Song of the Day: The Besnard Lakes - Laura Lee

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unrealeased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Laura Lee” by The Besnard Lakes from the 2017 EP The Besnard Lakes Are The Divine Wind on Jagjaguwar.

The Besnard Lakes - Laura Lee (MP3)Fire surrounded Besnard Lake in 2015 as couple Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas made their annual pilgrimage to the body of water for inspiration for their Montreal-based band of the same name. The fire did nothing to negatively effect the influence of nature and wilderness on the band's 2016 release A Coliseum Complex Museum. In fact, the group faced a tough selection process (as is often the case in hyper-productive bands like The Besnard Lakes), and had to cut multiple songs from the project. But just as saplings emerge from the ashes of a forest fire, the burned tracks have found new life in the upcoming EP The Besnard Lakes Are The Divine Wind. Song of the day and the first release from the double-sided EP is "Laura Lee." The track features a dense dose of layered guitars that lead the charge with a crew of persistent instrumentation to a heavenly crescendo. And while the 6-piece band chose to muddle the vocals through an aqueous filter, they still find clarity in their haunting beauty.

Unfortunately, The Besnard Lakes don't have any announced Seattle shows at this time, but keep an eye on their Facebook page and website for possible updates. In the meantime, watch The Besnard Lakes perform their 2013 track "People of The Sticks" live on KEXP below: