Bernice, has shared the video for “St Lucia” – the band’s debut track for Arts & Crafts. Bernice vocalist/songwriter Robin Dann on the director: Sonia Beckwith-Cole, who directed the “St Lucia” video, was the clear choice – “Her animation felt completely right to me, and I knew she would make something so beautiful for the song’s world.”

“When I first heard the song I imagined pinks and blues, a lot of textures and water, water, water,” director/animator Sonia Beckwith-cole says of her inspiration for the video. “The song talks about how as a woman you are connected to a lineage of women that are a part of you, and contribute to who you are, while somehow still being distant. The verses bring up these complicated feelings and the chorus brings us escape from these worries to be present in a moment of joy. The woman in my story starts out in a confused wandering state surrounded by dark, obscured imagery. When she finally dives off the edge of a waterfall the imagery becomes bright, colourful and full of movement and she finds solace with friends in the water.”

“St Lucia”, the bouncy, maximalist R&B track produced by Grammy Award-winner Shawn Everett, is inspired by Robin’s great Auntie Irene and is about maternal ancestry and the traits we know or don’t know we embody from those who came before us.

Born to a musical family, the daughter of a symphony harpist and the former Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s principal violist, and a graduate of Goldsmiths’ MA in Music, Dann’s background, formal training, and experimental sensibilities developed into sparse arrangements and pop-minded songwriting, often following curious and unexpected paths.

Bernice’s members and collaborators include longtime Owen Pallett collaborator Thom Gill (keyboard/sampler), Colin Fisher (guitar), Daniel Fortin (bass), Philippe Melanson (drums) and Felicity Williams (supporting vocals). All are professional musicians from Toronto’s music community and members of Owen Pallett, DIANA, John Southworth, Bahamas, Martha Wainwright, The Barr Brothers, and many others.

Bernice’s upcoming album was co-produced by Grammy Award winner Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Lucius) and Matt Smith (Owen Pallett) and co-mixed/mastered by experimental musician Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo).

BERNICE TOUR DATES

12-16 Toronto, ON – The Costume House (Red Bull Sound Select)^
01-17 Dublin, IR – Vicar Street*
01-19 Belfast, UK – The Redeemer Church*
01-21 Gateshead, UK – The Sage*
01-23 Brighton, UK – Komedia*
01-24 Bury St Edmunds, UK – The Apex*
01-25 Bristol, UK – St. George’s Hall*
01-26 Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Tramshed*
01-27 Leeds, UK – City Varieties*
01-28 Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz*
01-30 Birmingham, UK – Town Hall*
01-31 Ashford, UK – Revelation*
02-01 Salisbury, UK – Salisbury City Hall*

^ w/ Jaunt
* w/ Martha Wainwright