failed relationships. Each song reads like a polaroid, revealing and bringing pivotal moments into the light.
Recorded and mixed in eight days at WILD Studio in St-Zénon, Dans le noir is a downer-folk album produced by Safia and her two long-time, much-respected collaborators Joseph Marchand and Philippe Brault. Safia first tested her new tracks with Marchand, Brault and a 4-track, taping them on cassette. A few bits of these experimentations found their way onto the LP (Le néant, the first half of Encore and the intro of La neige), and add an intimate, lo-fi touch. The trio was assisted by Ghyslain-Luc Lavigne for the recording and mixing, and Carlin Nicholson (of the Toronto band Zeus) for the recording. As the only anglophone in the group, Nicholson brought a certain sensitivity to the process by approaching the music as a language in and of itself. The last addition to the team was La Force (aka Ariel Engle from Broken Social Scene, AroarA) who harmonized with Safia on the bilingual duet Lesbian Break-up Song.
The album Dans le noir is available now to pre-order.
Safia’s new tour will kick off on October 18th at Théâtre Outremont, in Montreal, and includes 5 dates in France in December and more than 30 dates across Quebec and Canada. See all the dates below or on safianolin.com.
Tour Dates
11/10/18 Val-Morin, QC // Théâtre du Marais
15/10/18 Lavaltrie, QC // Café Culturel de la Chasse-galerie
18/10/18 Montréal, QC // Théâtre Outremont
20/10/18 Québec, QC // Grand Théâtre de Québec
25/10/18 Toronto, ON // Burdock
01/11/18 Ottawa, ON // Centre National des Arts
08/11/18 Nantes, FR // La Bouche d’Air
11/11/18 Rennes, FR // Antipode
12/11/18 Paris, FR // Point Éphémère
14/11/18 Villefranche, FR // Festival Nouvelles Voix
15/11/18 Châtenay-Malabry, FR // Pédiluve
01/02/19 Alma, QC // Café du Clocher
02/02/19 Jonquière, QC // Salle Pierrette-Gaudreault
09/02/19 Sainte-Thérèse, QC // Cabaret BMO
15/02/19 Sherbrooke, QC // Théâtre Granada
23/02/19 Shawinigan, QC // Salle Philippe-Filion
01/03/19 Rouyn-Noranda, QC // Théâtre du Cuivre
02/03/19 Val-d’Or, QC // Salle Félix-Leclerc
07/03/19 Joliette, QC // Cabaret Telus
08/03/19 Beloeil, QC // Centre Culturel de Beloeil
09/03/19 Maniwaki, QC // Maison de la culture de Maniwaki
14/03/19 Terrebonne, QC // Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne
15/03/19 Victoriaville, QC // Le Carré 150 - Cabaret Guy-Aubert
22/03/19 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC // Cabaret-Théâtre du Vieux-Saint-Jean
04/04/19 Gatineau, QC // Salle Jean-Despréz
05/04/19 Brossard, QC // Le Club Square DIX30
12/04/19 Laval, QC // Salle André-Mathieu
03/05/19 Trois-Rivières, QC // Théâtre du Cégep de Trois-Rivières
10/05/18 Saint-Eustache, QC // Le centre d’art La Petite Église
16/05/19 Saint-Jérôme, QC // Théâtre Gilles-Vigneault
31/05/19 Frelighsburg, QC // Beat & Betterave
26/09/19 Bois-des-Filion, QC // Bière au Menu
27/09/19 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC // Espace RONA du Centre des arts Juliette-Lassonde
28/09/19 Saint-Bruno, QC // Centre Marcel Dulude
03/10/19 Moncton, NB // Théâtre Capitol
04/10/19 Caraquet, NB // Centre Culturel de Caraquet