Music doesn't get much more quintessentially Canadian than this. Not only do Montreal's Lakes of Canada have our country's name in their moniker, but their new album is inspired by celebrated Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The LP is called Transgressions, and it will be out on October 16.
The folk-gospel five-piece recorded the album with Besnard Lakes member Jace Lasek at Breakglass Studio in Montreal. The songs were inspired by extremely tragic circumstances: frontman Jake Smith's mother was murdered in her home in 2010, and the singer-guitarist had to sort through her belongings. In doing so, he found her copy of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and was drawn in by the depiction of women's oppression.
A press release explains, "Transgressions is musical fan fiction, written with heartbreaking familiarity, covering the life of the Handmaid through the rise and fall of Gilead, with themes of gender equality, mortality, loss, regret, survival, and the pursuit of peace."
The band haven't unveiled the tracklist yet, but we can expect the album to include the previously unveiled singles "Eden" and "Transgressions." Videos for both of those cuts can be seen at the bottom of the page.
Also below, check out Lakes of Canada's fall tour schedule. They have a heap of Canadian shows in the coming months.
Tour dates:
09/16 Montreal, QC - POP Montreal
10/02 Halifax, NS - The Company House
10/03 Bristol, NB - Sharkey's Pub
10/04 Moncton, NB - Plan B Lounge
10/06 Charlottetown, PE - Baba's Lounge
10/07 Saint Andrew, NB - Red Herring Pub
10/08 Fredericton NB - Grimross Brewing Co.
10/09 Bedford NS - Split Crow
10/10 Sydney NS - Governor's Pub
10/15 Montreal, QC - Sala Rossa
10/16 Sherbrooke, QC - Le Petite Boite Noire
10/23 Beloeil, QC - Maison de la culture
10/24 Gatineau, QC - Le Petit Chicago
10/30 Granby, QC - Eglise Unie de Granby
11/04 Toronto, ON - TWiMFeST
11/07 Quebec, QC - Le Cercle (sous-sol)
11/14 Shawinigan, QC - Le Trou du diable
11/15 St André de Kamouraska, QC - Tête d'allumette
11/19 Toronto, ON - Bier Mrkt King West
11/26 Niagara Falls, ON - Taps on Queen
11/27 Sarnia, ON - Paddy Flaherty's
The folk-gospel five-piece recorded the album with Besnard Lakes member Jace Lasek at Breakglass Studio in Montreal. The songs were inspired by extremely tragic circumstances: frontman Jake Smith's mother was murdered in her home in 2010, and the singer-guitarist had to sort through her belongings. In doing so, he found her copy of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and was drawn in by the depiction of women's oppression.
A press release explains, "Transgressions is musical fan fiction, written with heartbreaking familiarity, covering the life of the Handmaid through the rise and fall of Gilead, with themes of gender equality, mortality, loss, regret, survival, and the pursuit of peace."
The band haven't unveiled the tracklist yet, but we can expect the album to include the previously unveiled singles "Eden" and "Transgressions." Videos for both of those cuts can be seen at the bottom of the page.
Also below, check out Lakes of Canada's fall tour schedule. They have a heap of Canadian shows in the coming months.
Tour dates:
09/16 Montreal, QC - POP Montreal
10/02 Halifax, NS - The Company House
10/03 Bristol, NB - Sharkey's Pub
10/04 Moncton, NB - Plan B Lounge
10/06 Charlottetown, PE - Baba's Lounge
10/07 Saint Andrew, NB - Red Herring Pub
10/08 Fredericton NB - Grimross Brewing Co.
10/09 Bedford NS - Split Crow
10/10 Sydney NS - Governor's Pub
10/15 Montreal, QC - Sala Rossa
10/16 Sherbrooke, QC - Le Petite Boite Noire
10/23 Beloeil, QC - Maison de la culture
10/24 Gatineau, QC - Le Petit Chicago
10/30 Granby, QC - Eglise Unie de Granby
11/04 Toronto, ON - TWiMFeST
11/07 Quebec, QC - Le Cercle (sous-sol)
11/14 Shawinigan, QC - Le Trou du diable
11/15 St André de Kamouraska, QC - Tête d'allumette
11/19 Toronto, ON - Bier Mrkt King West
11/26 Niagara Falls, ON - Taps on Queen
11/27 Sarnia, ON - Paddy Flaherty's