ERIC CHENAUX (France/Canada)
For nearly two decades, Eric Chenaux has been gently twisting songs into new shapes. Pairing what has been described by the Guardian as “one of the all-time great singing voices in popular music” with sparse, metronomic rhythms, the Canadian artist is capable of conjuring up songs that feel as familiar and well-trodden as standards. It’s through his spontaneous guitar playing and lightly abrasive pedal improvisation that they change, stretched into something stranger.
On a run of homespun records that began with 2015’s Skullsplitter, Chenaux has started to leave time behind, letting his songs stay for as long as they please. Vamping on simple, domestic melodies, his songs quietly unravel, tangled up in a kind of diffuse jazz music that stays patient, lies low, and drifts away. His guitar makes subtle interventions, warping the original thought that has carried us this far.
Drawing on folk, jazz, and noise, Chenaux’s music travels far while holding us in place. Last year, he released Delights of My Life, released as a trio alongside Phillipe Melanson and Ryan Driver. For this show, he’ll be performing solo.
ericchenaux.bandcamp.com
+ SUPPORT TBC
£8 advance / £12 on the door
£5 unwaged / no one turned away for lack of funds
Saturday 7 June, from 7.30pm
Wharf Chambers
23-25 Wharf St, Leeds LS2 7EQ
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wharfchambers.org