David Vertesi Details New Album 'Fictionalized,' Shares Jill Barber Collaboration

The LP features additional featured appearances from Jordan Klassen, Haley Blais and Sam Lynch

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Jan 16, 2024

Singer-songwriter, producer and lynchpin in the Vancouver music scene, David Vertesi, has detailed his forthcoming fourth album — led by a new single, "Mind Reader," featuring Jill Barber.

One of Exclaim!'s Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2024, Fictionalized becomes real on February 27 through Tiny Kingdom Music. It follows his most recent solo album, 2020's Life Ghouls, and features additional guest appearances from Haley Blais, Sam Lynch and Jordan Klassen, who appears on the 2023 single "One in a Million."

Having performed in some of the most exciting indie rock projects on the West Coast, including Hey Ocean!, Dear Rouge, Hannah Georgas and Toronto's Shad, as well as producing for numerous up-and-coming artists, Fictionalized is described in press materials as the clearest synthesis of Vertesi's wide-ranging pop philosophy to date.

Of the new single with Barber, Vertesi said, "Throughout the pandemic, many of my friend's longtime relationships began to crumble. Problems they had ignored for forever seemed to come to a head when they were stuck inside together for the lockdowns. This is loosely based on one of those stories."

Despite the tension of its subject matter, "Mind Reader" is handled delicately, Barber and Vertesi at times harmonizing just above a whisper atop the richly spacious, acoustic-forward soundscape.

Watch the Michael Makaroff-directed "Mind Reader" video below, where you'll also find the album tracklist.


Fictionalized:

1. One Day We Woke Up and the World Was Gone
2. Who Am I Now
3. Age of Celebrity
4. My Parents House (feat. Sam Lynch)
5. Fictionalized
6. One in a Million (feat. Jordan Klassen)
7. Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
8. Mind Reader (feat. Jill Barber)
9. Note to Self
10. That's What's Up (feat. Haley Blais)

Pre-order Fictionalized.

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