A sound evolution is on the horizon as the Winnipeg-based psychedelic jazz-funk collective Apollo Suns prepare to launch their debut LP, Departures, on September 22, 2023, through Do Right! Music.
This cinematic journey, inspired by artistic luminaries such as Lettuce, Frank Zappa, and Goblin, as well as scores and soundtracks from The Warriors, Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Lupin III, and The Legend of Zelda, finds the band venturing into new territories, reflecting the ebb and flow of the pandemic years.
The band, never halted by global circumstances, engaged in remote creative collaboration during lockdown, utilizing Zoom and midi-programmed instruments to channel their creative energies. Once restrictions were lifted, Juno award-winning producer Ben Kaplan was flown to Winnipeg for an intense 10-day recording session at No Fun Club, reigniting the high-octane chemistry of Apollo Suns' live performances.
Departures takes listeners on a genre-melding journey, introducing a rich sonic palette that includes strings, acoustic guitar, grand piano, and lap steel. The album explores the profound and playful, the graceful and ghostly, as well as gritty funk and much more, capturing the emotions of an unpredictable era.
"It's been a heavy couple of years. We wanted to make an album that summed it all up," says bandleader Ed Durocher. "Music often embodies life's different facets. Through sound, we've tried to convey experiences ranging from the aggressive to the fun and loose, and from the joyous to the somber."
The release will be accompanied by visually arresting extras, such as a claymation video that showcases the band performing across various planets, embroiled in a cosmic adventure featuring world-eating space serpents and intergalactic funk.
Apollo Suns have enthralled audiences at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, Vermont Jazz Fest, Calgary Stampede, and with support slots for The Comet is Coming, Makaya McCraven, and Anomalie. The band's extensive tour across the US, Canada (2023/24), and Europe (2024) includes release shows at Winnipeg's Good Will Social Club on October 19 & 20, 2023. Departures will be available digitally, with vinyl and CD versions also available.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Sept 27 – Lethbridge, AB @ The Slice
Sept 28 – Calgary, AB @ The King Eddy
Sept 29 – Golden, BC @ The Rockwater
Sept 30 – Edmonton, AB @ The Aviary
Oct 1 – Red Deer, AB @ The Velvet Olive
Oct 4 – Tacoma, WA @ The Spar
Oct 5 – Olympia, WA @ McCoys Tavern
Oct 6 – Portland, OR @ Swan Dive
Oct 7 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Oct 10/11 – Banff, AB @ Rose N Crown
Oct 12 – Revelstoke, BC @ The Last Drop Pub
Oct 13 – Vernon, BC @ BBDB (Record City)
Oct 14 – Prince George, BC @ The Legion
Nov 3 – Fargo, ND @ Dempseys
Nov 4 – Omaha, NE @ Down Under Pub
Nov 5 – Madison, WI @ North Street Cabaret
Nov 8 – Columbus, OH @ The Summit Music Hall
Nov 9 – Cincinnati, OH @ Stanleys Pub
Nov 10 – Cleveland, OH @ Terrestrial Brewing
Nov 11 – Toronto, ON @ The Baby G
Nov 16 – Portland, ME @ The Thirsty Pig
Nov 17 – Fredericton, NB @ The Cap
Nov 18 – Moncton, NB @ Tide and Boar
Nov 21 – Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
Nov 22 – London, ON @ TBA
Nov 23 – Windsor, ON @ Meteor
Nov 24 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies
Nov 25 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Cooperage
Dec 7 – Regina, SK @ The Cure
Dec 8 – Billings, MT @ Thirsty Street Brewing
Dec 9 – Missoula, MT @ Free Cycles
Dec 10 – Bozeman, MT @ TBA
Dec 14 – Evergreen, CO @ Woodcellar
Dec 15 – Denver, CO @ Your Mom’s House
Dec 16 – Steamboat Springs, CO @ Schmiggity's
