Tag: Grand Public

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Montréal’s Grand Public Shares Shimmering “Clap”

Grand Public is a Montréal-based indie rock outfit and JOVM mainstay act that features a collection of the city’s most accomplished musicians: Gregory Paquet, the band’s founder and frontman has played with The Stills, Alvvays‘ Molly Rankin and Peter Peter. The band also features three childhood friends, who have played together in several local bands, including Reviews, an act that has shared stages with  Omni, JOVM mainstays Corridor, and others. 

Last year’s four-song Dominic Vanchesteing-produced debut EP Idéal Tempo featured “Lundi normal,” and “Goutte á goutte,,” two tracks that seemingly recalled Junior-era Corridor to mind with nods to 120 Minutes-era MTV alt rock and 60s psych rock. 

Building upon a growing profile, the Montréal-based outfit’s highly-anticipated full-length debut, the recently released Sensations Diversions sees the band blending some dexterous guitar acrobatics with dazzling melodies and ironic reflections on the charm and madness of the art scene and the entertainment economy — but while also being a refinement of the sound they’ve developed on Idéal Tempo EP.

The album features the previously released single “Lisbonne, Paris La Sorbonne” is a krautrock-like song featuring shimmering and angular guitars and an explosive guitar solo before a slow fade-out. Channeling Corridor and XTC but with a decidedly post punk edge, the song’s career-orientated narrator is desperately figuring out the right moves to advance his ambitions — and at seemingly any cost. 

The album’s latest single “Clap” is a decidedly post punk-meets-art rock built around chiming guitar tones, propulsive and angular drum rhythms and punchily delivered impressionistic lyrics.

Directed by Joé Pelletier, the accompanying video for “Clap” follows the band’s members on a hang-out session at the sort of swap meet/arcade/food court that you’d see in New England. Throughout the day, the band talks about film, art and music with a winking nostalgia and pretense that seems –well familiar, and somehow missed.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Montréal’s Grand Public Shares Trippy Visual for Krautrock-Like “Lisbonne, Paris La Sorbonne”

Grand Public is Montréal-based indie rock outfit that features a collection of some of the city’s most accomplished musicians: Gregory Paquet, the band’s founder and frontman has played with The Stills, Alvvays‘ Molly Rankin and Peter Peter. The band also features three childhood friends, who have played together in several local bands, including Reviews, an act that has shared stages with Omni, JOVM mainstays Corridor, and others. 

Last year’s four-song Dominic Vanchesteing-produced debut EP Idéal Tempo featured “Lundi normal,” and “Goutte á goutte,,” two tracks that seemingly recalled Junior-era Corridor to mind with nods to 120 Minutes-era MTV alt rock and 60s psych rock.

The Montréal-based outfit’s highly-anticipated full-length debut is slated for an April 2024 release through Lisbon Lux Records. The album’s second single “Lisbonne, Paris La Sorbonne” is a krautrock-like song featuring shimmering and angular guitars and an explosive guitar solo before a slow fade-out. Channeling Corridor and XTC but with a decidedly post punk edge, the song’s career-orientated narrator is desperately figuring out the right moves to advance his ambitions — and at seemingly any cost.

Directed by Joel Pelletier, the accompanying video features a montage and animation from Pelletier and follows the members of the band on a surrealistic and psilocybin-fueled romp to battle a karate master — with instruments.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Montréal’s Grand Public Shares Shimmering and Hazy “Goutte à Goutte”

Montréal-based indie outfit Grand Public features a collection of accomplished local musicians: The band’s frontman and founder Gregory Paquet has played with The Stills, Alvvays‘ Molly Rankin and Peter Peter. The band’s three other members are childhood friends, who have played together in several other local bands including Reviews, an act that has played with JOVM mainstays Corridor, Omni, and others. 

The members of Grand Public took advantage of pandemic enforced downtown to develop and refine their sound, and then write and record their four-song Dominic Vanchesteing-produced debut EP Idéal Tempo. Released last Friday, the EP sees the Montréal-based outfit pairing angular guitar textures, ethereal melodies and hypnotic rhythms with an explosive release of tension.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the EP’s second single “Lundi normal,” which featured reverb-drenched, angular guitar, ethereal vocals and rousingly anthemic hooks paired with a propulsive rhythm section. While sonically bringing Junior-era Corridor to mind, the song is rooted in surrealistic, seemingly stream-of-consciousness lyrics.

The recently released EP’s latest single, “Goutte à goutte” is centered around shimmering and swirling guitar textures, the Montréal-based outfit’s penchant for multi-part harmonies and propulsive rhythms. While still recalling JOVM mainstays Corridor, “Goutte á goutte” also nods at 120 Minutes-era MTV alt rock and 60s psych rock. The band explains that the EP’s producer “put a lot of emphasis on the harmonies, which add a layer of richness to the songs and color the mood of the EP. All of the songs on Ideal tempo were recorded live with the most standard rock instrumentation: two guitars, bass and drums. But we used a 12-string guitar on ‘Goutte à Goutte’ to add a touch of magic, and we really like the result — the sinuous, swirling, hazy feel that come through.

“Our director put a lot of emphasis on the harmonies, which add a layer of richness to the songs and color the mood of the EP,” explains the band. Along with the release, the band shares the music video for the album’s lead song, Goutte à goutte. “All of the songs on Ideal tempo were recorded live with the most standard rock instrumentation: two guitars, bass and drums,” the band adds. “But we used a 12-string guitar on Goutte à Goutte to add a touch of magic, and we really like the result – the sinuous, swirling, hazy feel that comes through.”

Directed by Joe Pelletier, the accompanying video for “Goutte à Goutte” is split between footage of the band playing the song in a studio, shot through fisheye lenses, and an illustrated black hole traveling through the universe, paired with lyric cards. The video emphasizes the song’s hazy feel.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Montréal’s Grand Public Shares Shimmering “Lundi normal”

Montréal-based indie outfit Grand Public features a collection of accomplished local players: The band’s frontman and founder Gregory Paquet has played with The Stills, Alvvays‘ Molly Rankin and Peter Peter. The band’s other members, are three childhood friends, who have played together in several bands, including Reviews, an act that has played with JOVM mainstays Corridor, Omni, and others.

Grand Public took advantage of pandemic enforced downtime to refine their sound and write material, including their four-song Dominic Vanchesteing-produced mini album Idéal Tempo. Slated for a March 24, 2023 release, Idéal Tempo reportedly sees the Montréal-based outfit pairing angular guitar textures, ethereal melodies and hypnotic rhythms with explosive release of tension.

The mini EP’s second and latest single “Lundi normal” features reverb-drenched, angular guitar attack, ethereal vocals and rousingly anthemic hooks paired with a propulsive rhythm section. “Lundi normal” sonically recalls Junior-era Corridor but rooted in surrealistic, seemingly stream-of-consciousness lyrics.

Shot in Nouveau Système Beaubien, a famous, old-fashioned Montréal-based greasy spoon, the accompanying video captures the band’s members hanging out and bullshitting on a regular and seemingly cold Monday.