Internal Combustion is the first full-length record from the Montreal-based band, Lawful Citizen. Fueled by a fiery vision, the music takes a deep journey through the entire spectrum of human emotion. This album is influenced by the history of the internal combustion engine, particularly in the early days of motorcycle racing and land speed record attempts. The feeling of grit, brutality and rawness, along with the entire sensory experience surrounding the extreme danger were the largest inspirations for this music.
The band features saxophonist Evan Shay with Aime Duquet on Guitar, Antoine Pelegrin on Electric Bass and Kyle Hutchins on Drums.
After the intense upheaval of the suite, the record concludes on a subdued note. Nothing’s Changed is based on the first improvisation of a new year on January 1st, 2018. Originally recorded in a childhood room on a misty Seattle day, the song expresses the cocooned safety of memories past, countered by the uncertainty of the future. This final track offers a release of tension and a feeling of resolution at the end of a long journey.
Fearlessly combining jazz, metal, electronic, and Americana, Lawful Citizen is an explosive force on the Canadian jazz scene. Formed in 2015 after meeting at McGill University, the band name reflects the discord felt by the common man, between remaining complacent and refusing to abide. The pendulum of their music swings from subtle beauty to relentless rage, driven by the musicality and sensitivity of the four musicians
Lawful Citizen live performances have been described as a transcendent and mesmerizing experience. The band first tested their sound along with Gas Station Mentality at Bistro de Paris. Next, they billed with Bad Luck, Seattle’s acclaimed experimental duo, at La Passe in Montreal. As their reputation grew, they performed in the Nick Fraser Presents series at the Tranzac Club in Toronto. Lawful Citizen also billed with Emma Frank, Daniel Arthur Trio, and Gas Station Mentality at Casa del Popolo in Montreal on separate occasions. They played multiple times and Resonance Café in Montreal, and the Emmet Ray in Toronto. They have become known for their unique grit while melting genres and destroying boundaries.
In August 2017, Lawful Citizen released their self-titled debut EP, which was selected by DOMINIONATED for their ‘Favourite Fifty of 2017.’ The band embarked on a release tour, highlighted by opening for Chet Doxas’s Juno-nominated ‘Rich in Symbols’ album release show at ArtGang Montreal. The tour also included shows at Resonance Café and Bar Ste-Angèle in Quebec City. Selected by an industry jury, Lawful Citizen performed two shows in the Grand Prix at the Festi Jazz International de Rimouski. They also played two shows at the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival.
After developing the music over a course of a year, Internal Combustion was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Montreal. The resulting journey weaves together the somber and the rough. The band’s signature sound is on full display with searing sax, fierce guitar, guttural bass, and propulsive drums. Their raucous blend of musical brutality, heavy emotion, and forward momentum is perfect for this moment in time.
Lawful Citizen will be releasing Internal Combustion on Friday, November 9, 2018.
The release will be celebrated with a performance at Casa del Popolo in Montreal on Thursday, November 8th. John Hollenbeck with special guests will open the proceedings.
