ABOUT

      On March 19th, Ottawa's Church of Trees officially dropped their 5th album PAUSE, and simultaneously dropped the new single Powerful Love (robpreuss Hypnotize Mix).
     Exploring new musical territory while never losing sight of their synth roots, PAUSE is a distinctive mix of electropop, indie edge, and ambient, including 7 new works and 3 Rob Preuss remixes.
     The album kicks off with their debut single World's a Bitch (featuring Carole Pope and Rob Preuss), then dials up the energy even more with the fierce indie-pop track Lost My Job. Sung by bandleader Bernard Frazer, the tune captures the confusing state many are in as they grapple with job loss thanks to the Covid pandemic. It also features the muscly guitar sounds of Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker the Star, Courtney Love, Chris Cornell).
Apart from his work on World's a Bitch, Rob Preuss (Spoons/Honeymoon Suite) also collaborated on the haunting instrumental Ego and Greed, a dark sonic exploration that fuses an Eno aesthetic with Bjork and a touch of Pink Floyd.
     Preuss also contributes 3 sizzling remixes, including a hi-octane danceclub production of World's a Bitch (robpreuss Variant Club Mix), and the supercharged, Nile Rodgers-esque Powerful Love (robpreuss Hypnotize Mix).
On this mix, Preuss also enlists the help of former Sting guitar player, Jeffrey Lee Campbell, who provides the Chic-like funk guitar.
     The Ottawa‐based synth/dream pop project launched its debut EP, Primitive Creatures in February 2017, and proceeded to build a worldwide audience from Japan and the UK to Mexico and Canada. The EP drove to number one on radio charts in cities across Canada, and it finished the year on a host of Top Album lists of 2017.
     The Dark & The Light (2018) heralded a brave new sound that bandleader, Bernard Frazer, noted is still very much synth-pop, but edgier. "Sonically, there are flavours that reference early Gary Numan, OMD, and even Goldfrapp". The album also introduced a host of extraordinary female singers that Frazer describes as, "incredible hidden Canadian treasures."
      The new album "New Bold Dawn" dropped on May 1st, 2020 and introduced grit and attitude to the CoT sound.
     Featuring the powerhouse vocals of Allison Stanton, the velvety tones of Tara Hope and, for the first time, Frazer's own voice, the album introduces a blend of all three, providing a signature sound across many of the tracks on New Bold Dawn.
     "They are a breath of fresh air!" Frazer exclaims. "I've never met two singers with such great pipes and so little ego. Learning to sing together was a challenge, but it was so rewarding!"
      helping Frazer re-tool the Church of Trees live act in 2019, Allison and Tara joined Frazer to write and record tracks for New Bold Dawn. The process wrapped in late April when the trio was suddenly forced to cease recording at Skylark Park (due to the lockdown) and lay down their final vocals at home. "Ultimately, we had to record vocals for End of Days at our respective home studios then send those tracks to Jordon at Skylark Park. We didn't have the benefit of Jordon's great equipment or his valuable direction, but we worked it out. End of Days was too important to leave off the album", says Frazer.
     Like its two predecessors, New Bold Dawn was co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Blinker the Star’s Jordon Zadorozny, whose musical pedigree is considerable. Formerly signed to A&M and DreamWorks, Zadorozny has worked with such notables as Courtney Love, Chris Cornell, and Lindsay Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac).
     "Jordon's a godsend", says Frazer, "not only does he offer sage advice in the pre-production phase, he is a gem in the studio. He listens to every nuance and makes sure he captures our best performances."
     Find all Church of Trees releases on Bandcamp and most streaming services.