Daily Discovery is a feature that highlights a new or recently discovered artist who we’re excited about. See the rest of our Daily Discoveries here.
Bernice is the project of Toronto-based vocalist/songwriter Robin Dann and fellow members Thom Gill, Colin Fisher, Daniel Fortin, Phillippe Melanson, and Felicia Williams. The band blends melodies reminiscent of artists like Sade with the playful sounds of artists like Deerhoof and Dirty Projectors.
The band's latest single is "St. Lucia" and today Robin is here to premiere its video and give a little more info on the band as we were able to ask the vocalist a few questions about how things came together for Bernice.
Check out the video below as well as the band's upcoming tour dates across the UK.
Can you introduce yourself?
I'm Robin!
How did "St. Lucia" come together?
My great auntie Irene passed away and it got me thinking a lot about what I do and don't know about my history. My middle name is Lorraine, which is my nana's first name... How do I carry on and embody these women who came before me?
So, I wrote this song and we started playing it a lot. It became an important one for us and we carried it around for a while, trying this approach and that approach while recording until we found the right energy for it - pretty multicoloured, lots of pieces of sound from all over, and just bouncing along with its own momentum...
What made you guys decide to release an animated video rather than a traditional video shoot?
I think it was less a decision and more of a clear desire I had to collaborate with [artist] Sonia Beckwith-Cole. Her animation felt completely right to me, and I knew she would make something so beautiful for the song's world... She just makes stuff that speaks directly to me. And I hope others, too!
What do you want people to feel when they listen to the music?
I think whatever they feel is correct! Any feeling at all.
What can listeners expect to hear on the album?
They can expect to hear about different kinds of flowers, about my dreams of alien communication, and hopefully to feel the spaces we worked in, feel the 3D we felt while recording the songs.
How did guys like Grammy Award winner Shawn Everett get involved with this upcoming album?
We met Shawn at the Banff Centre [during an artist's residency] and had such a great time working together that he was game to have us out to his home studio in LA, lucky us. We got to experience Shawn time - endless and wonderful work heavily dappled with trips to spooky malls and night walks to tacos and echoes of energetic workshops bleeding through the studio walls (one particular yell even made it onto a track).
What are your plans for 2017?
Releasing more music, doing some touring, enjoying time at home, making some gardens, serving some coffees!
12-16 Toronto, ON - The Costume House (Red Bull Sound Select)^
01-17 Dublin, IR - Vicar Street*
01-19 Belfast, UK - The Redeemer Church*
01-21 Gateshead, UK - The Sage*
01-23 Brighton, UK - Komedia*
01-24 Bury St Edmunds, UK - The Apex*
01-25 Bristol, UK - St. George’s Hall*
01-26 Cardiff, UK - Cardiff Tramshed*
01-27 Leeds, UK - City Varieties*
01-28 Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz*
01-30 Birmingham, UK - Town Hall*
01-31 Ashford, UK - Revelation*
02-01 Salisbury, UK - Salisbury City Hall*
