With the release of their acclaimed full-length debut, Heaven, Wait, Québec City-based indie pop outfit Ghostly Kisses — singer/songwriter Margaux Sauvé and Louis-Étienne — received attention both nationally and internationally for crafting hauntingly gorgeous and spectral electro pop that pairs Suavé’s ethereal delivery with moody productions featuring swirling and ambient electronics, twinkling keys, propulsive drumming and so on.
After touring with Ry X, Men I Trust, Lord Huron, and Pomme, the Québec City-based outfit launched their “Box of Secrets” initiative, which gave their fans an anonymous place to share their most deeply personal thoughts. What the duo quickly discovered a global, post-pandemic, postmodern era of pain — an intense and strange loneliness felt around the world. “We heard from a lot of fans from countries where they couldn’t openly love the person they were in love with for political or social reasons,” Sauvé says. “I felt that pain, identified with it in my own way, and knew many others would too.” The duo would up synthesizing the missives they received into their highly-anticipated sophomore album Darkroom.
Slated for a May 17, 2024 release through Akira Records, Darkroom sees the acclaimed Canadian duo willing those inner monologues they received into view, finding mystic connection in the darkest, electronic corners — with tears falling on the dance floor. The duo’s long-held writing style reflects their ability to bridge the gap between people, who may feel far away. In fact, the duo would each set up in a different room, sharing snippers via email and only meeting up to finalize ideas. “Writing separately ensures we’re not influenced by anything else, and we can bring more depth to our process,” Sauvé explains.
For Darkroom, the Box of Secrets project provided an unusual baseline for the material’s influence, rather than just their own individual experiences. After compiling demos, the duo brought in new collaborators to further bolster their new electronic palette: co-producers George FitzGerald and Oli Bayston. Longtime engineer and Santais’ cousin Alex Ouzlileau further shaped the album in the studio and Gabriel Desjardins’ string arrangements also help to add depth and drama to the overall proceedings.
Unlike their previously released material, the duo tested the material while touring, a new step in their creative process that also served as portal into connecting more with their music and their fans.
Last month, I wrote about Darkroom‘s lead single “On & Off,” a looping, hook-driven bit of spectral pop built around Sauvé’s ethereal yet expressive delivery, glistening synths and squiggling bursts of funk guitar that evokes the tumult of an inconsistent, confusing and complex love. The track “depicts a complex and tumultuous cyclical relationship where two people constantly break off and get back together,” Ghostly Kissses’ Margaux Sauvé explains. “The lyrics draw inspiration from a revelation in the ‘Box of Secrets,” which was the conceptual inspiration behind our new album.”
“Keep It Real” may arguably be one of Darkroom‘s most brooding and uneasy tracks built around glistening and buzzing synths, skittering beats paired with the duo’s uncanny knack for remarkably catchy, dance floor friendly hooks and Sauvé’s achingly plaintive delivery. At its core, is the doubt and longing of a narrator, who’s desperately trying to decipher the thoughts of others — particularly dear ones — to help shed light on a complicated, uneasy situation that is rooted in an almost novelistic attention to psychological detail.
The acclaimed French Canadian pop outfit will be embarking on a world tour this Spring that will see them playing dates across Europe and North America. From early April to early May, they will be touring across the European Union. Their North American tour begins on May 23, 2024 and includes a May 31, 2024 stop at National Sawdust. All the tour dates are below.
Pre-sale begins on January 31, 2024 with the full on-sale on February 2, 2024. Tickets are available here.
Tour Dates
European Tour
Apr 02 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg @ Kulturfabrik
Apr 03 – Cologne, Germany @ Jaki
Apr 05 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Rust
Apr 06 – Oslo, Norway @ Blå
Apr 07 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Bar Brooklyn
Apr 10 – Hamburg, Germany @ Nochtspeicher
Apr 11 – Berlin, Germany @ Frannz Club
Apr 12 – Warsaw, Poland @ Hybrydy
Apr 13 – Prague, Czech Republic @ NOD
Apr 14 – Vienna, Austria @ B72
Apr 17 – Munich, Germany @ Kranhalle
Apr 18 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Bogen F
Apr 19 – Milan, Italy @ Magnolia
Apr 20 – Bologna, Italy @ Locomotiv Club
Apr 23 – Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie
Apr 25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Tolhuis
Apr 26 – Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Lantarenvenster
Apr 28 – Antwerp, Belgium @ TRIX
May 01 – London, England @ Islington Assembly Hall
May 02 – Salford, England @ The White Hotel
May 03 – Glasgow, Scotland @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
May 04 – Dublin, Republic of Ireland @ The Workmans Club
North America Tour
May 23 – Montreal, QC @ Church of the Gesu
May 24 – Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW
May 25 – Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Bell
May 29 – Boston, MA @ Cafe 939
May 30 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
May 31 – Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust
June 01 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
June 04 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
June 05 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
June 07 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
June 08 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
June 11 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
June 12 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
June 14 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
June 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
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