DRAE

Drae, c’est un gars qui roule sa bosse dans le monde du hip-hop local depuis plusieurs années. Il s’est démarqué grâce à sa participation à la semaine Canadian Music Week, au JUNOFest et au Bluesfest d’Ottawa; des opportunités qui lui ont permis de se faire remarquer. Avec son style plutôt alternatif, il nous livre son dernier projet, TRI, un mini-EP de trois morceaux qui frappe fort et qui témoigne d’une belle évolution artistique de la part du rappeur. C’est définitivement un artiste avec beaucoup de potentiel à surveiller. - Le Pressoir

At this point I wandered down to Bluesville, based on a recommendation, to checkout Drae. As I mentioned in my Day 7 review I’m a fan of old-school hip hop like Dr. Dre and Eminem. When I first walked into the Bluesville tent Drae struck me as a seasoned performer who wasn’t just comfortable on stage but was comfortable with his artistic identity.

Drae’s style definitely has elements of Eminem but with his own spin on it. I’m officially adding Drae to our list of artists to watch and hope to catch up with him for a feature interview in the near future. - Soundcheck Entertainment

Local hip-hop artist Andre Thibault aka DRAE recently dropped his debut album E/SCAPE.

DRAE has been producing and mixing music for artists from the Capital region, Toronto and Montreal for years, but it was now time for him to step out and take center stage himself. The 11 track release blends hip-hop, electronic and has flares of dub steps, his calling card as a producer. The beginning of the album has you thinking this is going to be pretty dark, especially the album’s first single “Nightmare.” The tone begins to shift and isn’t all serious and dark, songs like “Drink Up” and “Wild N Young” will make you want to party all night thanks to the fun beats, party lyrics and sing-a-longs.

E/SCAPE is not short of great cameos by some of our favourite locals such as Yusso, Aron the Alien and Nicholas Poupponeau of Zoo Legacy. Poupponeau features on the second single “First Time” which is an uplifting song with lyrics praising the magic of being in love for the first over a very positive and grooving rhythm, even including finger snaps in the beat. I can picture this song perfectly fitting in on the club scene and having people grinding and swinging their hair around on the dance floor.

Many people have moved on from dubstep, and while DRAE does not focus on it, it creeps in through out the album and then he drops the bass and gives you heart palpitations in “Almost Famous.” I can only imagine how hard that drop with hit you live. BOOM.

Have a listen to E/SCAPE below and if you like what you hear go party with DRAE and his boys Yusso and Aron the Alien for his album release show at Mercury Lounge this Friday November 11. - Ottawa Showbox

Local producer and hip hop artist DRAE just dropped a video for the lead single, “Nightmare,” of his upcoming debut album Escape.

The video shot by I in Eye Cinematics opens with a black and white scene of a woman running barefoot alone in the forest to the words “This is what a nightmare looks like.” The song tackles the nightmare of being cheated on and all the anxiety and stress that comes from uncertainty. The lyrics masterfully bounce back and forth between the cheater and the person being cheated on.

The video depicts the ordeal in such a real way. The footage shifts between shots of the the woman who is being cheated on incessantly picturing her partner out with another woman to scenes of herself running all alone in the woods barefoot while being chased by a dark, ominous silhouette to her waking up in sweats. That darkness chasing her is the truth and you can only run for so long. The imagery is absolutely perfect.

This is the first time I hear of I in Eye Cinematics and I must say, hats off. The video is beautifully shot and very well put together. - Ottawa Showbox

Every year we’re always astounded by how many new artists we stumble across here in the nation’s capital. Sometimes they’re brand new, and sometimes they’ve been around for a while and we just hadn’t heard of them yet. One of the artists that raised our eyebrows in 2015 was Andre Thibault, known by his former stage name KING to those in the hip hop community since late 2013. Not only is Andre an incredible solo MC that is technically on-point, he’s also able to raise the bar about as high as it can go with respect to local hip hop when it comes to stage energy. Whether by himself or collabing with others (such as Crookid Bass, his project with another astounding rapper in town, Yusso), 2015 was the year Andre Thibault seemed to make all things happen and love every minute of it.

However, today he released the new video for “Death of a Tyrant,” and it’s not just any new video for him. It marks the end of KING and the beginning of his new alias DRAE. I posed a few questions to Andre about the change, and what it means for him as an artist. Check out the video below.

Don’t miss DRAE live as he has some huge shows coming up in the new year opening for Mad Child (Swollen Members) at Babylon on Jan. 21 as well as Troy Ave’s White Christmas Canadian Tour at Ritual Nightclub on Jan. 29.

THE IMAGERY IN THE VIDEO IMPLIES A CLEAR BREAK WITH YOUR FORMER ALIAS OF KING. CAN YOU TELL US WHY YOU DECIDED ON THE NAME CHANGE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?

When we shot the video, the goal/concept was to portray a growing-up of sorts, a maturation. KING is a very overused term in music, particularly in hip-hop. It felt a little egotistical and boastful, which, despite the cocky nature of most hip-hop music (including my own at times), is not me. I’m a very down to earth person, and like to be authentic and organic with my music. A lot of people have called me “Dre” for some time now, so the name association of DRAE was already there. It also makes it easier to find me online. Rather than googling KING and finding every monarch under the sun, it’s now a unique name.

NOW THAT YOU’VE TAKEN A STEP IN A NEW DIRECTION, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM DRAE IN 2016?

With the name change comes a more consistent and defined sound/direction for my music. I have a full length project in the works, with the aim being a spring 2016 release. I’ve aimed to include all of my capabilities musically (guitar playing, singing, rapping, various genres production-wise), so it wont be conventional hip-hop, but rather a very unique sound. There’s also a lot of work going on behind the scenes from a branding/merchandising perspective, so the business end of things will be more focused and present as well. Music videos for multiple singles, lots of shows… 2016 is going to be an active year for DRAE. Another point with regards to the video: the whole changing from a sweatshirt and tee shirt to a suit is symbolizing taking my craft and my career seriously, and treating this as a business - Ottawa Showbox

Funnelling explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements comes award-winning Ottawa, ON duo DRAE’s timely and culturally prescient new single “Take Cover” — available now.

“The revolution won’t be televised”

“This song was written as a hypothetical view of a world where a government and its systems — particularly law enforcement — have turned on its own citizens,” says frontman and producer Andre Thibault. “Unfortunately we are seeing this become a reality, both with our neighbours south of the border, as well as our own federal police force with minority groups and Indigenous peoples.”

“It’s a rally cry of sorts,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard adds. “A declaration that real change doesn’t come from burying our faces in screens and staying informed, it comes from confronting the source of the issue head on, no matter how ugly that may be.”

“Take Cover” is the premiere single to land ahead of the Ottawa-based duo’s forthcoming EP, TARDIGRADE — set for release this year via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records. - DJ Iceberg

Funnelling explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements, Drae drop the timely and culturally prescient single Take Cover — showcasing today on Tinnitist.

“The revolution won’t be televised,” the Ottawa duo remind us, putting a potent new spin on the immortal words of American poet and rap pioneer Gil Scott-Heron. “This song was written as a hypothetical view of a world where a government and its systems — particularly law enforcement — have turned on its own citizens,” says frontman and producer Andre Thibault. “Unfortunately we are seeing this become a reality, both with our neighbours south of the border, as well as our own federal police force with minority groups and Indigenous peoples.”

“It’s a rally cry of sorts,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard adds. “A declaration that real change doesn’t come from burying our faces in screens and staying informed, it comes from confronting the source of the issue head on, no matter how ugly that may be.”

Take Cover is the first preview of the pair’s EP Tardigrade, set for release later this year. With a Toronto Independent Music Award to their credit, Drae have performed at JunoFest, Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, Northern Touch Music Festival and more, and have received radio play and critical acclaim for previous releases TRI (2018), E/Scape (The Live Sessions) (2017), and E/Scape (2016). - Tinnitist

“Take Cover” by Drae // “Take Cover” is the lead single off of the Ottawa duo’s forthcoming TARDIGRADE EP, set for release before the end of the year on Dance Plant Records. The alt-hip hop and electronic music producers have taken a page out of the blues rock bible with big drums and heavy guitar riffs on this politically-charged track. Recommended if you like The Black Keys and Rage Against the Machine. - Apt613

Award-winning Ottawa, ON-based duo, DRAE have unveiled their new single, “Take Cover”, from their upcoming EP, TARDIGRADE, which is set for release this year via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records.

“The revolution won’t be televised.”

“This song was written as a hypothetical view of a world where a government and its systems — particularly law enforcement — have turned on its own citizens”, says frontman and producer Andre Thibault. “Unfortunately we are seeing this become a reality, both with our neighbours south of the border, as well as our own federal police force with minority groups and Indigenous peoples.”

“It’s a rally cry of sorts”, drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard adds. “A declaration that real change doesn’t come from burying our faces in screens and staying informed, it comes from confronting the source of the issue head on, no matter how ugly that may be.”

Check out “Take Cover” below and find out more about DRAE via our Five Questions With segment.

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

We’re DRAE, an alternative hip-hop duo from Ottawa, consisting of vocalist/producer Andre Thibault and drummer/percussionist Matt Robillard. The two of us have been playing together in various bands for over a decade, spanning numerous styles and genres. With both of us having a background in sound design and audio engineering, all of our work is managed in house start to finish. This extends even to our content manager Andrew Lessard, who has worked with us on social media, music videos, press photography, and more since day one.

Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.

Through years of growth and experimentation, we’ve arrived at a genre-blending sound that fuses a number of our cumulative influences. We combine hip-hop lyricism, heavy blues-rock guitar riffs and arrangements drawn from electronic music to create a high energy, soulful sound. Lyrically, Andre uses nuanced wordplay to speak on social and political issues, in the hopes of sparking conversations and encouraging meaningful change. Our music is our message – we understand we have a platform and we seek to use it as such.

Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?

Unfortunately, with everything ongoing with the pandemic, we have had to postpone or cancel all live performances. We’ve now had to adapt and find new avenues to share our message and interact with listeners. This means more online content – music videos, impromptu remixes, live-streamed performances. Anything we can do to create a community and engage with fans who feel as strongly about the state of the world as we do.

As far as our live performance, it’s really something to be experienced. It’s what we do, what we love, and we “leave it all on the floor” so to speak. The energy we bring to our studio recordings translates tenfold to our live show – you don’t leave a DRAE show without breaking a sweat. Andre has a tendency to get up close and personal with the crowd – to him, the stage is just a starting point. There is always plenty of crowd interaction, and you can expect a new take on our music watching our show vs listening to our recordings. We pride ourselves in giving our fans two unique but equally memorable experiences

If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?

If we were to recommend one song, it would definitely be our most recent single “Take Cover”. Musically, it is the culmination of a decade of experimentation and learning to create a sound we’re truly proud of. Lyrically, it speaks of a system designed to protect its citizens from turning on them – a vision that becomes less and less hypothetical day by day. This prescient view of current affairs seems to have connected with fans on a level deeper than the music itself. Attach that to an in-your-face, bare-bones, live performance music video, and we draw comparisons to artists like Rage Against The Machine and Grandson.

Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?

We’ve both grown up with and drawn significant influence from Alexisonfire, so it’s great to see them back performing and making music. We also love USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) – another band that fuses genres and has made a name for themselves by not necessarily sticking to the script. We touched on Grandson previously; he speaks to us both through his music and his message. We also LOVE to listen to Ottawa artists; you’d be surprised at the quality that comes from right in our own city. Blakdenim, Zoo Legacy, City Fidelia – the National Capital area is definitely becoming a global music hotbed. - Canadian Beats

Funnelling explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements comes award-winning Ottawa, ON duo DRAE’s timely and culturally prescient new single “Take Cover”.

“The revolution won’t be televised”

“This song was written as a hypothetical view of a world where a government and its systems — particularly law enforcement — have turned on its own citizens,” says frontman and producer Andre Thibault. “Unfortunately we are seeing this become a reality, both with our neighbours south of the border, as well as our own federal police force with minority groups and Indigenous peoples.”

“It’s a rally cry of sorts,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard adds. “A declaration that real change doesn’t come from burying our faces in screens and staying informed, it comes from confronting the source of the issue head on, no matter how ugly that may be.”

“Take Cover” is the premiere single to land ahead of the Ottawa-based duo’s forthcoming EP, TARDIGRADE — set for release this year via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records.

With a Toronto Independent Music Award to their credit, DRAE have performed at JUNOFest, RBC Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, Northern Touch Music Festival and more and received radio-play and critical acclaim across previous releases TRI (2018), E/Scape (The Live Sessions) (2017), and E/Scape (2016).

For more on DRAE visit:
itsdraemusic.com/
instagram.com/itsdraemusic/
facebook.com/itsDRAEmusic/
twitter.com/itsDRAEmusic
open.spotify.com/album/3NLDgpoIttJXM5BGs81MwP?si=n16w9FIyTYK6zH4pZyxHgg

Editor’s Note: I had the pleasure of seeing DRAE perform in Ottawa last year and his stage show is compelling and goes beyond being a typical hip-hop act. Definitely an act to watch out for! - Cashbox Canada

Funnelling explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements comes award-winning Ottawa, ON duo DRAE’s timely and culturally prescient new single “Take Cover” — available now.

“The revolution won’t be televised”

“This song was written as a hypothetical view of a world where a government and its systems — particularly law enforcement — have turned on its own citizens,” says frontman and producer Andre Thibault. “Unfortunately we are seeing this become a reality, both with our neighbours south of the border, as well as our own federal police force with minority groups and Indigenous peoples.”

“It’s a rally cry of sorts,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard adds. “A declaration that real change doesn’t come from burying our faces in screens and staying informed, it comes from confronting the source of the issue head on, no matter how ugly that may be.”

“Take Cover” is the premiere single to land ahead of the Ottawa-based duo’s forthcoming EP, TARDIGRADE — set for release this year via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records.

With a Toronto Independent Music Award to their credit, DRAE have performed at JUNOFest, RBC Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, Northern Touch Music Festival, and more, and received radio-play and critical acclaim across previous releases TRI (2018), E/Scape (The Live Sessions) (2017), and E/Scape (2016). - Thehypemagazine

Introduce yourself:
We are Drae, an alternative hip-hop duo from Ottawa, Canada. We blend blues-rock guitar riffs, hip-hop lyricism and electronic music arrangements to create a unique sound that’s drawn comparisons to Rage Against The Machine and Grandson. Individually, we are Andre Thibault (vocals / production) and Matt Robillard (drums / percussion).

What is your musical origin story?
We have been playing together in various bands spanning various genres for over a decade. We both attended the same high school together but never really became friends until afterwards. We started playing in our first band, The Second Silverado, through a mutual friend, and began with covers before beginning to write original material. During that era, we attended The Audio Recording Academy together in Ottawa. This time allowed us to hone our studio and production chops and keep all our recording, mixing and mastering in-house. Since graduating from the program, we have played together or seperately in other acts, culminating in what you see and hear now with Drae.

What do we need to know about your latest project?
Our latest single Take Cover is the first release from our upcoming project Tardigrade. It encompasses a lifetime of mutual influences, both musically and otherwise. We wanted to start using more live instrumentation and get away from synthesizers, sampling, etc. to create a more raw, soulful sound.
We both have very strong, outspoken views on the state of the world right now. So naturally this translates into nuanced takes on current affairs in our lyrics. Take Cover in particular speaks of a hypothetical world where systems designed to protect us — specifically law enforcement — turn against us. Unfortunately, we’re seeing this become less and less hypothetical by the day; both with our neighbours to the South, and watching our own police here dealing with Indigenous peoples and minority groups.

What truly sets you apart from other artists?
We’re real, raw, and in your face. So much of the music industry is curated to suit a particular target audience, or “put on a show” so to speak. It seems to be about creating a brand, but that brand often ends up being bigger than the person/people it represents. We take pride in staying true to ourselves and speaking our minds, and this reflects in our art. What you see is what you get, and it allows us to connect with listeners on a deeper, more personal level. They see the human element in us, and can relate to that same humanity in our music.

What will I learn or how will my life improve by listening to your music?
Listening to our music, particularly our new material, is like holding up a mirror in a way; there’s a lot of self reflection and introspection. But we also try to use our music as a lens to the outside world. We hope that by listening to us, you gain new perspectives; both of your surroundings, and your contributions and responsibilities to those surroundings. Whether it be politics, social issues, personal struggles; we touch on a number of external and internal factors that affect the human experience.

Tell us about the first song you wrote and / or the first gig you played and what you got paid.
The first song we wrote together was called Climbing Mountains, and it also happened to be the first song we recorded together in Andre’s parents’ basement. It was basically a freestyle, lyrically and instrumentally, and came together during a couple rehearsals. We were playing around with the idea having a rap song in a set that was very much rock; our guitarist at the time started to play a riff, Matt got into a groove, and Andre started into a verse he had written as a joke. We realized pretty quickly afterwards that we could incorporate hip-hop into our sound, and haven’t really looked back since.

What is the best / worst / strangest / most memorable performance you have given?
We’ll go with most memorable: As funny as it sounds, even with bigger / more noteworthy shows under our belt, our favourite is still playing JUNOfest here in Ottawa at the Bourbon Room. It was the first time that we saw total strangers as invested in our music and our performance as we were. It was a definitive shift in our progression as musicians, knowing that we were connecting with people strictly through our art.

What is the best / worst / strangest / most memorable performance you’ve seen another artist give?
We’d probably have different answers for best or most memorable, but we would both have the same for worst. We won’t name names, but a fairly prominent hip-hop artist who we both loved got about halfway through his set before he was too inebriated to continue, and his hype man had to bring him back on stage and get the crowd to reassure him. We walked out after that, first and only time we’ve left a show like that. It was quite sad actually; tainted his music for us going forward.

What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
This, but on a bigger scale. Writing, recording, travelling the world to perform. We’re both very passionate about music and have sacrificed so much to make this a viable career. There’s no plan B for us.

What living or dead artists would you collaborate with if you could?
Andre: Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. He’s always been my number one. Such a multitalented artist and a brilliant mind. Would love to have a day or three in the studio with him. Also, I think Matt and I would both agree that writing with Travis Barker would be a VERY fun time. So much energy in his work, and he has production credits on a number of records from artists that we idolize.
Matt: John Bonham. We couldn’t really collaborate per se because we play the same instrument, but he’s the man. Also, Dave Grohl, because he’s the God of rock and roll and seems like a genuinely kind person in a word full of egos. Getting in the studio with him would be refreshing.

What artist or style of music do you love that would surprise people?
We’re both pretty into hardcore and emo. The music is always so technically sound and you can find some of the best melodies in hardcore music. You can tell the artists have really mastered their craft. Lyrically its very poignant and on the nose too, there’s a surprising amount of wordplay.

What are your favourite songs / albums / artists right now?
Favourite artists: Run The Jewels, Fever 333, Dance Gavin Dance, Grandson, Two Feet, Twenty One Pilots, Glass Animals
Favourite songs: 2X2 – Beam; Prey For Me – Fever 333; Out Of Sight – Run The Jewels, 6:00 – Grandson; Lyrics Lie – Dance Gavin Dance; The Fight – The Classic Crime; Your Love (Deja Vu) – Glass Animals

How about some other favourites: Authors, movies, painters, you name it.
We’re both big into the Marvel movies and the Fast and Furious series, so those are definitely our guilty pleasures movie wise. TV wise it’s a lot of comedy: Modern Family, Workaholics, Trailer Park Boys, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. We’re both avid gamers as well, and have a laundry list of games that we play together online. Add us on PSN: Andros2020 and Robillard6

Who would you be starstruck to meet?
Dave Grohl, Lebron James, Rick Rubin, Barack Obama. We’re firm believers that everyone is human, but these guys are at the top of their game and would have a lot of wisdom to provide in a one-on-one situation.

What do you drive and why?
Andre drives a Volkswagen Golf, manual transmission because it’s fun and there’s more control. Matt used to have one too, so it’s kind of a family tradition.

What superpower do you want and how would you use it?
Time Control. There’s so many things you can do if you control time. Think about Dr. Strange. Change the past, see into the future. There are a lot of potential consequences with altering time, but with great power comes great responsibility right?

If I had a potluck, what would you bring?
Layered dip, because you can never go wrong with layered dip.

What current trend or popular thing do you not understand at all?
TikTok dances. Period. Just why?

Tell us about your current and/or former pets.
Andre has a rottweiler/husky mix named Jaina, but we all live together so she’s kind of like a family dog now. We’ve both had multiple dogs and cats in the past as well; we’re very much animal lovers.

If you could have any other job besides music, what would it be and why?
Andre: professional basketball player. I played 20 years of competitive basketball, all the way into college. If not for a couple torn ligaments in my knee, we might not even have Drae. Also, a stunt driver, because I feel like that would be THE most fun job ever.
Matt: Drum tech or stage hand for any of my favourite bands. Would still allow me to combine my passion for music with making a living, and travel the world in the process. Also, a lawyer. I’ve been told I’d make a great lawyer.

What’s the best advice and/or worst advice you were ever given?
Best advice ever: Don’t dwell. What’s done is done, you can’t control it anymore. There’s only one way to move and that’s forward. - Tinnitist

Drae explore hypocrisy and humanity in their new single and video Sleep — showcasing today on Tinnitist.

Wielding their usual arsenal of explosive blues-rock riffs, hefty hip-hop grooves and immersive electronic arrangements, the award-winning Canadian duo’s latest salvo is about looking around, seeing a society rife with hypocrisy and devoid of empathy — and ultimately saying “I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed,” the pair say.

“The lyrics are reflective of society, the human experience, and our interactions with each other,” frontman and producer Andre Thibault explains. “They point out a lot of hypocrisy and inconsistencies in the way we behave versus how we expect others to behave. So much of growing up in the technological age requires increased human to human interaction but, as we rely heavier on technology, we lose that empathy and compassion that helps our society function.”

Sleep arrives ahead of the Ottawa duo’s forthcoming album Tardigrade — set for release on Montreal’s Dance Plant Records — and follows 2018’s TRI (2018), 2017’s E/Scape (The Live Sessions) and 2016’s E/Scape.

“We wanted the song to feel like a rock song,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard says. “We tried to stay away from samples for the instrumentation as much as possible so the music feels organic, more energetic, and has a very human element to it.”

The video further underscores themes of humanization, Robillard continues. “You can see Andre rapping and singing while surrounded by people in a zombie-like state, shuffling around, engulfed on their phones. Portions were shot the day after Andre started dialysis, having since undergone a kidney transplant this past November.” - Tinnitist

Award-winning Canadian duo, DRAE have unveiled their new single, “Sleep”.

The track speaks to the concept of looking around, seeing a society rife with hypocrisy and in a dearth of empathy, and saying “I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed,” the pair say.

“The lyrics are reflective of society, the human experience, and our interactions with each other,” frontman and producer Andre Thibault explains. “They point out a lot of hypocrisy and inconsistencies in the way we behave versus how we expect others to behave.

“So much of growing up in the technological age requires increased human to human interaction but, as we rely heavier on technology, we lose that empathy and compassion that helps our society function.”

“Sleep” arrives ahead of the Ottawa-based duo’s forthcoming album, TARDIGRADE — set for upcoming release via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records — and follows critically acclaimed previous releases TRI (2018), E/Scape (The Live Sessions) (2017), and E/Scape (2016).

“We wanted the song to feel like a rock song,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard offers of “Sleep.” “We tried to stay away from samples for the instrumentation as much as possible so the music feels organic, more energetic, and has a very human element to it.”

The video further underscores themes of humanization, Robillard continues.

“You can see Andre rapping and singing while surrounded by people in a zombie-like state, shuffling around, engulfed on their phones. Portions were shot the day after Andre started dialysis, having since undergone a kidney transplant this past November.”

Further locations were picked meticulously, Thibault adds.

“We even returned to the back area of Raven Street Studios, where Matt and I studied audio engineering.”

Check out ” Sleep” below, and find out more about the duo via our mini-interview.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

We are DRAE, an alternative duo out of Ottawa, Canada. We fuse a lot of influences into our sound – drawing from alt-rock, blues, dubstep, hip hop… we try not to box ourselves in. The result is a high-energy sound that’s been compared to Rage Against The Machine and Grandson. We’ve both studied audio engineering and have been playing in various groups together spanning the last decade. We’ve taken that experience, combined it with our varied musical tastes and passion for social commentary, and that melting pot spawned the music and the message you hear now!

Tell us about the recording process behind “Sleep”.

Andre (production, vocals) started writing this song in the middle of 2019, working with guitarist Matthew Yorke to build the basic skeleton of the track. We wanted it to sound like a ROCK song, while still staying true to our fusion of genres. So, the big power-rock-style chorus came first, with the verses being built to maintain that same energy – and we couldn’t forget to have a classic Hendrix-style solo in the middle! In keeping with the organic feel of the song, we wanted the drums to sound like they were played live, while also being appropriate for the hip-hop elements of the verses. So Matt (drums/percussion) actually recorded his portions on an electric drum kit. This ensured the cadence was organic but the drums themselves were tight and malleable. The vocals have Andre’s signature megaphone effect layered to add prominence and give the lyrics a “public service announcement” feel for the listener.

What was the highlight of 2020?

Musically, definitely the release of our first single through Dance Plant. “Take Cover” gave us growth and a platform like no other project before it, so watching that growth was definitely a huge highlight for us last year. And having so much support from Live 88.5 (Ottawa’s alternative rock station) was a huge boost for that as well. On a personal note, Andre was finally able to receive a kidney transplant from his mom, after dealing with chronic kidney disease / renal failure for 2 years. So, 2020 will definitely be remembered for more than just the pandemic.

How did “Sleep” come about?

Andre tends to write about emotions and observations derived from the human experience, and Sleep very much started out from that. The hook came first, with the very basic idea of “I’m tired of dealing with the world, I’m going to go back to bed”. Looking around at the disorder and mania in society can be exhausting, and the lyrics of the chorus essentially touch on being fed up with it all and hoping to “sleep it off” and try again tomorrow. The verses touch on hypocrisy, narcissism, and other themes that are so prevalent in the new, tech-driven world. In a society built on empathy and compassion, a lot of technological “advancements” actually distance us from our community and our peers, weakening social bonds and our ability to communicate effectively.

Is there anyone out there you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

We would do pretty well anything to get in the studio with Grandson (and his producer Boonn), Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park), Dave Grohl, or Rick Rubin. All 4 have worked extensively with the same sounds that influence us, and the knowledge (both technical and musical) we could gain from the experience would be invaluable. Plus, they all seem like really cool people and would be really fun to work with. - Canadian Beats

At 35,000+ Spotify streams and rising, award-winning Canadian duo DRAE channel their explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements with this, their new single, “Sleep”.

The track speaks to the concept of looking around, seeing a society rife with hypocrisy and in a dearth of empathy, and saying “I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed,” the pair say.

“The lyrics are reflective of society, the human experience, and our interactions with each other,” frontman and producer Andre Thibault explains. “They point out a lot of hypocrisy and inconsistencies in the way we behave versus how we expect others to behave.

“So much of growing up in the technological age requires increased human to human interaction but, as we rely heavier on technology, we lose that empathy and compassion that helps our society function.”

With a Toronto Independent Music Award and more than 50,000+ streams to their credit, DRAE have performed at JUNOFest, RBC Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, Northern Touch Music Festival, and more. “Sleep” arrives ahead of the Ottawa-based duo’s forthcoming album, TARDIGRADE — set for upcoming release via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records — and follows critically acclaimed previous releases TRI (2018), E/Scape (The Live Sessions) (2017), and E/Scape (2016).

“We wanted the song to feel like a rock song,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard offers of “Sleep.” “We tried to stay away from samples for the instrumentation as much as possible so the music feels organic, more energetic, and has a very human element to it.”

The video further underscores themes of humanization, Robillard continues. “You can see Andre rapping and singing while surrounded by people in a zombie-like state, shuffling around, engulfed on their phones. Portions were shot the day after Andre started dialysis, having since undergone a kidney transplant this past November.”

Further locations were picked meticulously, Thibault adds. “We even returned to the back area of Raven Street Studios, where Matt and I studied audio engineering.” - Cashbox Canada

DRAE makes their SpitFireHipHop debut with “Sleep.”
At 35,000+ Spotify streams and rising, award-winning Canadian duo DRAE channel their explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements with this, their new single, “Sleep” — available now.

The track speaks to the concept of looking around, seeing a society rife with hypocrisy and in a dearth of empathy, and saying “I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed,” the pair say.

“The lyrics are reflective of society, the human experience, and our interactions with each other,” frontman and producer Andre Thibault explains. “They point out a lot of hypocrisy and inconsistencies in the way we behave versus how we expect others to behave.

“So much of growing up in the technological age requires increased human to human interaction but, as we rely heavier on technology, we lose that empathy and compassion that helps our society function.”

With a Toronto Independent Music Award and more than 50,000+ streams to their credit, DRAE have performed at JUNOFest, RBC Bluesfest, Canadian Music Week, Northern Touch Music Festival, and more. “Sleep” arrives ahead of the Ottawa-based duo’s forthcoming album, TARDIGRADE — set for upcoming release via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records — and follows critically acclaimed previous releases TRI (2018), E/Scape (The Live Sessions) (2017), and E/Scape (2016).

“We wanted the song to feel like a rock song,” drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard offers of “Sleep.” “We tried to stay away from samples for the instrumentation as much as possible so the music feels organic, more energetic, and has a very human element to it.”

The video further underscores themes of humanization, Robillard continues. “You can see Andre rapping and singing while surrounded by people in a zombie-like state, shuffling around, engulfed on their phones. Portions were shot the day after Andre started dialysis, having since undergone a kidney transplant this past November.”

Further locations were picked meticulously, Thibault adds. “We even returned to the back area of Raven Street Studios, where Matt and I studied audio engineering.” - Spitfire Hip Hop

Todays Song of The Day is Sleep by Drae. Canadian duo Drae channel their explosive blues-rock riffs into heady alt-hip hop rhythms and immersive electronic arrangements with their new single “Sleep”. The track speaks to the concept of looking around, seeing a society rife with hypocrisy and in a dearth of empathy, and saying “I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed,” the pair say. The song is an angsty one, calling out a society that could definitely use some calling out at this point of it’s evolution. Drae’s music is reminiscent of a Canadian and more current version of Rage Against The Machine, mixing rock sounds with hip hop vocals and elements, to create politicized tracks you can not only rock out to but that leave you with some food for thought. Sleep arrives ahead of the duo’s forthcoming album, TARDIGRADE which is set for upcoming release via Montreal’s Dance Plant Records.

“The lyrics are reflective of society, the human experience, and our interactions with each other,” frontman and producer Andre Thibault explains. “They point out a lot of hypocrisy and inconsistencies in the way we behave versus how we expect others to behave. So much of growing up in the technological age requires increased human to human interaction but, as we rely heavier on technology, we lose that empathy and compassion that helps our society function.”

If you’ve listened to Drae’s past releases, you’ll notice the instrumentation on “Sleep” takes things in more of a traditional rock direction. Drummer and percussionist Matt Robillard noted “We wanted the song to feel like a rock song. We tried to stay away from samples for the instrumentation as much as possible so the music feels organic, more energetic, and has a very human element to it.”

The video further underscores themes of humanization in a very 2021 way, depicting Thibault rapping in the streets, surrounded by zombie like humans in covid style masks glued to their phones, not noticing anything happening around them. A scene I’m sure you’ve seen something similar to lately. This is Sleep by Drae on Dropout Radio’s Song of The Day. Click below to watch the video and listen to the track on Dropout Radio for a chance to win free Dropout Merch! - Dropout Entertainment

With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?

We were actually preparing for an EP release party, and everything came crashing down less than 24 hours before the show. We had to completely scrap the plan and shift our focus.

How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?

After the EP release party was cancelled, we re-evaluated our plans for our music moving forward, and actually decided to work towards a full length project instead. We’ve since released two singles, both of which have grown our fanbase substantially; both received commercial radio rotation on stations that we had previously been unable to break into!

What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?

We’ve managed to keep writing and creating, which is an outlet in and of itself. It’s been a challenging but fulfilling experience maintaining excitement about music when the most exciting part - live performances - has been removed for the time being. So we’re constantly trying new things and finding new ways to present ourselves in this new online-only world. We’re also both avid gamers, so we’ve played our fair share of video games in the last 12 months.

How are dealing with the Covid second wave?

Doubling down on the creative process, promoting our newest single, and staying safe and sane as best as possible.

Favourite Starlite Room Moment?

Unfortunately, we haven’t had the pleasure of playing the Starlite Room yet, but its reputation precedes it. We have friends and family in the Edmonton area, and whenever we’re able to tour again, we’d love to play on that legendary stage!

Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?

The past 12 months have been an absolute rollercoaster, but just think about how INCREDIBLE it will be when we’re through this! That first live music experience after all is said and done will be unforgettable. But for now, double down on the things that make you happy. Be kind to each other, maintain your compassion and empathy, and remember: we’re all in this together, and we’ll all get out of this together! - Starlite Sessions

We caught up with DRAE to discuss the Capital Music Awards, their incredible success over the last year, and growth in the Ottawa music scene.
DRAE’s high-energy performances have been a mainstay on Ottawa’s stages for the last decade, but the group reached new heights over the last year with the release of singles “Take Cover” and “Sleep,” pushing DRAE to be crowned Group of the Year at last week’s Capital Music Awards. Both tracks showcase DRAE’s ease at blending genres by expanding the scope of hip-hop to encompass blues and rock influences. Producer-frontman André Thibault’s lyrics have always been thoughtful and engaging, but the increased presence on new tracks from drummer Matt Robillard and guitarist Matt Yorke have added newfound depth to the group’s sound.

One of DRAE’s understated strengths is the diversity of their audiences, as they are able to unite the leather-clad rockers and Supreme-sporting hip-hop heads in the same room, singing back Thibault’s lyrics in unison. Their two latest singles have earned DRAE legions of new fans, and their follow-up to 2016’s E/scape is eagerly anticipated. We reached André Thibault shortly after the Capital Music Awards to discuss winning Group of the Year, the evolution of their sound on new releases, and the growth happening in Ottawa’s music scene.

Apt613: Congrats on winning Group of the Year at the Capital Music Awards! What does this award mean to you?

DRAE: It’s big. We’ve won other awards before, but this one’s the most significant because it’s recognition from Ottawa, which doesn’t happen very often. The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition has done a lot of work to push the growth of music in Ottawa. To see that something here is happening–and to be recognized as part of it–is pretty huge.

As a local artist, how have you seen the Ottawa music scene evolve since you first started playing shows here?

We’ve been playing shows in Ottawa for almost 10 years now. It really was a very exclusive small list of local bands and artists who got recognition in the beginning. I used to think it was a pretty tight-knit community, but now there are bands I’m hearing of that I’ve never met, spoken to, or seen live before, which didn’t use to be the case. The scene is exploding and there are a lot of artists that are getting a lot of attention outside of the city too which is really great.

The award came after a busy year for you with the release of singles “Sleep” and “Take Cover.” What has been the biggest difficulty of releasing music during the pandemic?

This is going to sound silly, but maintaining content online has been a challenge. You almost need to double the level of content that you’re putting out to make up for the fact that you can’t see audiences in person. Normally it’s our high-energy live shows that help to attract new fans, but without concerts, we’ve really had to push more on social media.

It’s been a struggle, but I have to give a huge shoutout to Live 88.5. They’ve been a huge contributor to our success over the last year when we couldn’t play in front of people. They picked up both singles very quickly and have helped spread the word about our music. Having their support has helped a lot without the usual live music revenue stream.

Were those tracks recorded during the pandemic?

They were actually both recorded in 2019 and then polished afterwards. We were going to put them on an EP and have that EP release show on March 14, 2020, but we actually had to cancel the show because everything was being shut down. We reassessed the situation and thought maybe we’d wait and not put out an EP, and instead just release the singles and see how people receive them. We figured releasing them all at once wouldn’t be a good idea because we’d have a long haul in keeping people engaged and interacting with our fans over the darker months of the virus.

This has been a very big test for everybody, especially artists and people involved in the live music sector. We were very excited for the show, but in hindsight, I’m glad it didn’t happen because we shifted our focus and changed our plans. I think it worked out for the best. When this is all over it’s going to be like unleashing a caged beast. We’ll play every night we can, and I promise it’ll be a hell of a party.

How do you think your sound has evolved since your last album, 2016’s E/scape?

E/scape was very much an experiment with different influences and sounds. It had more of a hip-hop focus, but also dabbled a lot into some of my electronic influences. There wasn’t as much of a rock-blues influence on that record, which I think is the direction that DRAE has taken now. There’s really a fluidity of genres in our songs now, and I think it’s a much more mature sound. The message behind the lyrics is also much more focused. I’d say that overall our music has grown to have more consistency.

Your previous album was quite guest-heavy. Are there any Ottawa artists that you’d love to collaborate with on a future project?

Our dream team of collaborators just keeps growing. I can think of a few artists that would be great to collaborate with considering our shift away from traditional hip-hop toward more of that blues-rock sound. One group that I would absolutely love to collaborate with is The Blue Stones. They’re based out of Kingston and have made a name for themselves of late.

What’s the importance of having actual musicians and instrumentation on your tracks rather than sampling?

I think it just brings more life to the music. I started my musical journey off learning to play guitar and being a songwriter first. Guitar has always been my first love, and incorporating that into my music has always been something I’ve looked to do but never really found an appropriate way to do so until recently. That influence has been there ever since my childhood.

I think a lot of hip-hop artists are starting to see the value of including real instrumentation in their music and how it can separate them from the contemporary hip-hop that seems to be all 808 heavy. I’ve heard that’s the direction that Kendrick Lamar is heading on his newest record, so I’m very intrigued to see how the collaboration between studio musicians and hip-hop artists continues to grow.

What do you see as the next steps for DRAE?

We hope for a full tour once things get back to normal. “Take Cover” and “Sleep” were the first releases where we had a structured plan for them rather than just putting songs online to see how they’re received. Having seen how successful it was to really take our time thinking out the release process has changed the way we approach releasing our music. We’ll probably go silent for a little bit to finish up the next project. We haven’t decided yet if it will be an EP or an album, but there will be some more singles coming out this summer.

If you were given unlimited power to make a difference in the Ottawa music scene, what would you do to give back and help grow the local scene?

For a long time, there was a very small selection of recording studios and spaces to actually record in Ottawa and get your tracks polished with a professional sound. Now studios are starting to pop up all over the city, and some producers and engineers have started to make a name for themselves.

I think what the city can really use now—and unfortunately, it’s been really amplified due to the pandemic—are more small-to-medium-sized venues. A lot of venues have unfortunately had to close down over the course of the pandemic, but even pre-pandemic we didn’t have many. Ottawa has small places that can maybe fit a hundred people, and then we have the Bronson Centre, the Canadian Tire Centre, and Lansdowne. Besides those, there aren’t really many medium-sized venues of like 1000-2000 people. I think that’s something that Ottawa needs in order to draw up-and-coming artists. It would provide a great opportunity for local musicians to play in front of a couple thousand people and to create a wave of local support that you can’t really get from playing in front of a hundred people in a club. There are great artists living here and we need to find more ways to get them on larger stages and break them to the city. - Apt613