It has been over three years now since Halifax’s Rich Aucoin released Ephemeral, and maybe for good reason. The amount of energy, creative or otherwise, that he’s invested into his projects go above and beyond. And while his new video for his sing ‘Release’ is fairly straightforward, it serves as no exception: getting dressed up in a suit and going out to float in the ocean isn’t necessarily an every-day event.
Aucoin has made a legend for himself as perhaps one of Canada’s most engaging musicians. He once toured across Canada on bike, running half-marathons in every city he visited, and donating every cent to Leukemia research. Ditto, running half-marathons for Heart And Stroke while recording his 2011 album, We’re All Dying To Live. He’s written albums designed to sync-up, Dark Side Of Oz-style, with “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Little Prince”. He even opens each of his shows with a custom video (see mostly recently his appearance at Hey Rosetta!’s final show in Toronto), and ends each show by leaving his phone number for any and all fans to text him personally (and receive updates on upcoming releases).
After having his computer stolen in 2016 in Costa Rica, he was forced to restart his EP from nearly the start, save for one track. But instead of simply starting over, he completely reimagined the sound. As the first single off his upcoming EP to be released in March, ‘Release’ takes on a different feel from his previous work. It takes the listener on a slow-building and dynamic journey through catchy, instrumental pop melodies. But, while a little different, this track still has great potential to excite the crowd in one of Rich’s high-energy live performances.
The video, which was directed by Dave Hung and shot on four separate occasions off the coast of Nova Scotia, comprises a long, meditative shot of Rich himself floating in the water—and apparently praying to avoid any sharks that might have attacked. And it truly is meditative. There is not much else to focus on while watching the video than the waves, the seaweed surrounding him and the physical effects of the water’s motions on his person. It puts you into a sort of trace and allows your mind to really focus on the music.
TOUR DATES
Feb 20 – Montreal, QC – The Ritz
Feb 21 – Ottawa, ON – House Of Targ
Feb 22 – Guelph, ON – The eBar
Feb 23 – Hamiltona, ON – Mills Hardware
Feb 27 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere
Mar 1 – Toronto, ON – The Drake