After garnering interest from media outlets such as Brooklyn Vegan and Exclaim! with the release of the single Beau baptême in May, Population II now announces their next album, Électrons libres du québec, due out October 6th, 2023 on Bonsound. This will be the 100th album to be released by the Montreal-based label. Album launch shows will take place at La Sala Rossa in Montreal on October 5th, and at Le Pantoum in Quebec City on October 10th.
Pre-order/pre-save Électrons libres du québec now.
The album will also be available on a limited edition ‘’Yellow Snow’’ vinyl.
Watch the album teaser via Instagram.
More straightforward than À la Ô Terre, its predecessor released on Castle Face Records back in 2020, Électrons libres du québec is Population II’s sophomore album. On this new effort produced by Emmanuel Éthier, the three-piece band - made up of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/keyboardist Tristan Lacombe and bassist Sébastien Provençal - delivers a heavy, psychedelic rock infused with feverish funk rhythms, a hint of jazz philosophy, a burst of early punk energy, and a love of minor scales that harkens back to the roots of heavy metal. With Électrons libres du québec, Population II showcases once again their sharp sense of songcraft and an undeniable expertise of their instruments. This is an album that effortlessly maintains a balance between challenging compositions and instantly memorable melodies.
Population II will hit the road in the coming days for shows in Burlington, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston. On August 31st, they will also perform at FME in Rouyn-Noranda before returning to the U.S. in September to support Osees in a series of five dates. See the list below or click here for more information.
About Population II
The roots of Population II go back a long way, and are inextricably linked to its members’ teenage memories. After years of jamming to the point of developing a sense of telepathy, the trio began recording a handful of independent releases that soon caught the attention of John Dwyer, leader of the band Osees and founder of the independent label Castle Face Records. Thus was born À la Ô Terre, their first label-released album, which came out in 2020. The band spent the next two years playing shows in Canada and the United States, notably performing at SXSW (Austin, Texas) and Pop Montreal, as well as in Toronto, New York and Quebec City. Population II will return in October 2023 with Électrons libres du québec, their debut Bonsound release.
Shows
19/07/2023 - Burlington, VT - Winooski at Monkey House
21/07/2023 - Philadelphie, PA - Silk City
22/07/2023 - Brooklyn, NY - Alphaville
24/07/2023 - Boston, MA - O’Briens Pub
31/08/2023 - Rouyn-Noranda, QC - Au Diable Rond (FME)
16/09/2023 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall •
17/09/2023 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern •
18/09/2023 - Detroit, MI - El Club •
20/09/2023 - Boston, MA - Royale •
22/09/2023 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw •
05/10/2023 - Montréal, QC - Sala Rossa (Album launch show)
13/10/2023 - Québec City, QC - Le Pantoum (Album launch show) ✻
21/10/2023 - Saint-Hyacinthe, QC - Le Zaricot °
• Supporting Osees
° Double bill with Yoo Doo Right
✻ Double bill with Motherhood