Recorded at Closet Studios in Montreal, on 'Silent Love', the band wears their influences on their sleeves, with elements of Simple Minds, The Cult, Echo and the Bunnymen, early U2, Nick Cave and The Mission at the fore. Continuing a long-standing tradition of Montreal being at the hub of new wave / dark rock within Canada, it's a pleasure to introduce four-piece The Ember Glows, who have found their way into this word via four other indie bands local to the Quebec music scene - namely Room Control, REPO, Scene Noir and Citylake. Formed in early 2019, the band is made up of Richard Bunze (guitar), Kevin Hills (bass), Martin Saint (vocals and guitar) and Dan Stefik (drums).

"This song came about when my ex-girlfriend lost her father last year. This is about how powerless one feels when a loved one mourns the loss of a close relative. The old clichés and platitudes won’t help but you still want to offer the gift of silence and love. Because it came from the heart, the song wrote itself. Even the first band run-through sounded good already. We all knew then it’d be a special one," says frontman Martin Saint. Guitarist Richard Bunze adds, "After hearing the initial chord structure and vocal melody, I began playing a variation of my current guitar riff. I wanted it to sound wide and ethereal, with a driving gritty character and texture. I think we all added our own TEG stamp on this one!”

Their new single 'Silent Love' is about steadfast love, the fragility of life and the power of silence. With performances that make subtle use of dynamics and trace their roots to guitar-driven new wave, psych rock and 90’s British indie music, their recordings channel the feeling of being front and centre at one of their shows. The four-piece have crafted a sound that boast simple hooks, a pulsating rhythm section, textural guitar interplay and baritone vocals. Long-time friends since their teenage years, personal chemistry and musical synchronicity brought them together as The Ember Glows. With all four of them also being part of other bands, what started as a side-project ultimately became everyone’s main music priority, fueled by their jointly-forged sound and corresponding adrenaline. Each member brings something different to the table - Rich with his knack for texture and big sound, Kevin’s rumbling groovy bass lines, Dan’s manic and melodic drumming, and Martin’s delicate lacing of baritone and jangly guitars. Newly released on June 29, the 'Silent Love' single is available everywhere digitally, including Bandcamp, where listeners can also find the band's latest 'Passerby' EP, available digitally and newly released on cassette.

Photo credit: Bryan Gagnon