Laurence-Anne is an architect of the intangible; she sculpts musical landscapes composed of haunting melodies, lush synthesizers, synthetic rhythms and hazy textures, all coated with her voice capable of instilling both comfort and anxiety. All of these elements come together to create a blend of dream pop, coldwave and synthpop inspired by her imagination, intimately connected to her experiences, and deeply infused with her unique perspective.
Shortly after entering the Montreal music scene, Laurence-Anne made a big splash in 2019 with a critically acclaimed debut album that made the Polaris Prize long list, which was followed by an EP showcasing her expanded musical horizons. Thus, the groundwork was laid for Musivision, a second album co-produced by Félix Petit (Les Louanges, Safia Nolin, Hubert Lenoir) which crystallized her creative identity. Once again, Laurence-Anne struck a chord with the critics, and she found herself at the top of CISM's Francophone albums chart for a second time, in addition to being nominated at the ADISQ gala (Album of the Year - Alternative) and winning Artist of the Year at the GAMIQ. This success enabled her to present her hazy universe at most of the major music festivals in Quebec (La Noce, FME, Frimat, FEQ, Le Festif), in France (MaMA, Aurores Montréal, Avec Le Temps) as well as in the United States, where she opened for the South Korean band Se So Neon and gave a remarkable performance at SXSW. In the spring of 2023, she will continue to showcase her music abroad as she is set to perform at several festivals in the UK, including FOCUS Wales, Liverpool Sound City and Wide Days.
In September 2023, Laurence-Anne will release Oniromancie, a third album that is denser, darker and more nocturnal than its predecessors, on which she further pushes the musical groundwork that had already been established on Musivision. Oniromancie is also her most explicitly dream pop album, evoking the sounds of artists such as Beach House, Weyes Blood and Cocteau Twins. Produced alongside François Zaïdan, this new release sees the singer and musician bring light to the different facets of the night by giving free rein to her subconscious. The result is a dreamy and intimate project on which she opens up more than ever whilst still deepening the mysterious aura that surrounds her, managing to spellbind by revealing a landscape that exists only to those who lend an ear.
Laurence-Anne's musical universe is composed of landscapes. Not only those that surround her, but also the ones she creates when her mind wanders and takes over from reality. They take many forms, but are most often made of haunting melodies, lush synthesizers, synthetic rhythms and hazy textures, all coated with her soft voice capable of instilling both comfort and anxiety. Their common ground is that they are all integral to Laurence-Anne, intimately linked to her experiences and deeply shaped by her perspective.
She made her musical debut in 2017 by making it to the finals of the Francouvertes, which led to the release of Première apparition two years later, an album that laid the foundation for her creative identity. It quickly received critical acclaim and made its way onto the Polaris Prize long list and to the top of CISM's Francophone albums of the year list. This first breakthrough enabled Laurence-Anne to present her work at most of Quebec's major music festivals (La Noce, FME, Frimat, FEQ, Le Festif). The word spread fast, and Laurence-Anne soon traveled to France (MaMA, Aurores Montréal) to showcase her musical universe. Upon her return, she unveiled Accident, an EP conveying a certain urgency with a post-punk edge.
Her musical exploration led to the release of her second opus, Musivision, in 2021. Co-produced by Félix Petit (Les Louanges, Safia Nolin, Hubert Lenoir), Musivision solidified the essence of her project, which then lied somewhere between dream pop and synthpop whilst remaining eclectic. Once again, the singer and musician struck a chord with the critics, and her mysterious universe found its way into the nominations of every musical gala in Quebec while garnering more attention in France. The following year, it was the United States' turn to be charmed by her melodies, as she toured the country to support the South Korean band Se So Neon. This journey also included a memorable performance at SXSW. Laurence-Anne also spent some time in Mexico and introduced her music to some of the country's most influential independent radio stations, including Reactor, Bestia Radio and Ibero. In the spring of 2023, she will continue to share her music abroad, as she is set to perform at several festivals in the UK, including FOCUS Wales, Liverpool Sound City and Wide Days.
In September 2023, Laurence-Anne will release Oniromancie, a third album produced alongside François Zaïdan that proves to be denser, darker and more nocturnal than her previous works, whereby she further pushes the groundwork established on Musivision. Undoubtedly her most conceptual work to date, Oniromancie is also her most explicitly dream pop record, evocating the sounds of artists such as Beach House, Weyes Blood and Cocteau Twins. Nevertheless, this architect of the intangible does not limit herself to one genre, incorporating touches of coldwave and experimental music here and there to shed light on the different facets of the night, from soft dreams to paralyzing nightmares. Automatic writing also finds its place on the album as a way to give free rein to her subconscious. The result is a dreamy and intimate record on which she opens up more than ever whilst still deepening the mysterious aura that surrounds her, managing to spellbind listeners with a landscape that exists only to those who lend an ear.
Pour son deuxième, et très réussi, album, Laurence-Anne nous donne littéralement à voir des mélodies aussi psychédéliques qu’elles sont douces et groovy. Qu’elle chante en français, en anglais ou en espagnol, l’artiste nous envoûte lentement pendant treize morceaux d’une grande cohérence.
Amélie Revert, Journal MétroAvec sa pop libre empreinte d’une « douceur étrange », Laurence-Anne est l’une des artistes les plus intéressantes de sa génération.
Josée Lapointe, La PresseMusivision : un fascinant labyrinthe en musique, avec des mélodies douces et caressantes pour ne pas se perdre. En vérité, l’album, sans crier gare, va quelque part. Mais point de divulgâchage : à vous d’aller jusqu’au bout.
Sylvain Cormier, Le DevoirWith Musivision, Laurence-Anne proves that she is one of Quebec's top acts to follow in years to come. Musivision is made of dreams from which we don't wake up. At least, not right now.
Yara El-Soueidi, Exclaim!