Population II reveals hypnotic new single Mariano (Jamais je ne t’oublierai) before the release of new album Maintenant Jamais next month

After a successful first European tour, Population II are back with Mariano (Jamais je ne t'oublierai), the second single off their upcoming third album Maintenant Jamais, coming out March 28th via Bonsound. The launch show will take place at Église Saint-Édouard in Montreal on May 9th; tickets are now on sale. In March, Population II will travel to Austin, Texas to perform at SXSW. See the list below for details. 

Layered with synthesizers and fuzz-saturated guitars over pulsating drums, Mariano (Jamais je ne t'oublierai) unfolds with finesse, somewhere between krautrock and psychedelic pop. Like the previous single Le thé est prêt, which saw an immediate positive response, earning praise from outlets like Stereogum and BrooklynVegan, this new song demonstrates the Montreal-based outfit’s songwriting skills and mastery of their instruments. 

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.

Tour dates