MYRIAM GENDRON’S NEW ALBUM MAYDAY OUT TODAY VIA CHIVI CHIVI (CANADA), THRILL JOCKEY & FEEDING TUBE
BUY / STREAM MAYDAY HERE
ON TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA, INCLUDING DATES WITH JIM WHITE & MARISA ANDERSON DUO, AND KURT VILE
LISTEN / SHARE "LOOK DOWN THAT LONESOME ROAD" HERE
"Between its instrumental interplay and Gendron's singing and structural vision, it's a deep and gorgeous classic that moves her into the pantheon of our greatest living songwriters." - Exclaim!
“As a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, she’s a masterful musical interpreter, transforming long-past art into present-tense vision… [Her music is] plainly open about its themes and sources yet reaching depths far beyond the sum of her inspirations.” - Pitchfork
“With her deep knowledge of history and literature, combined with her vulnerable, evocative lyrics, Myriam Gendron has the power to open emotional portals. There is something intangible about the sound of her voice, the phrasing of her words, and the chords she chooses that unlocks something within me, like few other musicians can.” - Stereogum
“Her voice is a curious thing, capable of moving from dark siltiness to startling clarity across a single line, giving the impression of something forever being heaved up from depth to light. Her musical approach is a similar dance of structure and dissemblage… It is a stunning record, encompassing the loss of her mother amid a broader and more intangible sense of grief that she struggles now to articulate.” - Uncut
“Two years after the critical and international success of the magnificent Ma Délire - Songs of love, lost and found, the musician does not fade in the background anymore : for the first time in her career, she knows she's expected. ‘Yes... and I find it difficult to deal with,’ she concedes before recounting the delicate gestation of this new masterpiece that speaks of love, hope and fatality.” - Le Devoir
Photo by Howard Bilerman, design by Benoît Chaput // DOWNLOAD HIGH RES
Montréal-based singer-songwriter Myriam Gendron presents her third album, titled Mayday. Following the 2021 acclaimed double LP Ma délire - Songs of love, lost & found, the 10 tracks-long album is co-produced by Benoît Chaput and Myriam herself and benefits from a joint effort by Thrill Jockey, Feeding Tube and Chivi Chivi.
“Mayday was born of a feeling of complete disorientation following the loss of loved ones and the collapse of a set of certainties,” says Gendron. “At first, there's a shipwreck and a loss of bearings. Then, a deep sadness to explore. But despite everything, there's also spring, the light of May, life continuing to beat on. We have to find the strength within ourselves to sing lullabies through the storms.”
BUY / STREAM MAYDAY HERE
LISTEN / SHARE "LOOK DOWN THAT LONESOME ROAD" HERE
Mayday’s release follows the previous unveiling of two songs: English country-folk ballad “Long Way Home”, and French cinematic lament “Terres brûlées”. These singles have caught the attention of many renowned media, in Canada and internationally: Stereogum (Song of the Week), Uncut, Brooklyn Vegan, Exclaim! and La Presse, amongst others. Every song of the album is accompanied by a visualizer shot by Charles-André Coderre on 16mm film.
WATCH / SHARE "TERRES BRÛLÉES" HERE
Mayday is in line with Ma délire in the way it showcases the artist’s love for traditional folk music. Here again, she draws inspiration from Appalachian folk (“Lully Lullay”) and French-Canadian sea shanties (“La belle Françoise [pour Sylvie]”.) But the album is just as much an endorsement of Gendron’s talent as a singer-songwriter, as her bold poetic voice and musical arrangements shine on tracks such as rock and jazz infused closer “Berceuse” and heartwarming instrumental interlude “La Luz”. On Mayday, she sings in both English and French, paying homage to various traditions across North America. Mayday benefits from precious contributions by eminent artists Marisa Anderson, Jim White (Dirty Three), Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Bill Nace and Zoh Amba.
WATCH / SHARE “LONG WAY HOME” HERE
Having just completed the first leg of her North American tour, Myriam will hit back the road, travelling in Canada and the United States alongside duo Jim White & Marisa Anderson. Mayday’s Montréal launch will take place at Cabaret Lion d’Or on May 18. She will also be opening for Kurt Vile & the Violators, on June 28 (Toronto) and June 29 (Montréal, Jazz Fest).
MORE ABOUT MYRIAM GENDRON
Mayday is the third LP by Montréal-based artist, Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found (2021). Prior to her debut album, Myriam's primary musical focus was busking in Paris Metro stations, performing the songs of Leonard Cohen and others, accompanying herself on guitar.
Through her day job, working at a Montréal bookstore, Myriam discovered the poems of American writer, Dorothy Parker, who was better known for her cutting wit than her verse. Inspired by Parker's words, Myriam wrote music to accompany a suite of them, then recorded the results in her bedroom. These recordings were issued as her debut LP, and continue to delight listeners who discover them, with their freshness, clarity and humor. After a brief hiatus, Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec (and beyond), recording the 2LP, Ma délire, which combines traditional and original songs (largely in French) with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such folks as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and renowned jazz percussionist Chris Corsano. Mayday is an even more syncretic fusion of these elements. Most of the songs are original, in both English and French, and blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. Additional players this time include Montréal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie (a fellow fan of trad/avant dynamism), Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba (whose horn actually gets the final “word”). Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. Beautiful work.
BUY / STREAM MAYDAY HERE
Photo Credit : Justine Latour // DOWNLOAD HIGH RES
TOUR DATES
16/05/2024 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge *
17/05/2024 - Keene, NH - Thing in the Spring *
18/05/2024 - Montréal, QC - Lion d’Or *
20/05/2024 - Portland, OR - Holocene *
22/05/2024 – Seattle, WA – Rabbit Box *
23/05/2024 – Vancouver, BC – St. James Community Square *
24/05/2024 - San Diego, CA - The Loft *
25/05/2024 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon *
26/05/2024 - Mill Valley, CA - Sweetwater Music Hall *
28/06/2024 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall ^
29/06/2024 - Montréal, QC - MTelus ^
* w/ Jim White & Marisa Anderson (duo)
^ opening for Kurt Vile
