The Contortionist has been making their mark in the music community for a little over a decade. Their style is continuously evolving and shifting, making every new release an exciting journey of mystery. Releasing their latest effort Clairvoyant just over a year ago, this album is still making its rounds and is the most commercially successful one to date.
Taking a more atmospheric approach to this album really allowed them to cut into the darker themes about the most somber parts of life. Focusing on the reaction of fans and personal views, vocalist Michael Lessard, explains, “I am very happy with the album. All of my experiences with how people receive this have been personal and many people have resonated with this album due to the content. If I can even connect with one person and make them feel, I would appreciate that so much more than someone saying this sounds cool. The crowd sings along to these songs the most and they have been a ton of fun to play.” Currently, The Contortionist is on tour promoting a very rare and special occurrence. With only instrumentalists, their opening band, Intervals, have taken it upon themselves to do a two-part set. One performance will consist of a full production, and another will have a more intimate atmosphere, allowing fans to experience a unique concert.
Lessard reveals that this tour package was not even the band’s idea: “The booking agent actually came up to us and proposed it to us. With two band packages being so rare, it was an ambitious idea that we all needed to work hard in order to achieve it. With all of us being in different parts of the U.S., it was difficult to get everyone to come together but we made it work and we were able to get in lots of practice. Our music catalog stretches a wide sonic sound so we try and tour with as many different bands as possible and Intervals is fantastic.” When writing music, inspiration can be drawn from anywhere. Even in music as heavy as The Contortionist, Lessard notes that one of his favourite folk artists, Bon Iver, has helped shape the composition: “Anything Justin Bernon, Bon Iver, touches is gold. He is one of my favourite artists and will always be one. I’ve drawn some inspiration in the way he delivers his voice and you can hear elements of the folk inspiration in the album.”
As for more obvious influences, Lessard was able to tour with Nothing More, and stated that, “I’ve learned so much from touring with them. They are one of the best rock bands we have ever toured with and it really had a big impact on a lot of things - from the way we do business to our songwriting process."
Coming up in 2019, The Contortionist plan on releasing a new EP. Every release from this band has exceeded previous expectations, and based on their track record, they are only going to get bigger and better.
When asked about the sound, Lessard explained that,“It is a bit more on the aggressive side. Clairvoyant was more atmospheric, whereas this new release is heavier. It’s more of a heavy tone and it’s not heavy like the way Exoplanet is. It’s more of a driving heaviness.” Seeing this show was an amazing experience with the dual set. The Contortionist showcase all of their hard work and energy in their performances, and this new release will only take them higher than ever before. “Thank you to anyone who has been a fan of the band and to anyone that reads this. I hope everyone stays safe and enjoys our shows.”