LUMIÈRE reveals a new side of his musical identity with double single Fiou - Chronique d’une vie de merde

Nearly two years after the release of GLAM, his second album, LUMIÈRE (Étienne Côté, also known as the drummer of Bon Enfant) is back with new tracks Fiou and Chronique d’une vie de merde, a double single that showcases the musical direction in which he is progressing. 

Produced alongside Eliott Durocher-Bundock (Patche, Mon Doux Saigneur, Alex Burger), Fiou and Chronique d’une vie de merde reveal a new LUMIÈRE, whose phrasing lies halfway between song and poetry.

I started switching my vocal delivery to spoken word because it was impossible to fully sing in my new apartment, he explains. To my great surprise, I liked the result of the demos recorded with the constraint; the lyrics suddenly took on greater importance, and my voice became as rhythmic as it is melodic.

The two songs also stand out from his earlier projects in terms of instrumentation, with synthesizers playing a more prominent role.

With a catchy pop groove that inspires to keep moving forward, Fiou is about running away - by foot or by plane, going where the weather’s nicer. The song also addresses feelings of confinement and a desire to get out into nature to silence the noise of inner torments. Birdsong, replicated here through the chirping of synthesizers, acts as a beautiful invitation to get out of one’s torpor, to go to the limits of civilization, where the electric power lines end. The music video, directed by Nicolas Arthur Dufour, was shot on the Côte-Nord / Nitassinan in August 2024.

Characterized by a vocal approach that mixes singing with spoken word and a steady, slow-paced rhythm, Chronique d'une vie de merde portrays a highly talented character who remains stuck in the meanders of his oversized dreams, which imprison him more than they liberate him. The chorus is smile-inducing with its light-hearted imagery, and roughly translates as such: Ah, life is beautiful and worth living, but when it's shit, you've got to know to put a little sugar on it. 

On these new songs, LUMIÈRE draws on a variety of influences to forge a coherent, distinct sound: the unbotheredness and panache of Brigitte Fontaine; the soothing softness of Jane Birkin; the repetitive forms, synthesizers and percussion of Talking Heads; the irony and powerful lyrics of Cali; the groove, poetry and production style of Jean Leloup. Our goal was to get out of our comfort zone and encourage risk-taking to create original sounds and a unique atmosphere, adds Étienne.

About LUMIÈRE

LUMIÈRE is Étienne Côté’s solo project, the free embodiment of a musical enlightenment shaped by rock music. ​ His sound is spectacular yet sensitive, transcends trends and brilliantly masters the essence of nostalgia. Released in 2021, A.M.I.E.S.A.M.O.U.R, the Montreal-based artist's first album, is a conceptual project at the crossroads of rock, folk and psychedelic pop. The album, which received critical acclaim, led him to cross paths with Pierre Lapointe, for whom he became the opening act for several shows. Thanks to this experience with Lapointe, LUMIÈRE had the chance to support French pop star Clara Luciani during her spectacular tour of the Zénith indoor arenas in France in the fall of 2022.

Barely over the excitement of this unexpected and enriching experience, LUMIÈRE unveiled GLAM, his sophomore album, via Bonsound in April 2023. It was produced by Alexandre Martel, a prolific musician and record producer with whom he also worked on the first record. Pushing the musical elements of its predecessor even further, this album presents a new, more assertive, exuberant and glamorous LUMIÈRE, one who freed himself from his origins and arrives in town with an unshakeable desire to conquer the audience's heart, and it works. Nominated in the Rock Album of the Year category at both the ADISQ gala and the GAMIQ, GLAM led LUMIÈRE to perform on some of the finest stages of his career, including the Plains of Abraham at the Festival d'été de Québec and the closing night of the Francos de Montréal, as well as to Belgium and France.

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