Montreal, QC-based band, The Liquor Store is made up of 7 distinguished musicians whose stage show emanates an infectious energy.
The band has unveiled their second single, “Upgrades” from their upcoming album, Colossus, which is set for release in early fall 2021. This will be the first of two albums to be released over 2021 and 2022, so be sure to keep an eye on this group.
“Upgrades” is contemporary groove music with a nostalgic and lively edge that perpetually reinvents itself with a tapestry of elusive musical colors. The introspective composition addresses the blind pursuit of progress. In an era where life is constantly accelerating, The Liquor Store invites its audience to take a moment of quietude, peace, and harmony, to meditate with them on the meaning of life and the inevitability of progress in a constantly changing world.
Check out “Upgrades” below, and find out more about The Liquor Store via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Alex, I’m 28 years old and I play tenor saxophone with The Liquor Store, a funk/jazz/hip-hop/soul/etc based in Montréal. The band was founded in 2010 when our trumpet player, Rémi Cormier, was offered a gig but he didn’t have a band yet, so he asked Félix Le Blanc (keyboards), Émile Farley (bass) and myself if we wanted to form a band. We wrote our first tune within ten minutes of getting together and the rest is history.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
Our music is rooted within the jazz tradition but we incorporate many different styles of music into our writing. This has always been part of our core values; if it sounds good, we’re open to it.
Felix, our keyboard player, writes most of the music but others have contributed to our catalogue as well. Although we don’t all write, most tunes go through a collective composition period where all members contribute in some way or another.
Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?
There’s a well-known bass player by the name of Michael League who had a great statement about his own band, Snarky Puppy: ‘’It’s music for your brain and booty’’. I love that phrase because it truly encapsulates what we’ve been trying to do for the last decade; compose and perform music that is rich in melody and harmony all while making you want to move and groove. We have a couple of shows lined up before Labour Day, if you haven’t seen us live now’s the time!
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
I’d have to go with ‘’The Getaway Plan’’ from our record NightDrive. High-energy, in-your-face-funk with a touch of jazz. The band has written dozens of songs that vary quite extensively through different styles, but The Getaway Plan is one that really represents us throughout the years we’ve been creating together.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
Malika Tirolien, Daniel Caesar, Busty and the Bass, Anomalie, KC Roberts, and the Live Revolution, to name a few. We’re lucky to have so many great artists in Canada!