Today, La Force, the mesmerizing solo project of Ariel Engle, who has spent more than a decade as one of Canada’s most sought-after musical collaborators shares “october,” the second single off her forthcoming album XO SKELETON out September 29 via Secret City Records.
The first offering - “condition of us” - has been received warmly by fans and critics alike, CBC Music stating, “Engle’s voice, wise and warm, envelopes the track, [..] Her words wrap around the music in odd ways at times, like a stream of consciousness versus melody, but the love that’s beaming from Engle is undeniable,” Clash Magazine thinks it’s “the sound of an artist moving deliberately towards evolution.”, while Guy Garvey (Elbow) at BBC6 Music said it felt “accomplished, passionate and slick. I love it.” The song was also praised by Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and more. “october” brings warmth to the XO SKELETON album - a lush, intimate song with incredible vocals embracing soul, smooth jazz and r&b - all the while reminding some of the “quiet storm” movement from the 90s.
“October is a time of harvest here [in Montreal]. It’s a time when we settle into darkness and leaves drop from the trees. It’s a time when we turn inward into our clothing and protective shells. It’s a song about the voices we internalize. People we can no longer see but whose voices and words live on inside us and shape us. It’s a song about the uncanny. A song about the cycles of nature, cycle of life. The song reminds us that despite our grand feelings we are just like animals and plants, destined to be born, to live and to die.” – La Force
XO SKELETON is the supple, steady, uncanny new album by La Force: a mixture of haunted pop and hot-blooded R&B that glistens at the meeting-point between life, death, and love. The album was coproduced by La Force and Warren Spicer (Plants and Animals). “The theme of the album revealed itself in the making,” she explains, recalling how the title track is rooted in a telephone call with her life-insurance broker—one everyday banality on the periphery of death. “At one point she said, ‘God forbid you should die.’ I was gobsmacked. ‘Well, there’s one thing guaranteed: no god or goddess is going to keep me alive.’”
Born and based in Montreal, La Force made her electrifying studio debut on Broken Social Scene 2017’s Hug of Thunder. The following year, Engle released La Force, garnering a Polaris Music Prize long-list nomination and drawing attention from Stereogum, the Globe & Mail, and NPR’s “Morning Becomes Electric,” as well as The National’s Aaron Dessner, who recruited Engle to appear on the new Big Red Machine LP alongside Bon Iver, Taylor Swift, Fleet Foxes and Sharon Van Etten. Engle was also invited to contribute to the recent album of Patrick Watson, who used their collaboration as the lead single on 2022’s Better In The Shade. Engle recently released a critically acclaimed (★★★★ - MOJO) album part of ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT, Engle’s drone/modular synth/voice team-up with Godspeed You! Black Emperor founder Efrim Manuel Menuck. Engle has appeared on stage with the likes of Maggie Rogers, Martha Wainwright, Leif Vollebekk, The Barr Brothers and more.
XO SKELETON tracklist
1. condition of us
2. how do you love a man
3. october
4. empathy sympathy
5. rock song
6. xo skeleton
7. ouroboros
8. zipolite
9. outrun the sun
Tour dates
09/08/23 - Cork, IE - SFSH Festival
09/22/23 Paris, FR - Cafe de la Danse**
09/23/23 Paris, FR - Cafe de la Danse**
09/25/23 Utrecht, NL - Tivoli Grote Zaal**
09/27/23 Leuven, BE - Het Depot**
09/28/23 Leuven, BE - Het Depot**
09/30/23 Geneva, CH - Antigel Festival (L’Alhambra)**
11/22/23 - Montreal, QC - Centre PHI #
11/24/23 - Toronto, ON - TD Music Hall #
11/25/23 - Ottawa, ON - Fourth Stage - NAC #
**Supporting Patrick Watson
# On sale June 2
