Jesse Northey, Chloe Doucet, The Secret Beach

Fri. Sep 2, 2022 at 8:00pm EDT
19 and Over
Price: 12.00 CAD $
19 and Over
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Price: 12.00 CAD $
19 and Over
Event Description
Jesse Northey, Chloe Doucet, The Secret Beach

Jesse Northey
If one was to analyze the DNA of Jesse Northey music, its double helix might look an awful lot like a sharp insider's take on the world of capital “P” pop songcraft. A decade and change into his career, Northey has long established his own voice as a songwriter, but the music palpably pulses with inspiration from the decades' worth of tune-smiths that have come before him. In tandem with lyrics that explore the myriad ways in which we need to dismantle the artifice of masculinity, societal norms, and creativity-sapping careerist ambitions, this is music firmly rooted in the classics, but cut with a clear-eyed contemporary viewpoint.

On his new album Onion Knight, Northey presents a widescreen distillation of these influences, brought to life with exceptional warmth and attention to detail by ace producer Thomas D’Arcy (The Sheepdogs, NOBRO, Yukon Blonde) at Taurus Studios in Toronto. The drums are lush and up front, the bass melodic and McCartney-esque, and the songs are driven by piano, vintage keyboards, and shimmering synths. All of these elements readily bring to mind titans of song such as Elliott Smith, Harry Nilsson, Aimee Mann, and Spoon, as well as contemporaries such as Chris Cohen and Andy Shauf.

Chloe Doucet
Knee-deep in the 21st Century, when autotune has overridden the wail of the wah-wah pedal and the tactile splendor of a 45 has been replaced by the non-entity of a digital streaming service, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Chloë Doucet seems to have been hand-selected by the ghost of George Harrison to reinvigorate the classic notion of guitar-driven rock & roll. While what we now refer to as “classic rock” tends to feel plodding and steeped in nostalgia, Doucet’s incandescent vocals, scrappy guitar riffs and meditative, often whimsical lyrics look toward a fresh & rebellious future while simultaneously paying homage to her beloved lo-fi past.

An ardent Beatles lover since early childhood, Doucet’s love for the guitar feels like more of a journey than a choice. After cutting her teeth as a member of the cleverly-named garage rock duo Side Hustle, she has since found her niche as a subtle yet powerful solo artist a la Harry Nilsson or Carole King; through recent collaborations with members of Toronto’s Zeus, Chloë remains entirely in control of her own vision. Hers are sparkling, contemplative melodies, corduroy-textured & saturated in shades of butterscotch & goldenrod, the kind of songs meant to be listened to on headphones in moments of late summer solitude. Her latest single, “Satan Loves You,” is no exception, pairing an addictively sunshiney melody with vivid metaphor and her trademark lyrical introspection. “Music is like magic,” Chloë says herself— a magic that her uncanny, understated ability to capture manages to elude time or place, instead defining a moment that is entirely her own.

The Secret Beach
The Secret Beach is the moniker used by Micah Erenberg whose refreshingly plainspoken candour has become a dominant through-line in the singer / songwriter’s ever-expanding catalogue. Whether releasing records under his own name or lending his talents as a producer, Erenberg exists in a constant whirlpool of creation. Out August 24, 2022 via Victory Pool Records, Erenberg’s latest offering, Songs From The Secret Beach, finds beauty in the mundanity of daily life. Produced by Erenberg, and mixed by revered producer/engineer Rob Schnapf (Kurt Vile, Beck, Cass Mccombs), this collection is at once an exercise in restraint, as well as an arrestingly lush exploration of sonic possibility. The wisdom of this record exists between the cracks. There is nuance that could easily be overlooked. However, Songs From The Secret Beach takes a courageous and uninhibited stab at honesty.

Of his process, Erenberg states, "A lot of music inherently mimics other music. It’s just natural because there is so much music out there. It’s impossible not to be inspired and shaped by the music you hear, so I try to draw more of my inspiration from non-musical things; physical experiences, conversations, feelings, sensations, and inner reflections, in an attempt to achieve some form of genuine originality.” This exercise is clearly displayed on the track "God Is", where Erenberg offers Lennon-esq narratives of the co-existence of god and man in raw glamor-less situations. Similarly, on the title track, Erenberg delivers a juxtaposition between a blissfully playful arrangement, and a whimsically disguised commentary on the fragility of human existence. This is a common place practice for the singer-songwriter, who seamlessly manoeuvres between carefree melodicism and heavy subject matter.

Since the release of his 2016 debut, Erenberg has toured extensively in support of his solo pursuits. Previously signed to the now defunct Canadian indie label Sleepless Records (Michael Rault, July Talk) for his well-regarded 2019 release Love Is Gonna Find You, Erenberg’s brand of unabashed lyrical honesty, and vulnerable talk-like delivery has earned admiration from audiences across North America and Europe.

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Venue Details
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The Garrison 1197 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6J 1X3
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