New Video: Loon Choir – “Bug”
Ottawa’s nine-piece ensemble Loon Choir have released a beautiful new video for their latest track “Bug”. This is the group’s first release since 2012’s acclaimed Fire Poems, but they have been rolling out new material lately during their live performances. We can expect a new album from Loon Choir in 2015, the title of which has not been released yet.
“Bug” is the first release from their upcoming album, and a glimpse at what we can expect from the band almost three years since their last effort. The song is full of all the things that made us fall in love with Loon Choir in the first place – a full sound with textured instrumental layers, catchy and anthemic buildups, and ambitious vocals by frontman Derek Atkinson backed by group harmonies throughout the track.
The video itself is visually stunning, with animations done by artist Burcu Sankur. The imagery is evocative and, at points, disturbing. Violinist Kathleen Cauley described their approach to the video:
The animation is by the supremely talented Burcu Sankur. We saw her videos and fell in love with the animation and felt they fit with the themes and feeling of our song “Bug”. We didn’t know which song would be a single but her animations kind of selected “Bug” for us – I think this is a case of two pieces of art coming together and making something stronger, they are in a dialogue with one another. We got permission to use her lovely videos and it really works.
There is a real feeling of not having control of your surroundings, which can be beautiful and scary at the same time. Being alienated and being self-aware at the same time.
Loon Choir reached #2 on CBC’s R3-30 and was shortlisted for the “Rookie of the Year” Bucky Award by CBC in 2012. Keep an eye out for more details about Loon Choir’s upcoming album on their Facebook page, and download the song “Bug” on their Bandcamp page (PWYC).
Be sure to catch them at Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield, QC, on April 11. Watch the video below.