Men I Trust: Canada’s DIY Indie Band That Could Be Your New Favourite

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Men I Trust is a Canadian indie pop band known for their dreamy and mellow sound. Their music is laid back, incorporating elements of funk, disco, and R&B to create a smooth and groovy vibe that is both nostalgic and mesmerizing.

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Although the personality of their members and music are inherently understated, they are often considered to be Canada’s biggest “DIY” indie band. Authenticity is their mantra - they refuse to sign to a label, have no press representative, and want nothing to do with being managed. Instead, the band focuses on remaining true to themselves and what their visions are, which only adds to their appeal.

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Men I Trust headlines large venues around the world, and has over 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify - all in spite of little to no press coverage. Their self-made success story is inspiring, and something Canada should be proud of.

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Background

Formed in 2014 in Montreal, Québec, the band consists of members Emma Proulx (vocals), Jessy Caron, and Dragos Chirac. Since their inception, they have gone on to independently release four studio albums, Men I Trust (2014), Headroom (2015), Oncle Jazz (2019), and Untourable Album (2021). 

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Initially founded by high school friends (Jessy and Dragos), Emma joined in 2015 with Headroom as a vocalist and has remained ever since. They did have another vocalist, Odile Marmet-Rochefort, but they left the band in 2017.

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In the last decade, the band has experienced steady growth as more listeners discover their rich sonic textures. 

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Building a Fanbase

Staggeringly, Men I Trust released their first two albums without much of a fanbase. They started from scratch and trusted the process, and although there were 4 years between Headroom and Oncle Jazz, they did not leave listeners hanging. They released 12 consecutive singles in that time, partially to build up their fanbase for when their next full-length album arrived.

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This strategy worked. Tyler The Creator invited them to play at his music festival in 2018. In addition, they have played Coachella, Lollapalooza, and other festivals and concerts all over the world. 

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Throughout their rise to fame, they have remained calm, humble and autonomous. They have stated before that being able to do whatever they want is their goal, not to become superstars.

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Their Creative Process

The band creates their music in a house in rural Québec, noting that the solitude is influential in shaping their creative direction and the sound of their music. You can tell by the band’s demeanor that they are friends, and are by no means stressed out while making their music.

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In interviews they are transparent about their creative evolution through their albums. Men I Trust “never writes about something we don’t feel deeply and directly about”. You can tell, as every element of their songs flow together in a convincing and beautiful way.

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Link the following video: Men i trust creative process . #shorts #short #shortvideo #menitrust

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If you are interested in recreating their sound, fans have created detailed guides on how to play the synth and keyboard sounds from “Numb”, “Tailwhip” and “Norton Commander”.

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Canadian Influences

Montreal is known to sprout indie pop and rock bands, and Men I Trust is yet another example of the talent that can come from that region. They embrace their Canadian roots through multiple avenues; and have said that as Canadians, working in nature positively influences their work.

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On their social media, they promote and respect fellow Canadian artists. This is most evident in their album cover announcement for Untourable Album, where they pay homage to the photographer’s (Lyn Goldsmith) work. Acts like this only enhance their humble persona.

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They also are known to use vintage visuals of Canadian history in their work. Their album cover for Untourable Album is a 1984 photo of a schoolhouse in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. 

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Another example: the video for their most recent release uses visuals from the National Film Board of Canada; 1979’s “Canada Vignettes: Love on Wheels”.

Newest Release

Their most recent release just dropped on February 16th, 2023. “Ring of Past” is a funky, soothing, nostalgic tune about getting stuck in the memories of a past relationship. It features a captivating keyboard pattern and a bouncy bassline, along with Emma’s soft vocals. Men I Trust has been killing it since they were formed, and this well-done tune is no exception. 

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Check it out below: