Sluice previews 2nd LP with new single & video “Agit comme du monde”
Acadian powerpop band SLUICE releases the brand new single and music video, “Agit comme du monde.“Â
The single acts as a preview to Sluice’s sophomore LP, Archiviste – a history lesson, a love letter to home, and a fist-pumping 10-track album offering up the most fun you could possibly have learning about niche Nova Scotian Acadian history while soaking in your 1990s nostalgia.
This history lesson, cleverly disguised in a veil of powerpop and driven by ripping guitars, begins with a focus on the dialect of Par-en-Bas, a collection of Acadian communities in southwestern Nova Scotia near Yarmouth.
On “Agit comme du monde,” the lead-off track from the new LP recorded by Thomas D’Arcy (The Sheepdogs, July Talk, NOBRO) and mixed by Jay Dufour (Avril Lavigne, Tokyo Police Club, Ria Mae), particular emphasis is placed on the construction of the words shouted in verse call and response using words and sayings familiar to the distinct dialect of the band’s home region (“ackmode,” “malonne,” “garoche,” “feutchaques“) – in itself a new way of preserving the culture of one of the oldest Acadian regions of the world.
The accompanying music video, directed by Jeff Miller and shot by Charlie Benoit, hones in on Sluice’s penchant for leaning into a ’90s aesthetic while also paying homage to their homeland. The clip follows the band members to various locations in Par-en-Bas and Par-en-Haut making a key stop at Tusket Frenchy’s, a local branch of the staple Maritime thrift store that is as much a part of Nova Scotia’s Acadian identity as rappie pie. Seeing the band rummaging through boxes of used clothing and engaging in general shenanigans while superimposed text showcases key acajonne lyrics – the clip proposes influences that lie somewhere on the crossroads between the anarchy of A Clockwork Orange, the text processing of Van Halen’s “Right Now” video and the carefree spirit of the Smashing Pumpkins classic, “1979.”
Trevor Murphy shares,
“At its core, ‘Agit comme du monde’ is a song about rebels – misunderstood youth who are looking for their identity in a place that is not ready to accept them as they are. It’s an anthem for the boys who wanted to wear dresses after seeing Nirvana videos, for those who went hunting for retro clothes at Frenchy’s to stand out in the hallways of their high school, and for the wallflowers who have never been able to find their place where they wanted it most. In order to showcase unique aspects of our distinct culture, we decided to put Acadian words that we have heard all our lives on full blast – sayings or phrases that were used to put us in our place. The title itself loosely translates to a phrase that basically means: please, just act normal.”
“Where we imagined this song as a series of bombardments against self-identity, we therefore chose to highlight Acadian words often imbued with negativity – ‘ackmode’ ie. a hyperactive troublemaker, ‘malonne’ ie. a mean-spirited jerk, ‘haïssable’ ie. a person with a hateful attitude. Those taunts, however, are turned on their head here, and just as we reclaimed our personal identity by finding our own way to express ourselves, we choose to use these quasi-insults as a way to tell a story of redemption. For everyone who thought we were weirdos and dreamers, it’s our look at us now moment. It is a song that celebrates kids on the margins.” he continues.
Archiviste is set for release on Friday, November 03 via Acadian Embassy.