Population II is a band dedicated to its disengagement, constantly working on refining their imposing, yet unpretentious sound. Composed of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/keyboardist Tristan Lacombe, and bassist Sébastien Provençal, the trio began recording a handful of independent releases that soon caught the attention of the independent label Castle Face Records, who released their debut À la Ô Terre in 2020, and in 2023 the band released their sophomore album Électrons libres du québec via Bonsound, which lead into a heavy period of touring in the US and Canada, including a run with OSEES.
The band delves into tasseomancy on their new single “Le thé est prêt” (French for “The tea is ready”), which arrives today to mark the announce of their new LP Maintenant Jamais, their third full-length album, which is due out on March 28th via Bonsound. The release also coincides with the start of a European tour, which includes shows in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK (full details of the tour dates can be found below).
LISTEN TO POPULATION II’S “LE THE EST PRET”
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, Peter Peter), the turbulence of the band’s previous releases is structured and refined. The result is a sophisticated rock album that surprises with its languorous grooves, as heard on Le thé est prêt, while staying true to the raw power for which the band is renowned, as demonstrated on vigorous tracks such as La Trippance and Rédemption naturelle.
The album follows with Prévisions, a song that ripples 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 the distinctive style they’ve been developing for several years, thanks in part to a fusion of shared influences – from Soft Machine to MC5 to L’Infonie – but also to a rare complicity that can only blossom between such close friends. This creative chemistry is what makes the band’s complex songwriting seem so fluid and supple. Population II breaks through their previous sonic frontiers while staying true to their roots. Therein lies the achievement of Maintenant Jamais, to be released on March 28, 2025, via Bonsound.
PREORDER MAINTENANT JAMAIS HERE
| Tour Dates |
| 01/14 – Biarritz, FR – L’Atabal* |
| 01/15 – Bordeaux, FR – Rock* |
| 01/16 – Angers, FR – Chabada* |
| 01/17 – Rennes, FR – L’Antipode* |
| 01/18 – Brest, FR – La Carène* |
| 01/21 – Antwerp, BE – Trix* |
| 01/22 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg* |
| 01/23 – Liège, BE – Le Reflektor* |
| 01/24 – Dijon, FR – La Vapeur* |
| 01/25 – Orléans, FR – L’Astrolabe* |
| 01/27 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK – Cumberland Arms |
| 01/28 – Sheffield, UK – The Washington |
| 01/29 – Brighton, UK – Dalton’s |
| 01/30 – London, UK – The Shacklewell Arms |
| 01/31 – Bristol, UK – The Lanes |
| 02/01 – Manchester, UK – Big Hands |
| 02/02 – Guildford, UK – The Boiler Room** |
| 02/04 – Paris, FR – Le Petit Bain |
| *Opening for SLIFT |
| **Opening for Miki Berenyi Trio |
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]
