TIDE/TIED by Thanya Iyer
On her third full-length TIDE/TIED, Montreal artist Thanya Iyer expands on the future-folk designs of sophomore album KIND with washes of jazz-inflected pop and ensemble ambience. While Iyer explored a more personal journey of self-love on KIND, she, her band, and cohort of guest musicians embark on a new way of moving on TIDE/TIED, prizing collective care and communal healing as antidotes to the dissonances of living in a colonial, capitalistic world.
Over twelve tracks, Iyer alternates song, synth layer, strings, and loop substance, interfixing with percussionist Daniel Gélinas’s meditative drumming and multi-instrumentalist Pompey’s adventurous arrangements. Through a deeply collaborative process, Gélinas and Pompey — themselves experienced producers — created the powerful and intricate worldscapes of TIDE/TIED, guided by Iyer’s incisive musical vision, all the while maintaining a cohesive, collective approach to the creative process.
TIDE/TIED opens with “I am here now,” a joyful, subdued celebration of reconnecting with your body, unraveling the challenges of staying present when the world is on fire. Iyer’s voice sublimates into passages that call on spiritual jazz, blurring the lines between ambient, folk, and pop with gorgeous stacks of alto sax, looped vocals, synth, and violin.
Future-folk machinations meld with syncopated pop on lead single “Low Tides,” building on previous efforts Pitchfork described as “a lucid daydream that’s constantly melting at its edges.” Although it’s a navigation of our lowest moments, Iyer’s band is brilliant on “Low Tides,” featuring live member Emilie Kahn, whose harp adds celestial revelry to the song’s restrained triumph over an intense trial.
Iyer’s signature post-genre pontifications are in full bloom on “What can we grow that we can’t see from here?” in which Iyer reminds us that the groundwork for new, radical futures can be laid by our own hands. Such prescient lessons are a prominent fixture of Iyer’s work — current and past — this time delivered with a thumping, controlled pop sensibility that says even when things feel stagnant and unclear, there is a way through.
This resilience is the key to TIDE/TIED, the fount from which its entire ethos springs forth. On the album’s cover art, a vivid illustration shows a massive tide approaching an Iyer ablaze, facing the world with her arms raised, ready to accept the crash of transformation.
Tracklist
| 1. | I am here now | 5:44 |
| 2. | What can we grow that we can't see from here? | 3:10 |
| 3. | Low Tides | 4:23 |
| 4. | High Tides | 1:26 |
| 5. | Doctor | 3:01 |
| 6. | Where does that energy go? | 4:12 |
| 7. | When you're underwater, be brave | 2:01 |
| 8. | I am a mountain (make sure you don't move) | 3:15 |
| 9. | I am a mountain (don't be afraid) | 2:44 |
| 10. | Wash it all away | 5:35 |
| 11. | I can't call you anymore | 4:35 |
| 12. | Waves/Hold/Tied | 7:20 |
Videos
Credits
“Try to remember you are a part of something”
Voice, synths, violin, viola, piano, and drum programming by Thanya Iyer
Bass, synth, clarinet, soprano sax, guitar, and voice by Pompey
Drums, percussion, and voice by Daniel Gélinas
Harp and Voice by Emilie Kahn (Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11)
Voice by Shaina Hayes (Tracks 1,2,3,8,9)
Violin by Ari Swan (tracks 2,3,6,11,12)
Violin by Eve Parker Finley (tracks 2,3,6,11,12)
Cello by Eliana Zimmerman (tracks 2,3,6,11,12)
Voice by Brigitte Naggar (Tracks 2, 5, 12)
Voice by Corey Gulkin (Tracks 2, 5, 12)
Voice by Sarah Rossy (Tracks 2, 5, 12)
Voice and Accordion by Frédérique Roy (Tracks 1, 2, 8, 9, 10)
Voice by Eugénie Jobin (Tracks 1, 8, 9, 10)
Trumpet by Simon Millerd (Tracks 4, 5, 9, 10, 12)
Clarinet by Adam Kinner (Tracks 4, 5, 9, 10, 12)
Tenor Saxophone by Shelby Cohen (Tracks 4, 5, 9, 10, 12)
Alto Saxophone by James Goddard (3)
Alto Saxophone by Christopher Edmondson (Track 1)
All songs by Thanya Iyer
Produced by Thanya Iyer, Pompey, & Daniel Gélinas
Additional lyrics by Pompey and Daniel Gélinas (Track 5)
String and Vocal Arrangements by Thanya Iyer
Engineered by Jon Kaspy at PHI Nord (St. Adele, QC), Daniel Gélinas at Paroisse St. Edouard (Montreal, QC), and Thanya Iyer and Pompey at 5912 and Maison Bonheur (Montréal, QC).
Mixed by Pompey and Daniel Gélinas
Mastered by Jon Kaspy
Artwork by Christiane Shortal
Back cover photo by Monse Muro
Layout and Design by Sophie Grouev
Layout by Kevin Duquette
Insert photos by Nico Osborne, Monse Muro, Y. Fransheska, Pompey, & Thanya Iyer
The creation of this work was made possible thanks to the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, le Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec, and FACTOR, the Government of Canada, and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.
Big Love to Kevin + Topshelf Records for their unwavering belief, commitment, and care to our music and for helping us share our vision with the world.
Deep appreciation to George, Renelle and PHI Nord for hosting us in the most magical and serene two-week residency, where our musical recordings were born amidst nature, inspiration, and tranquility.
A special thank you to Blanche Israel, whose profound understanding of my world and music led her to coin the name TIDE/TIED, perfectly capturing the essence of the project.
To Pompey, my partner in life and art, thank you for conceptualising the album art and being a constant source of love, support, and inspiration
Lastly, to all of our friends, family, mentors, and amazing creative communities who keep us inspired, whole, connected, and full of love.
License
All rights reserved.
Thanya Iyer is an enigmatic songwriter who crafts sparkling, experimental pop music. Her live band, features Pompey, Emilie Kahn, and Daniel Gélinas, whose acoustic and electronic contributions enliven serene, spiritual compositions. Following their 2020 Polaris long-listed, sophomore album KIND - TIDE/TIED, navigates the rhythms of communal identity, healing, and loving, within a dissonant world.