Montreal/L.A. artist Mathieu Jomphe Lépine releases music under the name Mont Duamel – and his new single “Aalto” reminds me of those movie scenes where the main character wakes up in a big city, primed for unexpected adventure. The chorus beams with optimism: “days are getting brighter now.”
The song is sonically rich and melodically fresh – and the title comes from the name of a music accessory Lépine was using during a recording session. There’s a treat at the end when “Aalto” morphs into a completely different (yet compelling) song.
“‘Aalto’ is the name of an instrument plug-in I was testing out at the time, so that’s what I named the song,” he says. “I started the song back in March 2020 and sat on it for a very long time but kept coming back to it. That was the sign I needed to finish it. The 2nd song at the end was a demo I liked but didn’t see as a full song, though I still wanted to release it somehow. It was made very quickly in like 30 minutes. I have many demos like that.”
Before launching his solo career, Lépine worked with legendary pop acts like Ariana Grande, Robyn and Dua Lipa. Let’s hope that Addison Rae and Tate McRae listen to “Aalto” and immediately book some co-writes with Lépine.
Listen to “Aalto” below, or find it on the streaming services.
Follow Mont Duamel on Instagram.
