Today, Laurence-Anne presents a mesmerizing music video for the enchanting Pájaros, a first foray into Spanish for the musician and singer. The song is featured on Musivision, her sophomore record released in April 2021 via Bonsound. The second opus of dream pop, cosmic funk, art rock and synthwave feel set the stage for the young self-taught artist to reinvent herself with a formula that proved to be very successful. Musivision, having been acclaimed by both critics and the public, received, among others, a nomination for Album of the Year - Alternative at the ADISQ gala, the first position on CISM's end-of-year Palmarès Franco, as well as a spot on Le Devoir's list of the 15 best Quebec albums of the year. Laurence-Anne also received the award for Artist of the Year at the GAMIQ.
Laurence-Anne has a particular bond with Spanish and Mexico, where she lived for a year, notably to learn the official language of the country, 10 years ago already. The idea to write a song in Spanish came to her while checking in with her friends in Mexico at the beginning of the pandemic. Pájaros was born shortly after, and eventually producer Jesse Mac Cormack added his touch to it, resulting in a mystical and fascinating song.
The lyrics refer to the situation we were in; a bit nightmarish, being trapped at home, explains Laurence-Anne. "Encarcelada a dentro de mi casa, cada dia se obscurecen las ventanas" (Imprisoned in my house, every day the windows get darker and darker). But also about feeling stuck within ourselves. Living with a secret, or something we are not ready to share with the world. "Existiria otra manera de escapar a lo extraño que tenemos a dentro" (Is there another way to escape the strangeness within us?), concludes the Montreal artist.
Set in a small bar where all the characters seem to have their fair share of secrets, the music video for Pájaros features the musician, who hypnotizes the viewer with her performance and transports them to a dark and somewhat unusual world. Directed by Maïlis and Juste du feu, this production sees Laurence-Anne momentarily abandon the bluish tones to which she has accustomed us to. Warmer tones tending towards a hazy yellow and a lustful red occupy the screen, the muffled atmosphere that emanates from it an echo of the mystery that lurks. I wanted to play with two parallel dimensions so that we wouldn't know which one Laurence-Anne was really in, explains the director of the universe she created for the occasion. The first reality, although strange and futuristic in its own way, is closer to our references today than the second, which is a much darker portrait of the future.
Watch and share the music video for Pájaros via YouTube.
Musivision is available on vinyl, CD and in digital format.
The next few months will be quite busy for the young musician, who will embark on a tour that will take her all over the United States, as she opens for the South Korean band Se So Neon. She will also make a stop in Austin, Texas to take part in SXSW, and will perform a few shows in France, in Paris and Marseille, for the festival Avec Le Temps. Upon her return to Montreal, Laurence-Anne will celebrate the 1st anniversary of Musivision with a unique concert that will see the universe of her album come to life on stage at the Phi Center on April 23rd. For all her show dates, see the list below or visit www.laurence-anne.com.
Tour Dates
07/03/22 Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie (Avec le temps Festival)
11/03/22 Marseille, FR - Makeda (Avec le temps Festival)
14-20/03/22 Austin, TX - SXSW
31/3/22 Brooklyn, NY - The Monarch (First act for Se So Neon)
01/04/22 Washington, DC - DC9 (First act for Se So Neon)
02/04/22 Boston, MA - The Middle East (First act for Se So Neon)
04/04/22 Philadelphie, PA - First Unitarian Church (First act for Se So Neon)
06/04/22 Chicago, IL - Choc Shop (First act for Se So Neon)
07/04/22 Seattle, WA - Substation (First act for Se So Neon)
08/04/22 Oakland, CA - Starline Social Club (First act for Se So Neon)
10/04/22 Los Angeles, CA - 1720 (First act for Se So Neon)
12/04/22 Toronto, ON - The Opera House (First act for Se So Neon)
23/04/22 Montréal, QC - Centre PHI
About Laurence-Anne
Laurence-Anne is a self-taught singer and guitarist who was a teenager when she wrote her first songs. The young woman was inspired by Feist and at first was really drawn towards the minimalist indie folk sound. Once she arrived in Montreal, she started leaning towards a more rock sound. The young woman traded her acoustic instrument for an electric one, and in 2017 landed herself in the Francouvertes finals. Two years later, her first album Première apparition was named on the long list of the prestigious Polaris Prize, and reached the top of CISM’s year-end best-of chart for French albums. The new darling of critics and college radios performed at all of Quebec’s big festivals (Noce, FME, Frimat, FEQ, Festif) and even tested the waters in France (MaMA, Aurores Montréal) before returning home to record Accident, an EP with a touch of punk, indie-pop and tropical vibes. This astonishing, fertile sound exploration has led her to her second full-length album Musivision, out since last April via Bonsound.