Population II presents “Carillon - Population II en concert”

After releasing the singles Le thé est prêt and Mariano (Jamais je ne t'oublierai), both from the album Maintenant Jamais, out March 28th via Bonsound, Population II has unveiled Carillon - Population II in concert. The short film comes out right as the trio lands in Austin, Texas, for a series of showcases at SXSW. The album launch will follow on May 9th at the Saint-Édouard Church in Montreal. Concerts are also scheduled in the Magdalen Islands, Quebec City, Jonquière and Saint-Casimir. See the list below for details. 

Directed by Dominic Vanchesteing and shot among the massive concrete structures of the Monument québécois à la mémoire des héros du Long-Sault, the film shows Population II performing under the eye of a camera that floats between the musicians and the brutalist monoliths. In this timeless, forgotten memorial located in the village of Carillon, the music ricochets among the stelae, out to the river, up to the stars.

The songs we play in the film are more than live versions, the band explains. Although the images seem like they were shot on a beautiful summer day, they weren’t. It was mid-October and the gentle breeze from the river was blowing down our necks and between our fingers. The turbines from the Carillon power station were rumbling, but not louder than the band.

A crisp, spellbinding intro sets the mood for the first song on Maintenant Jamais, Population II's third album. With the guidance of producer Dominic Vanchesteing (Marie Davidson, Chocolat, Bernardino Femminielli), the typical turbulence of the band’s previous releases is structured and refined. The result is a sophisticated rock album that surprises with its languorous pace, as heard on Le thé est prêt, while staying true to the band’s renowned raw power, demonstrated on vigorous tracks like La Trippance and Rédemption naturelle.

Next on the album is Prévisions, a song that pulsates with finesse, before abruptly transitioning into the instrumental number Macavélique rock. While Haut-fond and Cardinaux are true feats of elegant prog rock, Mariano (Jamais je ne t'oublierai) and homme étoilé prove that Population II is also endowed with a profound melodic sensibility, capable of creating catchy and explosive hooks.

On this new album, the trio fine-tunes their distinctive style, thanks to a fusion of shared influences (from Soft Machine to MC5 to L'Infonie) and the rare complicity that blossoms between close friends. This creative chemistry is what makes the band's complex songwriting seem so fluid. Population II breaks through their own sonic frontiers while remaining true to their roots. Therein lies the achievement of Maintenant Jamais, to be released on March 28th, 2025, via Bonsound.

About Population II 

Population II is a band dedicated to its disengagement, constantly refining their imposing, yet unpretentious sound. The trio of musicians (singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/keyboardist Tristan Lacombe and bassist Sébastien Provençal) are masters at improvised madness and sophisticated composition. They deliver heavy psychedelic rock infused with feverish funk rhythms, a hint of jazz philosophy, a burst of early-punk energy, and a love of minor scales that harkens back to heavy metal roots. The band is reinforced by Pierre-Luc's unique voice and his introspective, offbeat lyrics.

Their sources of inspiration are diverse and not limited to music. They include the Detroit garage rock and psychedelic funk scenes of the late 60s, the Canterbury scene of the same period, the German experimental rock of the 70s, and Miles Davis' electric period. They bind all this together with the swampy landscape of Pointe-Calumet (their hometown), and the deep friendship and undeniable chemistry of its three members. 

The roots of Population II go back a long way and are inextricably linked to their teenage memories. After years of jamming, to the point of developing a sense of telepathy, the trio began recording a handful of independent releases that soon caught the attention of the independent label Castle Face Records. Thus was born À la Ô Terre, their first label-released album, which came out in 2020. They returned in 2023 with Électrons libres du québec, this time released on Bonsound. A little more straightforward than its predecessor, the record reflects a natural progression of the sound the trio established on their previous releases, showing a sharp sense of songcraft and the undeniable expertise of their instruments. Many tours have followed since then, including several dates opening for Osees.

On a creative spree, Population II struck again the following spring with their EP Serpent Échelle, and then in the fall with a split single with local punk act Mulch. After this prolific sequence of releases, the band laid the groundwork for Maintenant Jamais, a third full-length album that stirs up their formative influences with sophistication, resulting in fourteen catchy, transgressive tracks.

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Tour dates