MINDREADER
... is a sonic alchemy of four Montreal artists, who fuse ambient soundscapes, harmonic vocals, and captivating narratives with pulsating electronic beats that echo the 80s. This project transcends genres to create a mesmerizing live performance and manifest its own vision of modern synthpop.
They have just dropped their first single “The Kill”, a stunning 80s sound-blast that goes off today. The song explores the consequences of a broken romance and tries to communicate a sense of bitter-sweet acceptance, emphasizing the dilemma of wanting to move on after being a victim of abuse, while still longing for the past. A must-hear for all music aficionados!
Who are the artists/musicians who make up MINDREADER and how did you get into music?
We are four Montreal-based musicians: Bryan, Edward, Alex and myself (Val). We all come from pretty different music backgrounds (indie pop, grunge, folk and hip-hop, to name a few) and have played in many different projects over the years.
The genesis of this project was when Edward and I talked on Tinder two years ago, his bio was “Let’s start a synth-pop band”. And so we did! That’s basically how the band started. Eventually, Edward invited Bryan, his old friend from college, and I brought Alex, who I’ve known since high school.
“The Kill” creates an impressive 80s electro-underground mood. What was your inspiration, and what is the story behind the song?
We are definitely inspired by some 80s synth-pop projects (Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Visage, and other amazing artists) but also modern electronic/dark wave artists such as Lebanon Hanover, Selofan and Boy Harsher.
As for your second question, the song delves into the aftermath of a failed romantic relationship and aims to convey a sense of bitter-sweet acceptance, highlight the conflicting wish to moving on after being betrayed, while still yearning for the past. Overall, we were going for a song that would both reflect a form of nonchalance and empowerment. “You’ve destroyed me, but I’ll keep going no matter what”. While addressing a broad theme, the song intentionally leaves the specific situation ambiguous. The goal was to create a space for listeners to project their own experiences onto the narrative.
The track is also part of your upcoming EP. Please tell us more about it.
We’ll be releasing an EP called “Cope with me” this coming Fall. We’re aiming for mid-November. The EP harbors the theme of “Coping” and each song reflects different challenging situations such as heartache, night terror, and depression. I’d say a strong point is that there is some diversity in the genre of songs that will be in the EP. From more slow pop-ish songs, to darkwave and post-punk, mixed with some trip-hop elements at times.
What does your creative process look like in general?
That’s a good question. I’d say it depends on the song. We’ve come up with a few ideas while jamming on Ableton together. We’ll loop a bass line and try recording different guitar and synth parts. We keep what works and cut what doesn’t. Once we are done, Bryan works his magic on the tracks. I also often spam the band with new songs I’ve written. Some will be a part of the EP, some are currently on the waitlist. Let’s say we have a LOT of content that’s just waiting to be worked on.
Our creative process is totally collaborative. In the case of The Kill, Edward wrote the bassline with a simple electronic drum beat which ended up being the skeleton of the song and I wrote the vocals. Then the four of us got together and listened to it on repeat, recording different guitar and synth parts. We kept what worked and cut what didn’t. Bryan produces all the music, and he fit everything together like a puzzle. It’s a lot of fun to see it all come together!
Do you have any plans to perform live on stage soon?
Not yet! But once we’re done with the EP, we’ll be able to focus on playing live. Our EP launch will be our first time performing so we have to make it count - lights, projections, costumes, other amazing acts - we’re really going to make it extravagant. We’ve been sitting on some of these songs for almost a year so we’re really looking forward to finally sharing them with people.
How would you describe the indie scene in Montreal, especially for your genre?
Montreal is a great city for musicians. There are so many accessible venues, and so many talented artists in the scene. While MINDREADER hasn’t become a part of Montreal's synth-pop/electronic scene yet, I've been going to these types of shows for years. There’s such a supportive and lively community in Montreal, we’re so excited to become a part of it and really connect with the right audience.
What do you have in store for the near future?
We’re currently in the works organizing another clip for our second single “Parasite” and that should hopefully be out around Halloween. We also definitely plan on focusing on live performance once “Cope with me” is out. This should set us up for festival applications in the new year, so we can gig as much as possible next summer. In the meantime, we’ve already started recording five new songs, which we intend on releasing sometime in 2024.
