Montreal-based modern psych-pop band Elephant Stone shared the single + video “M. Lonely” (“Mr. Lonely”), the latest offering from their upcoming concept EP Le voyage de M. Lonely dans la lune, out February 18 via Elephants On Parade. Setting the stage for the EP’s storyline, the track finds the hermetic titular character upset about a worldwide epidemic that forces the rest of the planet’s population to stay home, ultimately deciding he must leave earth for his own reclusive sanity. Sung entirely in French, a departure for the English-speaking band, the EP doubles as a “love letter to Montreal, Quebec, and all of our French-speaking fans around the world,” says Rishi Dhir, who has helmed the band for the past thirteen years. The song today follows “La fusée du chagrin” (“The Rocket of Sorrow”) telling the story of M. Lonely’s psychedelic journey into space. The band also announced a North American tour for this upcoming May following an appearance at SXSW, with dates and tickets available here.

 
Dhir explains, “The riff from this song dates back to my time playing with The Black Angels in 2012. Following our gig in Nashville, Christian Bland (The Black Angels’ guitarist) and I proceeded to get drunk backstage and started jamming. Coaxed by Alex Mass (The Black Angels’ vocalist), we came up with the idea of creating a new band called The Woodpeckers: playing primal 60’s garage while wearing Woody Woodpecker masks. We both came up with tunes on the spot and, 10 years later, mine ended up evolving into ‘M. Lonely.’ Anyhow, I’m still waiting for those Woody Woodpecker masks…”

Le voyage de M. Lonely dans la lune picks up the personal aspects of survival explored on the group’s previous album Hollow, and what that means on a dying planet with or without people. “I built this storyline about a hermit who is very content in his solitary world, until a world event happens that causes everyone else to stay home as well…sound familiar?” Dhir explains. “He sees this as a mockery of him and his choices, deciding instead to build a rocket ship to the moon to be left alone.” Unraveling over the course of four songs with raucous hooks and voltaic synths on the first two tracks, and lonely, soft melodies on the last two, M. Lonely, Dhir says, “ultimately realizes he was happier back on imperfect earth with all of its imperfect people.”

Photo Courtesy: Bowen Stead