Montréal-based Diamond Day is pioneering new strands of folk, indie rock, and electronica, weaving atmospheric shoegaze with melodramatic dream-pop. The collaboration between Rosier’s lead singer, Béatrix Méthé and multi-instrumentalist, Quinn Bachand, began in 2019 and quickly blossomed into their upcoming full-length record, Connect the Dots.

Diamond Day’s new single dropping today, “Come Over Here,” is an instant dream-pop classic. The song features the vocals of French pop artist L’Isle (Ariane Brunet) and Méthé’s soothing voice beckoning “Lonely? Come over here,” luring listeners into a mirage of washed-out guitars and vintage drum machines. The 3rd single hints at their debut album which perfectly captures the dreamy sounds of the early ‘90s – a fresh breeze to pass the summer heat. Singer Béatrix Méthé explains, “’Come Over Here’ was one of the first songs we started together for this album. We both flew to Victoria, British Columbia the day the pandemic lockdown began. It was winter, and the weather was so much better than in Montreal.” 

Multi-instrumentalist Quinn Bachand further reveals: “I was running along the ocean every day. I downloaded Strava and got super competitive… to an unhealthy degree, haha. I would get really pissed off if I saw someone running longer distances than me. My friend Kevin Garcia ran a half-marathon, and I said, ‘f**k it, I’m doing one. Today!’ About 18 km in, I hit a wall and became insane. That’s when a Cocteau Twins song came on and I couldn’t believe how amazing the arrangement was. It was like I was hearing it again for the first time, noticing things I hadn’t before. Ultra wall-of-sound, hyper-produced. The whole track felt like ‘speed-induced-mania’ or something.”

In contrast to their other respective groups, Diamond Day cites influences from Julee Cruise, Cocteau Twins and Curve, however, the duo retains the sharp edge of early shoegazers Lilys, Lovesliescrushing and My Bloody Valentine. Listen closely, and you’ll even hear some glitch-pop elements of groups like the Books and Broadcast. Though, at times, the duo ventures into more experimental alt-rock, Méthé’s haunting voice remains audibly focal, juxtaposing subtle lyricism with infectious melody – a solid bond to Bachand’s expansively lucid-dreamy soundscapes.

Diamond Day’s debut Connect the Dots (release date TBD) will feature contributions from Jorge Elbrecht (Sky Ferreira, Japanese Breakfast), L’Isle (Ariane Brunet), Elijah Marrett-Hitch (Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa), Kenny Gilmore (Ariel Pink, Weyes Blood), and Philip Shaw-Bova (Angel Olsen, Bahamas).

Photo Courtesy: Ariana Molly