The Besnard Lakes Release New Animated Video for Our Heads, Our Hearts on Fire Again
The Besnard Lakes are an indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec. The band is currently gearing up for the release of their latest album ‘The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings’, due out on January 29, 2021. They have just released a new music video to go along with their new song ‘Our Heads, Our Hearts on Fire Again’, the third early release from the new album.
The band came together in 2001 formed by the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas. The two were joined by Kevin Laing, Richard White, Sheenah Ko, and Robbie MacArthur finally forming the psychedelic indie-rock sextet. The Besnard Lakes released their first album titled ‘Volume I’ in 2003 which was well-received among critics and music fans alike. The band has gone on to release four more full-length albums and a number of EP’s and singles. The band was also nominated for a Polaris Music Prize for their album ‘Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO’.
This is one of those great Canadian indie bands that I’m discovering for the first time that I probably should have already known about but somehow escaped my particular reality. If you’re into bands like Spiritualized, Suuns, or Broken Social Scene you should give a listen – if you haven’t already – to The Besnard Lakes.
The Montreal band recently parted ways with their long-standing record label and their new album ‘The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings’. According to the band, this album is a statement that they are done with compromise, and according to the band’s website explores “the darkness of death and the light on the other side”.
The band’s website goes on to describe a hard-line that seems to be being drawn in the sand by more and more independent artists. A stand to not compromise on their art, to speak their truths, and to present both on platforms that work best for them. While there is no shortage of music inspired by strong and inspiring stances like this, music has always been a driving force of rebellion and counter-culture, however, the sentiment isn’t always backed up with action. Not the case with The Besnard Lakes.
The band parted ways with their long-standing record label to produce this album. Their website hints that they felt pressure to produce short, digestible songs that would be good for streaming platforms and short attention spans. So, instead of doing that, the band is taking ownership of their music and their freedom, to produce art about the subject matter they want to explore, and to do so in the ways they want to explore it, even if that does mean a 15-minute-long ethereal rock-music experience. I hope it does.
The band has released three tracks off the album and has just released a new video for the latest single ‘Our Heads, Our Hearts on Fire Again’. The video was directed by Montreal filmmaker Jordan “Dr. Cool” Minkoff and takes the viewer on a mesmerizing animated journey through a glowing cityscape, geometric shapes, and their own minds’ eyes.
I’m looking forward to seeing what The Besnard Lakes come out with on this album. When a group has genuinely impressive music already, says they are attempting to explore one of the most metaphysical and controversial topics of life itself – that of death and life – AND they are unleashed entirely while doing so it’s an exciting thing.
The Besnard Lakes’ new album ‘The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings’ is out on January 29, 2021. You can pre-order the album now on Bandcamp.
