Emma Proulx of Canadian indie band Males I Belief / Courtesy of Males I Belief
Males I Belief, a three-piece indie band from Canada recognized for his or her dreamy, jazz-inflected minimalist sound, is returning to Korea for the Seoul leg of their upcoming “Equus” Asia tour.
After their twin album launch final 12 months, “Equus Asinus” and “Equus Caballus,” the band members expressed their pleasure about performing their new tracks in Asia for the primary time. The trio can also be set to revisit fan favorites from previous albums, promising a “very totally different present” for his or her Seoul set.
“I am actually trying ahead to being in that vitality,” vocalist Emma Proulx shared about their return to Seoul. This marks the band’s fourth go to to the nation, following an look on the Vacation Land Pageant in 2019 and solo showcases in 2020 and 2023.
Proulx, together with Jessy Caron on guitar and bass and Dragos Chiriac on keyboards, will kick off the Asia tour in Japan earlier than flying to Korea. They’re additionally slated to carry out in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and the Philippines.
The dual albums, launched in March and Could final 12 months, current a tasteful sonic distinction laced with the signature Males I Belief sound. The titles are drawn from the Latin genus Equus — “Asinus” that means donkey and “Caballus” that means horse — reflecting the polarity of moods and energies between the 2 data. Whereas “Equus Asinus” leans towards slower, extra folksy and atmospheric textures, “Equus Caballus” strikes at a quicker tempo with brighter, extra upbeat preparations.
The album titles initially took place as a joke after Dragos — who’s, by Proulx’s account, “obsessive about donkeys”—introduced up the thought of the Equus genome. “It was a split-second name, after which I used to be like, ‘Wait, that is tremendous good!’” Proulx exclaimed. “It was sort of a thriller for us, too — this world that got here out of Dragos — however then it was making a lot sense for us.”
With 27 tracks in complete, the “Equus” releases mark Males I Belief’s greatest undertaking thus far. The albums characteristic beforehand launched singles “Billie Toppy,” “Woman,” “Ring of Previous” and “Husk,” alongside newer tracks like “Paul’s Theme,” “Frost Chunk” and “Come Again Down,” which Proulx cited as her private favorites.
Regardless of largely being on the street, the band’s drive to create music stays fixed. Proulx informed The Korea Instances that the abundance of fabric was, actually, the undertaking’s greatest concern. “The issue was that we had a variety of choices,” she acknowledged. “However as soon as the alternatives have been made, every little thing simply fell into the suitable place.”
That instinct-led decision-making displays the band’s broader ethos. As a totally impartial act, Males I Belief have lengthy valued the absence of exterior pressures, permitting them to remain near their artwork and stay genuine. Whereas usually related to dream-pop or indie-pop, the band members keep away from confining themselves to any single style, as an alternative persevering with to discover new soundscapes whereas sustaining a minimalist, mellow sensibility that, as Proulx put it, “sits excellent.”
“We all the time just about work the identical approach,” the frontwoman mentioned, describing what she referred to as an “introverted approach of working.” Fairly than jamming collectively in a studio, the members work from their very own areas, dumping drafts in a shared Dropbox folder and steadily constructing every observe layer by layer.
“Jessy may write the bass line, after which Dragos would add synths, then I’d sing a melody — after which, a track is created,” Proulx defined. Regardless of the solitary nature of the method, ultimately, magically, “It all the time feels like a Males I Belief track.”
Proulx described their work as “music for introvert time,” becoming for moments of quiet introspection. “What I hear from Asian followers is that it’s very comforting,” she mentioned. “I feel it helps individuals be with themselves.”
A poster for Males I Belief’s Seoul present on Saturday at KBS Area / Courtesy of Males I Belief
Whereas the soothing sonic palette is central to the band’s enchantment, in addition they place robust emphasis on lyricism. “It is the nicest factor — when you’ve gotten a small sentence that holds all of the that means that you could possibly have in a paragraph. That’s poetry,” she mused. “It’s the most important praise as an artist to know that folks nonetheless take note of the lyrics.”
Through the years, Seoul has left an enduring impression on the trio — from the colourful tradition to the thoughtfulness of followers. She recalled crowds that have been “so calm, but engaged,” and a home made Troll-like doll gifted by a fan — an merchandise she nonetheless cherishes as we speak.
Town has additionally been the setting for some surreal moments, together with a efficiency simply earlier than the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, when audiences have been already carrying masks. One other standout reminiscence from Vacation Land was assembly BLACKPINK’s Jennie. “I had no thought how large of an artist she was again then — we have been simply hanging out within the trailer earlier than happening stage,” the singer mentioned. “Then, strolling across the metropolis, I used to be like, ‘Wait, she’s in every single place!’”
After finishing the Asian leg of their tour, Males I Belief will proceed with “Equus” throughout South America and Europe.
As for what comes subsequent, Proulx hinted at the potential of new singles. “That’s the advantage of being absolutely impartial — as quickly as we have now a very good track, we are able to launch it anytime,” she mentioned. “We would get into the studio, for certain.”
Their Seoul present begins at 7 p.m. this Saturday at KBS Area. Ticket costs begin at 99,000 received and can be found via the NOL Ticket web site.
Mariel Abanes (@staymmmad on Instagram) is a contract life-style & tradition author/editor from the Philippines, presently based mostly in Seoul. She promotes indie music and tradition, and writes poetry and prose infrequently.
