We recently announced Myriam Gendron‘s new album, Mayday (due out May 10th via Thrill Jockey & Feeding Tube). That announcement was accompanied by her lead single, ‘Long Way Home‘, on which she was joined by fellow guitarist Marisa Anderson, drummer Jim White (Dirty Three), and Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie.
Today, she is sharing her new single, “Terres brûlées“, sung entirely in French. She is accompanied again by Marisa, Jim and Cédric as well as Bill Nace on electric guitar and loops. She shared the following on Terres brûlées:
“This song represented one of the biggest writing challenges I’ve ever faced. Initially, I had a melody in my head. I came up with a chord progression that I played for days and days, humming my melody, unable to find the words. Obviously, I was dealing with a text in alexandrines. It’s a very intimidating form, associated in my mind with classical or romantic French poetry. I really couldn’t just say anything, I had to pull out all the stops, dare to be lyrical, pretend I was Baudelaire or Léo Ferré! And that’s what I did, letting the symbols take over. The additions of the guest musicians (Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Jim White, Marisa Anderson and Bill Nace) really enriched the song, which became a genuine soundscape. I’m not quite sure what the song’s about: I’d say there’s the idea of a ravaged landscape, a slightly post-apocalyptic atmosphere, but also a force of life that persists and seeks to express itself through the ruins of time. It is perhaps this force that has guided me over the past year. A few months after writing the song, the news of the fires ravaging Canada cast a different light on the lyrics. It seems that words always escape us.”
Stream the single and Pre-order Mayday here: https://myriamgendron.komi.io/
Myriam Gendron Tour Dates
Mar. 22 – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival
Apr. 2 – Minneapolis, MN – The Cedar
Apr. 4 – Rock Island, IL – Rozz Tox
Apr. 5 – Milwaukee, WI – Wilson Center
Apr. 6 – Chicago, IL – Judson & Moore
Apr. 26 – Williamstown, MA – Clark Art Institute
May 16 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge *
May 17 – Keene, NH – Thing in the Spring *
May18 – Montréal, QC – Lion d’Or *
May 20 – Portland, OR – Holocene *
May 22 – Seattle, WA – Rabbit Box *
May 23 – Vancouver, BC – St. James Community Square *
May 24 – San Diego, CA – The Loft *
May 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon *
May 26 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall *
Jun. 28 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall ^
- w/ Jim White & Marisa Anderson (duo)
^ w/ Kurt Vile & the Violators