Montreal's TOPS have announced plans for their fourth full-length album titled I Feel Alive. The record arrives April 3 via the band's own Musique TOPS label.
The album marks the band's first since 2017's Sugar at the Gate, and to give us an idea what to expect, the Montreal four-piece have also shared the record's title track today alongside a Mashie Alam-directed music video.
Watch the video for "I Feel Alive" — a clip packed full of bunnies — below.
TOPS recorded the upcoming album in a basement studio in Montreal, marking the first time they had recorded with their latest lineup addition, keyboardist Marta Cikojevic, who joined the group in 2017.
"From the first time we practised with her it was clear that we were in sync musically, and we found ourselves improvising together at the first rehearsal" said TOPS' Jane Penny in a statement. "Having Marta manning the keys allowed me to reach for my flute, and gave me the chance to integrate my flute playing with the writing process, using it as an expressive instrument rather than more production element which it has been in the past."
Penny continued: "We'd spent a lot of time apart, not working on new stuff or touring, just living life, all in different cities. When we went to make I Feel Alive we all had a good sense of what we were trying to do and a renewed energy towards playing together. The goal was to get in a room together and play, not holding anything back."
In support of the new album, TOPS will head out on tour this April. Canadian dates include stops in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
Find their full tour itinerary below, where you can also see the I Feel Alive tracklist.
I Feel Alive:
1. Direct Sunlight
2. I Feel Alive
3. Pirouette
4. Ballads & Sad Movies
5. Colder & Closer
6. Witching Hour
7. Take Down
8. Drowning In Paradise
9. OK Fine Whatever
10. Looking To Remember
11. Too Much
Tour dates:
04/03 Las Vegas, NV - Bunkhouse Saloon*
04/04 Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole*
04/05 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar*
04/06 El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace*
04/07 Marfa, TX - Lost Horse Saloon*
04/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk*
04/10 San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger*
04/11 Dallas, TX - Club Dada*
04/13 Memphis, TN - The Hi Tone Cafe*
04/14 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West*
04/15 Asheville, NC - The Mothlight*
04/16 Washington D.C. - Union Stage*^
04/17 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's^
04/18 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*^
04/20 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*^
04/21 Montreal, QC - Theatre Rialto#^
04/22 Toronto, ON - Adelaide Hall#^
04/23 Detroit, MI - Deluxx Fluxx#^
04/24 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle#^
04/25 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club#^
04/28 Vancouver, BC - Imperial Theatre#
04/29 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile#
04/30 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge#
05/01 San Francisco, CA - The Independent#
05/02 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre#
05/04 San Diego, CA - Music Box#
05/11 Berlin, Germany - Berghain Kantine
05/12 Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
05/13 Köln, Germany - Bumann & Sohn
05/14 Münster, Germany - Gleis 22
05/15 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
05/16 Paris, France - Le Beau festival - La Station
05/18 Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin
05/19 Nottingham, UK - Bodega
05/20 Dublin, Ireland - Whelan's
05/21 Glasgow, UK - Stereo
05/22 Manchester, UK - YES
05/24 Bristol, UK - The Louisiana
05/25 Birmingham, UK - Hare and Hounds
05/27 Lille, France - La Bulle Café
05/28 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
05/29 Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
05/30 Utrecht, Netherlands - Ekko
06/01 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound - Sala Apolo
* with Honey Harper
# with Sorry Girls
^ with Better Person
The album marks the band's first since 2017's Sugar at the Gate, and to give us an idea what to expect, the Montreal four-piece have also shared the record's title track today alongside a Mashie Alam-directed music video.
Watch the video for "I Feel Alive" — a clip packed full of bunnies — below.
TOPS recorded the upcoming album in a basement studio in Montreal, marking the first time they had recorded with their latest lineup addition, keyboardist Marta Cikojevic, who joined the group in 2017.
"From the first time we practised with her it was clear that we were in sync musically, and we found ourselves improvising together at the first rehearsal" said TOPS' Jane Penny in a statement. "Having Marta manning the keys allowed me to reach for my flute, and gave me the chance to integrate my flute playing with the writing process, using it as an expressive instrument rather than more production element which it has been in the past."
Penny continued: "We'd spent a lot of time apart, not working on new stuff or touring, just living life, all in different cities. When we went to make I Feel Alive we all had a good sense of what we were trying to do and a renewed energy towards playing together. The goal was to get in a room together and play, not holding anything back."
In support of the new album, TOPS will head out on tour this April. Canadian dates include stops in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
Find their full tour itinerary below, where you can also see the I Feel Alive tracklist.
I Feel Alive:
1. Direct Sunlight
2. I Feel Alive
3. Pirouette
4. Ballads & Sad Movies
5. Colder & Closer
6. Witching Hour
7. Take Down
8. Drowning In Paradise
9. OK Fine Whatever
10. Looking To Remember
11. Too Much
Tour dates:
04/03 Las Vegas, NV - Bunkhouse Saloon*
04/04 Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole*
04/05 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar*
04/06 El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace*
04/07 Marfa, TX - Lost Horse Saloon*
04/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk*
04/10 San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger*
04/11 Dallas, TX - Club Dada*
04/13 Memphis, TN - The Hi Tone Cafe*
04/14 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West*
04/15 Asheville, NC - The Mothlight*
04/16 Washington D.C. - Union Stage*^
04/17 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's^
04/18 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*^
04/20 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*^
04/21 Montreal, QC - Theatre Rialto#^
04/22 Toronto, ON - Adelaide Hall#^
04/23 Detroit, MI - Deluxx Fluxx#^
04/24 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle#^
04/25 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club#^
04/28 Vancouver, BC - Imperial Theatre#
04/29 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile#
04/30 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge#
05/01 San Francisco, CA - The Independent#
05/02 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre#
05/04 San Diego, CA - Music Box#
05/11 Berlin, Germany - Berghain Kantine
05/12 Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
05/13 Köln, Germany - Bumann & Sohn
05/14 Münster, Germany - Gleis 22
05/15 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
05/16 Paris, France - Le Beau festival - La Station
05/18 Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin
05/19 Nottingham, UK - Bodega
05/20 Dublin, Ireland - Whelan's
05/21 Glasgow, UK - Stereo
05/22 Manchester, UK - YES
05/24 Bristol, UK - The Louisiana
05/25 Birmingham, UK - Hare and Hounds
05/27 Lille, France - La Bulle Café
05/28 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
05/29 Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
05/30 Utrecht, Netherlands - Ekko
06/01 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound - Sala Apolo
* with Honey Harper
# with Sorry Girls
^ with Better Person