In the meantime, the Calgary trio continues to tease the project. Today, they have returned with a 9-minute long single, “Snow Angel,” in which bandleader Raphaelle Standell-Preston embarks on an apocalyptic and existential rumination. The slow-building track, which was produced by Death Cab For Cutie‘s Chris Walla, was written just after the 2016 US election. But let’s be honest, it takes on a whole new dimension with the world’s current situation. About the track, she explained:

[su_quote]For me, it was deeply therapeutic to write and sing this song; saying things out loud can help us to not feel so alone, can help validate our natural fears about the future of our world, and can bring to light some of the hard questions that many of us are asking ourselves. I believe that art can change our relationship to fear. We hope this song can offer you a moment of catharsis and relief, in the same way writing and performing it has for us.[/su_quote]

Watch the accompanying Kevan Funk-directed video below.

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Raphaelle Standell-Preston is busy on all fronts. Last year, she released an album with Blue Hawaii, the duo she forms with Alex “Agor” Kerby. And now, the Canadian multi-talented artist is back with her other band, Braids. A few weeks ago, the three-piece released a new single, “Eclipse (Ashley)”, which pointed to the release of a new album. They have now officially announced the follow-up to their excellent 2015’s project Deep In The Iris: Shadow Offering is out in April. “There’s more hopefulness in this record than anything else I’ve written,” she explained. “I think the songs are more human, more tangible, more honest.” The 9-track project was produced by Death Cab For Cutie‘s Chris Walla.

Coming with this exciting news, they have also unveiled an excellent new single, “Young Buck”. “We wrote this song to capture the nervous anticipation of desire, the delicate chase of seduction, the highs and lows of obsession, and the humour in between,” she commented. “To want to possess someone, make them desire you, fall for you, only to learn that to lust is not to love.”

The synth-pop jam also comes with a lascivious video, full of hotties, which deals with desire and narcissism. The clip was directed by Kevin Calero. Watch below and listen to the track in our Best Tracks of 2020 playlist.

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Braids – “Shadow Offering”:

01 Here 4 U

02 Young Buck

03 Eclipse (Ashley)

04 Just Let Me

05 Upheaval ii

06 Fear Of Men

07 Snow Angel

08 Ocean

09 Note To Self

Catch Braids on tour:

April 22, 2020 – Leicester, UK – The Cookie

April 23, 2020 – Guildford, UK – Boileroom

April 24, 2020 – London, UK – Moth Club

April 25, 2020 – Ramsgate, UK – Music Hall

April 27, 2020 – Manchester, UK – YES Pink Room

April 28, 2020 – Liverpool, UK – Phase One

April 29, 2020 – Glasgow, UK – CAA

May 1, 2020 – Leeds, UK – Headrow House

May 2, 2020 – Cardiff, UK – Clwb for Bach

May 3, 2020 – Bristol, UK – The Exchange

May 4, 2020 – Cambridge, UK – Portland Arms

May 6, 2020 – Brussels, BE – Beursschouwburg

May 7, 2020 – Berlin, DE – Musik & Frieden

May 8, 2020 – Schorndorf, DE – Manufaktur

May 9, 2020 – Winterthur, CH – Albani Club

May 11, 2020 – Rotterdam, NL – V11

May 12, 2020 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso (Small Hall)

May 13, 2020 – Paris, FR – Pop Up Paris

May 14-16, 2020 – Brighton, UK – The Great Escape