…prepares brand new single, “Save You,” for release on Sept. 25

AA Wallace unveils a remix of “It’s Not A Game, It’s A Lifestyle” by Belinda, Lisa LeBlanc’s bingo queen alter ego. Available today via Acadian Embassy, the disco-driven track is reworked to shift the paradigm from an early evening bonanza dance party to an after hours full card blackout. Listen HERE.

The remix arrives two weeks out from the launch of a brand new AA Wallace single titled “Save You,“ which is available on Friday, September 25. Pre-save it on Spotify HERE. Earlier this summer, Wallace released a deluxe version of his 2016 critically acclaimed electro nu-disco album, In Alpha Zones complete with album instrumentals and remixes by PRISONGARDE, Joker’s of the Scene, and Eytan Tobin previously unavailable on streaming platforms.

The new music also follows a record from Wallace’s long standing rock n’ roll band, Sleepless Nights, who issued their first full-length in 12 years this June. Every Word Is A Trap, which received accolades from outlets such as Exclaim!, CBC Music, and Indie88, is streaming everywhere now. The album’s rollout included a music video for the record’s lead single, “Greatest Hits,“ entirely conceived of, shot, and edited in quarantine by filmmaker Nathan Boone.

Wallace himself has been keeping equally busy over the course of the pandemic by streaming live playthroughs of vintage video games via Twitch. This Saturday, he launches a weekly series of live-streamed, solo performances on his Twitch channel as well, playing acoustic matinee sessions and evening electric sessions. Request songs HERE.

…le français suit.

Acadian Embassy introduces Sluice, a new francophone project helmed by Trevor Murphy. Stream the debut single, “Un été sans frontières,” on your platform of choice HERE.

Fueled by nostalgia and hyper-regional history, these are powerpop songs that are entrenched in the breezy and foggy summers of Par-en-Bas – a region that encompasses several Acadian communities around Yarmouth, NS where Murphy grew up. Though he has released translated material with his group Quiet Parade in the past (2018’s Nous Étions Icitte), Sluice marks Murphy’s debut using a French-first approach. Written from the ground up in tandem with the music, the lyrics stay true to the accent, the dialect, and the geographical touchstones of his home.

The act’s name also represents these roots. In part, it points to the village where his grandparents lived (Sluice Point). A sluice is also part of a dyke – an agricultural irrigation system used by early Acadians throughout Nova Scotia. Designed to prevent water from the Atlantic Ocean flowing onto farmlands, the wooden structure was the lynchpin to creating fertile soil from salt marshes. That transformative process, of creating opportunity in the face of adversity, is a driving spirit behind this new project.

“I used to be afraid to speak French, even ashamed sometimes. Even though I spoke the language every day, we grew up with an understanding that the Acadian dialect just wasn’t ‘good enough’ or ‘proper French,’” says Murphy. “It wasn’t until years after I moved away that I finally started to reconnect with those roots, to take pride in the place where I’m from and the way we speak, and to want to tell stories with this voice.”

And like its namesake, Sluice has come to represent a process of deciding what to let in and what to let go; of learning what to take from ancient grounds and how to make something new from that history.

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Acadian Embassy présente Sluice, powerpop francophone de la Nouvelle-Écosse

Acadian Embassy présente Sluice, un nouveau projet francophone de Trevor Murphy. Diffusez le premier single, « Un été sans frontières », sur la plateforme de votre choix ICI.

Attisé par la nostalgie et l’histoire hyper-régionale, ce sont des chansons de powerpop ancrées dans les étés joviaux et brumeux de Par-en-Bas – une région comprenant plusieurs communautés acadiennes autour de Yarmouth, Nouvelle-Écosse, où Murphy a grandi. Bien qu’il ait publié des chansons traduites avec son groupe Quiet Parade dans le passé (Nous Étions Icitte en 2018), Sluice marque le début d’une première approche complètement en français pour Murphy. Écrites en tandem avec la musique, les paroles restent fidèles à l’accent, au dialecte et aux références géographiques de ces villages natales.

Le nom du groupe représente également ces racines. En partie, il pointe vers le village où vivaient les grands-parents de Murphy (Sluice Point). Un aboiteau (sluice) fait également partie d’une digue – un système d’irrigation agricole utilisé par les premiers Acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Conçu pour empêcher l’eau de l’océan Atlantique de s’écouler sur les terres agricoles, cette structure en bois était la pièce clé pour créer un sol fertile à partir des marais salés. Ce processus de transformation, de créer des opportunités face à l’adversité, est l’esprit motivant de ce nouveau projet.

« Avant, j’avais peur de parler en français, même parfois honteux. Même si je parlais la langue tous les jours, nous avons grandi en comprenant que notre dialecte acadien n’était tout simplement pas ‘assez bon’ ou ‘du bon français’ », dit Murphy. « Ce n’est que des années après mon départ de Par-en-Bas que j’ai finalement commencé à renouer avec ces racines, à être fier de l’endroit d’où je viens et de notre façon de parler, et à vouloir raconter des histoires avec cette voix. »

Et comme l’aboiteau lui-même, Sluice est venu pour représenter un processus de décider quoi laisser entrer et quoi laisser aller; d’apprendre ce qu’il faut tirer de terrains anciens et comment faire quelque chose de nouveau à partir de cette histoire.

…new album, Every Word Is A Trap, out on Friday.

Ahead of a brand new album being released this Friday, Sleepless Nights unveil a video for their latest single, “Greatest Hits.“ Premiering today via CBC Music, the video was entirely conceived of, shot, and edited in quarantine. Watch it HERE.

Created over two days, the video captures the incredible anxiety of doing something as simple as leaving the house during the nation-wide lockdowns. Shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio to heighten the feeling of confinement, the clip explores the anxieties of isolating yourself from the world while trying to do your part to help it.

“I wanted to highlight the shared feelings that we’re all in the same situation. There’s a huge weight of responsibility to do your part in this effort. It’s a sacrifice, but it’s really important that we all do this together,” says filmmaker Nathan Boone, who helmed the creative direction of the “Greatest Hits” video. “We made a video in a bubble to highlight why it’s important to stay in the bubble. From the production to the design to the post, we pulled it off from within our home without breaking the lockdown.”

“Mask. Gloves. Lysol wipes. The first three shots of Sleepless Nights’ video for their new track, ‘Greatest Hits,’ wastes no time setting itself within the pandemic, but the opening lines throw us back to a freer time.” – Holly Gordon, CBC Music

“Greatest Hits” is the latest offering from Sleepless Nights and the lead track from the new album, Every Word Is A Trap, which is available Friday, May 29 via Acadian Embassy.

The record finds the band leaning hard into their affinity for glam rock grooves, new wave deliveries, and anthemic earworms. Throughout the seven song offering – which features contributions from Ian Blurton (C’mon, Change of Heart), Jordan Murphy (Walrus), Myles Deck (Cauldron), Josh “Pinky” Pothier (Kuato), and Kate Leduce (Robot Eyes) – the retro throwback influence of bands such as T. Rex, The Knack, and The Cars blends seamlessly with contemporary themes.

Calling up punchy guitar stabs, a four-on-the-floor drive, ripping solos, and dirty staccato organs, “Pink Popcorn” takes potshots at the hypermasculinity of rock’s past. The fuzzed-out, Joel Plaskett-produced “Kids On Drugs” tackles ideas of reckless youth and cell phone parents. “Spendin’ Money” – a track released on Black Friday – takes a critical look at endless cycles of debt and how we end up there.

Beneath the allusions and homages to classic rock, Sleepless Nights underscores their tongue-in-cheek narratives with an unrelenting ability to write catchy-as-hell rippers. These are the signature hallmarks of a band that has been making its mark on the country’s musical landscape for nearly 15 years, and proof positive that beneath the fun-loving riffs and pop-forward melodies rock n’ roll still has something to say.