BRIA SALMENA – Big Dog (Sub Pop Loser Edition) – LP – Orchid Coloured Vinyl

LP – Indies Exclusive Limited Sub Pop ‘Loser Edition’ Orchid Coloured Vinyl (First pressing only). Only 200 copies pressed in this edition. Features appearances by Graham Walsh (Holy F**k, METZ, Debby Friday, Alvvays), Meg Remy (U.S. Girls), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)

Bria Salmenas debut solo album Big Dog chronicles a story of transformationa deeply personal exploration of resilience and a declaration of artistic independence forged through collaboration. Long celebrated as the frontwoman of Canadian post-punk outfit FRIGS and as a vocalist in Orville Pecks live band, Salmena culminates her artistic evolution on Big Dog. Anchored by her commanding voicealternately tender, raw, and defiantthe album traverses the terrain of vulnerability and connection, marking the arrival of an artist boldly coming into her own. Big Dog is a record of big emotions and big ambitions. Musically, the record takes elements of hypnotic krautrock and shimmery shoegaze, opulent goth and pulsing darkwave, with a smearing of electronic textures for a sophisticated and often uncanny sound. Amidst this vast sonic landscape, Salmenas potent lyrical imagery and gorgeous vocals stand dead center, perfectly in focus. For Salmena, it is impossible to unlink the personal journey represented by Big Dog from the collaborative relationships that went into its creation. Salmena worked with producer and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Hay Jennings in both FRIGS and Orville Pecks band. Jennings, who is not only Salmenas closest creative collaborator but also her closest friend, wrote Big Dog with Salmena over several years, during which Salmena was based in LA and Jennings in Toronto.
Before Big Dog, the two gave classic and modern Americana songs a goth-y dream pop treatment on Salmenas Cuntry Covers EPs. Graham Walsh (Holy F**k, METZ, Debby Friday, Alvvays) helped the pair further refine their budding mix of rock and electronic music, while Meg Remy (of critically acclaimed experimental pop project U.S. Girls) focused primarily on Salmenas vocals. Remy helped coax out the unforgettable performances that lie at the center of Big Dog through a series of cathartic meetings, pushing Salmena to dig even more deeply into the meaning of her lyrics and really think about different ways of using her voice. As Big Dog came together, it became apparent that Salmenas songwriting had taken a raw and intimate turn, going well beyond her and Jennings work on their prior EPs.

Big Dogs sound hovers between two worlds, gritty punk honesty always simmering below gleaming atmospherics, impossible to ignore. There are alternative rock touchstonesyoull hear Live Through This, The Distillers, Mazzy Star and one genuine alternative rock icon in Lee Ranaldo, who contributes guitar to “See’er. But theres also a sleekness thats just as much a callback to 80s coldwave as it is to ecstatic forms of dance music. Salmenas rich voice is ever-present, a constant warm glow within a mesh of mechanical sounds. At its core, Big Dog is more than just a record about discovering who you are by processing painful experiences. Its a record about discovering that you are never really alone.

Tracklist:

1. Drastic
2. Backs of Birds
3. Closer to You
4. Hammer
5. Radisson
6. Twilight
7. On the Line
8. Stretch the Struggle
9. Rags
10. See’er
11. Peanut
12. Water Memory

All songs written by Bria Salmena and Duncan Hay Jennings.

Produced by Duncan Hay Jennings and Bria Salmena, and co-produced by Meg Remy and Graham Walsh.

Recorded at Palace Sound Studio, and 711 Sound in Toronto, Canada. Engineered by Graham Walsh, Steve Chahley and Duncan Hay Jennings.

Lee Ranaldo appears on “See’er”, courtesy of Mute Artists.

Mixed by Graham Walsh.
Mastered by Heba Kadry, NYC.

Big Dog, the full-length by Bria Salmena, blends krautrock, shimmery shoegaze, opulent goth, pulsing darkwave, classic alt-rock, and shimmering electronic textures into a vital and empowering album, at once vulnerable and defiant.

Bria Salmena and Duncan Hay Jennings are known for their work in Orville Pecks band and Canadian post-punk band FRIGS.

Big Dog features appearances by Graham Walsh (Holy F**k, METZ, Debby Friday, Alvvays), Meg Remy (U.S. Girls), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)