Nearly a decade after 2014’s What More What More, Marc Morrissette’s Octoberman project returns with There You Were, an album written and recorded after the sudden death of Morrissette’s mother. Touching on themes of grief, post-apocalyptic dread, isolation, nostalgia and new beginnings, There You Were is an elegiac and urgent ode to resilience in the face of loss. With lush production courtesy of Chris Stringer (Bruce Cockburn, Great Lake Swimmers, The Weather Station), Morrissette (vocals, guitar, piano) is once again backed by Marshall Bureau (drums), Tavo Diez de Bonilla (bass) and J.J. Ipsen (keyboards, guitar). Further contributions come from Stringer (synths, guitar, percussion), Rebecca Hennessey (trumpet), Kate Rogers and Annelise Noronha (background vocals).
Featuring a wide cast of collaborators over six albums and two EPs, Octoberman has been described as “Stephen Malkmus at his loosest” by Pitchfork, and “like a sunnier Elliott Smith or Sparklehorse” by Uncut Magazine. Their songs have garnered numerous television placements, including a prominent spot on Grey’s Anatomy. Octoberman has regularly toured North America, the UK and Europe, sharing stages with acts such as Owen Pallett, Chad VanGaalen, Sam Amidon, Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron. After long stints in Vancouver and Toronto, Morrissette continues exploring sounds and geographies out of his new home in Ottawa, Ontario.