The Netherlands-based post-rock trio Aestrid is bringing their hypnotic blend of infectious energy and affecting tempos to Ottawa this week, their unique chemistry and sound set to leave you breathless and exhilarated. Ottawa, this is band you won’t want to miss out on.
Lead singer, guitarist, and founder Bo Menning will be joined in Ottawa by the other two thirds of the band’s lineup: Jurriaan (bass/keys/samples) and Ray (drums/samples). No strangers to Canada, this trio is now here for the sixth time, having toured parts of Ontario and Quebec, amassing new fans and friends along the way. They also came to record their 2014 album “No Map or Address” in Brantford, ON as well as their upcoming sixth album due out this fall, “A Lake Inside”, which was recorded in Kingston — a place they consider their “home away from home”.
In a recent interview with Bytown Sound, the band shared how their first show in Brantford initially led them to record in Canada:
“The first time we were over we played a show at the Brantford Arts Block, which was run by Glen Marshall and Bob Lanois (currently running the Mule Spinner in Hamilton, ON). The live venue was right next to their recording studio, a huge old rope factory hall that sounded great! We got off stage tired and sweaty and the guys were already mixing our live set at the board in the studio, they recorded it without us knowing it. We sat down listening to them fooling around at the board and looked at each other knowing we should be recording ‘No Map Or Address’ over here with them. We did half a year later in 2014.”
Their appreciation for Canada can be heard throughout every album since their first visit here. While they certainly reference their own personal lives, they also cite their Canadian experiences in their songs, having been a major influence in their music.
“Even though we haven’t seen that much, we think the country is beautiful. Everything is big and wide, it even feels like the sky is higher than back home. People are so nice to us and we feel welcome everywhere. It’s something we can learn from a lot in Europe.”
This influence promises to carry through Aestrid’s upcoming album, “A Lake Inside,” which finds their sound stripped down their essence, while still ensuring their specific feeling still set to shine through.
“There’s a lot to hear and to discover in these songs, without endless layers. There’s a lot more room to breathe within the songs, it’s very naked. The songs are intense, but they’re calm. For someone already familiar with our music, you’ll be able to hear Aestrid from up close. For someone new to the band, it’s exciting; there’s a lot of tension.”
Be sure to catch Aestrid while they’re in our city: they’ll be playing at The Record Centre on May 2 at 3 pm, and then House of Targ on May 3, when doors will open at 8 pm.
You can find Aestrid here: Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, and on their website.
[…] Hailing all the way from the Netherlands, this three-piece band was in fine form as they graced Ottawa as part of their final Canadian tour of 2018. [We had a chance to interview them on one of their other tours this year in April, which you can read….] […]