MARCUS PAQUIN STEPS OUT FROM THE LINER NOTES WITH FIRST SOLO LP, OUR LOVE, OUT NOVEMBER 25, 2022 VIA BIRTHDAY CAKE RECORDS
WATCH / SHARE “SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL HERE
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PRE-ORDER OUR LOVE HERE
Photo Credit : Andy John // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
You may recognize Marcus Paquin’s name from the liner-notes of many well-loved records over the past twenty years. From his work on albums by The National, Local Natives, The Weather Station, Julia Jacklin, Begonia, Sarah Harmer, and countless others, Marcus’s accolades as collaborator and co-creator are wide ranging and illustrious. Marcus’ first solo effort Our Love sees him moving out of the liner notes and onto the cover.
Today, he’s sharing another new track from the album, “Something Beautiful”, a song about “friendship and unconditional love,” says Paquin. “It celebrates an awareness that a myriad of beautiful experiences exist in every moment and that it’s up to each of us to be present in those moments so we can absorb and reflect that energy back onto others.”
The track arrives with a video from Paquin that he made with his daughter. “Making the video with my daughter was one of the most joyful experiences of my life,” he says. “The original idea for the video was that it would be an animation. It would involve a number of characters that are typically natural enemies in the wild in conflict and then eventually, they would forge deep and unexpected friendships. But that concept fell through so I started considering alternate plans.”
“My daughter and I were listening to the song together and she spontaneously came up with a choreography that I loved. That choreography sparked the basis for the video concept:
an unlikely friendship forming between a rabbit and a wolf. It would be shot in a variety of locations. Each setting might be overlooked or recognized for their simple or grandiose beauty, representing individual awareness and presence.”
“The dance represents both an openness and a struggle that ultimately leads to growth. My daughter and I spent two glorious days dancing and jamming in various spots on the beautiful island of Montreal. Beyond the message behind the video, we hope it makes people smile and join in the dance.”
WATCH / SHARE “SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL HERE
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MORE ABOUT OUR LOVE
“The catharsis that came of writing the songs on this album helped me process the pain of my separation from my partner of 18 years and recognize the beauty and the healing power of my own self-love,” says Paquin. ”En route to accepting my new path, I saw clearly that love is everywhere and that we need only extend an open hand to receive it and an open heart to give it. Our Love is an exploration of my relationship with love and an ode to love in its many forms.”
Our Love was written, arranged, played, produced and mixed by Marcus with drumming from friend and former bandmate Liam O’Neill (Suuns). It combines Marcus’ raw and intimate song writing with his veteran production chops, blending traditional indie rock sounds with lush layers of electronics and synths.
WATCH / SHARE “THE WAY FORWARD” HERE
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MORE ABOUT MARCUS PAQUIN
Since the first time Marcus heard the iconic Beatles record Abbey Road, his trajectory was defined – music was to be his lifelong obsession. From an early age, he spent countless hours lying next to his Fisher Price turntable, wearing out the grooves of his favorite records in his mother’s collection. Music connected with Marcus in a way that was visceral, raw and emotional. Through his adolescence rock posters, tour shirts, guitar straps and LP jackets were a staple in his bedroom. He fawned over Morrissey lyrics, Eddie solos, Bonham grooves and Michael’s moves and spent countless hours practicing guitar – learning songs, writing songs and playing in bands. It became his mission to decode the puzzle pieces that evoked such emotion.
Marcus dissected recorded music and poured over its component parts, trying to decipher how they had been played and recorded. At fifteen, he became adept at making professional sounding recordings with his Tascam 464 recorder. He enjoyed the creative aspects of multitrack recording and the way different microphones, tape types and speeds affected the sonic quality of his recorded compositions. Recording opened new avenues for his craft and creativity, so in his early twenties he enrolled in the Music Performance degree at McGill University in Montreal where he studied jazz guitar and then completed a Masters degree in sound recording. From 2009-2011 he signed to Last Gang records with his band Silver Starling as primary composer and lead singer.
PRE-ORDER OUR LOVE HERE
OUR LOVE TRACKLIST
01 More Than All Right
02 The Way Forward
03 Hollywood Lights
04 Until It’s Gone
05 Die For You
06 Something Beautiful
07 Close To You
08 Our Love
09 Tinsel Fountains
10 Are You A Stranger
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