As a side project, David in the Dark‘s Evan LeBlanc has been slowing the pace. With the release of his debut solo EP Keep Warm, the Fredericton musician is showing listeners his softer side.
The EP’s title says it all. Alongside an image of LeBlanc standing outdoors and wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, the tracks hit something like getting caught in a cold rain on your walk home, but then stepping inside to find a cozy fire and hot cup of tea. This sentiment is rather timely, since many of us are feeling those heavy winter blues as we walk straight ahead into the dead of winter.
The stripped back, acoustic sound of Keep Warm lets the emotions behind the tracks roam free. As a soloist, LeBlanc‘s tracks maintain the softness of their original form, unlike the upbeat and lighthearted-sounding tunes of David in the Dark. The vocals on the track take the stage, and the lyrics are clear and unmasked.
“Normally when I write the songs, even for David, they start out slower and softer like this new EP, and then once I take them to the band, that’s when they find that poppy flare that we are known for,” says LeBlanc.
“I just thought it would be nice to keep some tunes for myself and leave them the way they were written. Just nice and slow and let the lyrics do the speaking.
“[…] This acoustic side project is something I’ve always been interested in, and it just feels like the right time to pursue it, because things always kinda slow down in the winter for us,
“Keep Warm is kind of a reminder for me to stay busy with other things through these colder months so I don’t go crazy!”
Keep Warm was recorded by Dylan Ward, bassist for David in the Dark, at Shiftwork Studio in Fredericton. And although it is purely vocals and acoustic guitar, the recording quality feels nicely polished and well balanced.
But just because LeBlanc is running with his solo career does not mean he is slowing down on his other projects. And it doesn’t stop at David in the Dark, either. For the past year, LeBlanc has also been playing in a band called Marian, made up of himself and three other members of David in the Dark: Dylan Ward, Tim Everett and Stefan Westner.
“David isn’t going anywhere,” he reassures, “and we plan to do some recording in the sort of near future, as I’m writing for that project now as well. It’s just nice to have something on the side to keep me occupied.”
Tour Dates:
01.30.19 – Ottawa, ON @ a house show
01.31.19 – Peterborough, ON @ The Garnet
02.01.19 – New Market, ON @ Market Brewing Company
02.02.19 – Chatham, ON @ the Elephant’s Nest
02.03.19 – Cambridge, ON @ Rhythm and Brews
02.04.19 – Kitchener, ON @ the Funky Olive
02.05.19 – Toronto, ON @ the Horseshoe Tavern
02.06.19 – Orillia, ON @ the Brownstone Café
02.07.19 – Kingston, ON @ Musikki Café
02.08.19 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Danse Entre-Nous
02.09.19 – Taboussac, QC @ Auberge de Jeunesse
02.10.19 – Florenceville-Bristol, NB @ AC Sharkey’s