Genre-Blending Canadian Musician Ché Aimee Dorval Announces Stunning New Album + Tour Dates
By Stevie Connor. Photo Credit: Aiota Photography
Canadian musician Ché Aimee Dorval was raised in Vancouver by her mother, a plethora of hippie aunts, punk rock uncles and a colourful extended family. Think Little House on the Prairie meets The Lost Boys. Her childhood was full of constant creativity and adventure, instilling in her a strong sense of individualism that she has subsequently taken out into the world.
Living the troubadour life, she has been embroiled in the indie scenes in both Vancouver and Toronto before venturing further afield, both as a solo artist and as Casualties of Cool, her joint venture with compatriot and prog icon Devin Townsend. She has also been a featured performer on his most recent studio albums (‘Empath’ and 'Lightwork’) ahead of unveiling ‘The Crowned’, her stunning third solo album.
Ché has always blended genres, but ‘The Crowned’ sees her reach new heights in fusing folktronica, alternative rock, dream pop and trip hop to create a staggering backdrop for a set that is also stacked with dynamic and soulful vocal performances. A confident and determined thread runs through the entire record that has signalled the birth of a new stage in her career. With half of its contents produced by Bob Rock pre-pandemic and the remainder subsequently self-produced, it also serves as a diary of her artistic evolution and growth. Still possessing the same spirit and sensibility instilled in her youth, she now has the drive and vision that make her an artist in the truest sense of the word; a product of passion rather than curation.
2023 has seen Ché make a number of festival appearances in North America and perform shows with acts as diverse as Run the Jewels, Chromeo, Bif Naked and fellow Townsend collaborator Anneke van Giersbergen. She has today announced an autumn UK and mainland European tour to promote ‘The Crowned’, stating that “I’ve been dreaming of performing its songs ever since their inception. They just feel so lush and layered and easy to lose myself in. To me, this album is more of a soundtrack than a collection of songs, taking me through a time in my life that was as chaotic as it was beautiful."
As for the complexity of her new songs, she reveals that “performing them live reminds me of how far I’ve come. They are the most challenging vocally of anything I’ve written and it has kept me present and in the moment on stage, which has sometimes been difficult for me. I’m usually very aware that I’m being watched, distracted by how I’m being perceived. However, it has been beautiful to step out on stage recently and lose myself to the music and that night’s interpretation of it. I’m so excited to bring this more confident version of myself over to the UK and Europe."
TOUR DATES
Sep. 7 - 9, 2023
Victoria, British Columbia
Rifflandia 2023
Oct. 11 - 15, 2023
East Kelowna, British Columbia
BreakOut West 2023
Oct. 27, 2023
London, United Kingdom
St Pancras Old Church
Oct. 28, 2023
Birmingham, United Kingdom
The Sunflower Lounge
Oct. 29, 2023
Bristol, United Kingdom
The Louisiana
Oct. 30, 2023
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Portland Arms
Oct. 31, 2023
Barnoldswick, United Kingdom
Barnoldswick Music And Arts Centre
Nov. 2, 2023
Den Haag, Netherlands
Anneke Van Giersbergen 'Sweep Under The Stars Tour'
Nov. 4, 2023
Haarlem, Netherlands
Anneke Van Giersbergen 'Sweep Under The Stars Tour'
Nov. 5, 2023
Weert, Netherlands
Anneke Van Giersbergen 'Sweep Under The Stars Tour'
Nov. 7, 2023
Hamburg, Germany
Prinzenbar
Nov. 8, 2023
Köln, Germany
Jaki
Nov. 9, 2023
Zwolle, Netherlands
Anneke Van Giersbergen 'Sweep Under The Stars Tour'
Nov. 10, 2023
Amersfoort, Netherlands
Anneke Van Giersbergen 'Sweep Under The Stars Tour'
Nov. 11, 2023
Enschede, Netherlands
Anneke Van Giersbergen 'Sweep Under The Stars Tour'
Nov. 14, 2023
Bradford, United Kingdom
Nightrain
Nov. 15, 2023
Glasgow, United Kingdom
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