New Zealand dream pop luminaries French for Rabbits have announced their upcoming record The Overflow will be released on 12 November, 2021. After sharing the title track ‘The Overflow’ back in June, the band is now sharing the incredible second single, ‘Ouija Board’ with the world.
“Put your coat on, we’re entering the storm” announces Singer on new single ‘Ouija Board’. Arriving on the most superstitiously unlucky dates in the calendar year, Friday 13th August, their new single is a feast of harmonies, jagged guitar and majestic spooky organ that nods to both The Beatles and The Addams Family. Recorded by Jol Mulholland at The Lab, Auckland, ‘Ouija Board’ darkly pokes fun at hitting rock bottom, “there is nowhere else to go from here but up” she sings.
The accompanying video was created by long time French for Rabbits collaborator and friend Misma Andrews, and two of Aotearoa’s most creative film makers Martin Sagadin (the artist behind many of Aldous Harding and Womb’s videos) and Ezra Simons. Shot on 16mm film and starring the magical and melancholic masks by Oamaru artist Donna Demente, parallel characters exist in both black and white and colour realities. ‘Ouija Board’ harks back to the Dada and Surrealist movements and draws inspiration from Derek Jarman's film work, particularly the short film Shadow of the Sun. Director Misma Andews said “the video paints a scene where a fanciful but bureaucratic process for traveling through worlds is carried out.”
The Overflow is French For Rabbit’s third album and elevates the band's music to new heights. The group, led by Brooke Singer, weaves dark and anthemic tunes around folk-pop hooks. Written and recorded mostly in 2020 in Wellington, Brooke says “the creation of our third album was very creatively freeing and intuitive. I really love what we’ve made. It’s my favourite record of ours. I think we found a middle ground between the complexity and nuance we love, and some more immediately accessible, big honest feelings.”
‘Ouija Board’ is available to stream and download on all digital platforms now, and The Overflow will follow on November 12th via Reckless Yes in the UK, Europe, and North America, AAA Records in NZ and Australia, and A Modest Proposal in Italy.