Your Ex And I are a band in it for the right reasons. The Montreal-based rock group comprises five pals with very positive musical chemistry poised to explode on the scene with the debut single, “For All the Loves.”
The mysterious comrades in Your Ex And I, comprised of frontman/keyboardist Danny, lyricist Gor, bassist Guillaume, guitarist Frank, and drummer Simon, have all paid their dues playing and working in musical fields and are suitably realistic about their motives and goals.
“We are not kids dreaming in technicolor,” said Danny. “We came together with the right people and the right vibe, so it was ‘let’s all have fun with this.”
It’s that approach that organically expanded as the band realized the strength of the material they were creating. After intensive rehearsals, recording sessions followed at La Salle des Machines, Simon’s East Montreal, a studio filled with vintage analog gear, tape decks, and tube pre-amps.
“When we started jamming and rehearsing around 2018,” said Danny. “We weren’t planning an album, but the more we worked together, the more people heard our tunes and said, ‘Guys, you have to release this.’”
Your Ex And I recruited top producer/engineer Pierre Duchesne to mix their self-produced tracks. The result is a high fidelity and radio-ready wall of sound that is dark yet danceable, polished but never too slick. Opening with insistent piano, the dynamic cut integrates interlocking synths and guitars that give it an ‘80s British synth-rock feel, while Danny’s dramatic vocals explore the moments at the end of an affair.
“For All the Loves” will accompany an eye-catching video that incorporates footage from the German horror film Nosferatu, a classic that turns 100 this year.
“We had a low budget, so we needed to find something in the public domain that was royalty-free,” said Danny. “Gor pushed for Nosferatu for the video. He spent countless hours chopping up footage to fit with all the lyrics.”
The material on the forthcoming Your Ex And I EP contains an irresistible mix of melody and muscle. Two more singles from the upcoming debut EP will be released in February, with more tracks released later in 2023. The combination of ’80s synth lines, fat bass hooks, driving indie rock guitars, and skillful use of both vintage analog and modern instruments and recording gear will reaffirm the potential of a band with a coherent and compelling sound and vision.
