Québécois Psychedelia: Montreal Psych-Rockers Elephant Stone Release Heavy New Single ‘M. Lonely’

Gritty, explosive, and lo-fi recording techniques are what makes garage bands great.

There’s a minimalist honesty that really shines within this style of music, and French psychedelic garage-rockers Elephant Stone is staking their claim as modern day pioneers.

Spearheaded by frontman Rishi Dhir, the product was created from his burnout from past groups. Rigorous touring schedules with The Datsons and High Dial left him second guessing the course he was going on. To try and reinvigorate his creativity, he picked up the sitar, and like a crystal ball, it helped him envision the next phase in his career.

After the traumatic experience of his wife’s miscarriage, the two spent time staying in India. The darkness of that event, combined with the music Dhir was hearing around him, inspired the first Elephant Stone album, The Seven Seas. The album would be critically acclaimed, and would be listed for a Polaris Prize. The band would go on to release seven more albums and seven singles. Each album would push their sound even further, diving into different psychedelic, indie, and even synth-pop sounds.

Their newest single, “M. Lonely”, combines the lo-fi sounds of garage rock with dreamy psychedelic-pop to continue their ever-evolving discography. The song is a teaser for their upcoming EP, Le voyage de M. Lonely dans la lune, which is set to sail on February 18th.

The song kicks off with the pulsating sound of a tremolo 12-string guitar, and as this sets the tone, a distorted pick scrape pans into play pushing the song into fifth gear. As the band comes in, each element adds to this bed of noise that helps engulf the listener in the group’s heavy, psychedelic energy. Every sound melts together like a colorful sonic display of blown glass. The track is sung (mostly?) in French, which adds a whole new element of intrigue for us boring Americans down below. Dhir’s vocals glide on top of the instrumental, helping glue it all together.

Elephant Stone undoubtedly is a heavy-hitter in the psych-rock game, and this single is further proof. Like a fine wine, these guys seem to just get better with time. Be sure to keep an eye out for Le voyage de M. Lonely dans la lune on February 18th.