Cate Le Bon‘s music often exudes a quizzical apprehension to ordinary things. On her new single “Remembering Me” she reframes common notions of legacy and stature, which are often absurdly at odds with the daily grind of crafting, creative soul-searching, and planning. It’s a song with a lot of fascinating sonic touchstones reconfigured in an original way: we hear Le Bon’s signature avant-folk/noise-punk leanings, but we also detect the unearthly majesty of Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love.
“‘Remembering Me’ is a neurotic diary entry that questions notions of legacy and warped sentimentalism in the desperate need to self-mythologize,” Le Bon has divulged on the song.
For her upcoming record Pompeii, Le Bon once again took an unorthodox approach to unlock her process, applying her partner Tim Presley’s paintings as a starting point. This feels pretty evident in the line: “In the classical rewrite / I wore the heat like / A hundred birthday cakes / Under one sun.” It sounds not only like a fun and lighthearted ribbing, but it’s also kind of a generous way to look at life as an artist: not every reward lies in the result. Even if something happens not according to plan, you still end up being covered top to bottom in the work, and that elicits its own kind of beauty.
The video for “Remembering Me” (directed by Juliana Giraffe, who is also co-founder of the vaudevillian pop outfit Midnight Sister) plays out like a living painting of sorts as well. The white background seems to represent the empty canvas, as Le Bon acts out various apparitions in gorgeous primary colors. Watch it below.
Pompeii comes out on February 4th, 2022, released via Mexican Summer (pre-order). Support Cate Le Bon via her Bandcamp, and find her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
