ROAR - Zee Skirts

Roar, the solo project of Magic the Gathering enthusiast, amateur (but impressive) chef, and mastermind Owen Evans, channels that feeling of nostalgia we all experience but can never fully place. “Am I trapped inside a movie?” “Did I hear this song years ago in a dream?” listeners of Roar may ask. No, be still your delusions. It’s just Mr. Evans, who has a knack for writing emotive melodies and skillful arrangements evocative of the times of yore. 

In 2006, the year The Devil Wears Prada was released, Mr. Evans began working on some of the glorious, heart-wrenching songs that would ultimately form his epic 6-song debut EP: I Can’t Handle Change (2010). He has since released a second EP, I’m Not Here to Make Friends (2012), and three full-length records: Impossible Animals (2016), Pathetique Aesthetique (2018), and Diamond Destroyer of Death (2021). What will this harmonic wizard bring us next? We must wait patiently as Mr. Evans carefully examines his many extraordinary ideas, stitching them together like an immaculate gown sure to win the approval of Miranda Priestly herself. 

When he is brave enough to play his songs for the public, this bashful songwriter is accompanied by his trusty band of skilled and loyal friends. Inspired by 60s girl groups and early applications of the synthesizer, Roar songs sound like a place where old Hollywood celebrities, grief-stricken robots, and the occasional cheerful elf come together to tell stories about love, pain, and hope. Mr. Evans croons over chromatic basslines, impassioned string arrangements, and wistful synth arpeggios, bringing the listener on a dynamic, surreal journey punctuated by sentimental motifs and playful surprises. In search of an immersive sonic world that speaks to your big feels? Look no further - this humble musician has crafted the soundscape to your deepest emotional moments.

ZEE SKIRT

Si vous êtes plutôt enclin·es à la rêvasserie en journée, adeptes des soirées pyjamas, ou à tendance insomniaque, alors Zee Skirts est taillé sur mesure pour votre confort. Influencé par la culture musicale japonaise, mais aussi par de grandes constellations musicales – Harry Nilson, Robert Wyatt, Yasuaki Shimizu, Kate Bush ou encore Thelonious Mon, pour n’en citer que quelques unes –, le quatuor propose son deuxième album complet : « Only The Bad Sleep Well ».

Mené par la mystérieuse ZeeZee L’amoroso, le groupe avait auparavant présenté un premier album autoédité avant de signer avec W.E.R.F. record et de sortir une collection de chansons à la sonorité bubble-gum spécialement conçues pour celles et ceux qui chérissent leur pyjama comme un précieux trésor. Mêlant plages folklores et expérimentations sonores avant-gardistes, Zee Skirt parvient à devenir l’oreiller sur lequel on entend une myriade de sonorités, comme une batterie dégringolant les escaliers ou un basson poursuivant un trombone.