CAST, have shared the opening track of their album Identities, “Soften You”. Formed by Jessica Léger (vocals, guitar) and Ben Brown (drums, percussion). The Vancouver indie/rock duo’s music explores the complex role our perceptions play in relationships and how they can make up the ultimate determinants of our identities. CAST are scheduled to play an album release show with YAWN in Victoria, BC on June 2 and Vancouver, BC on June 3, at the Victoria Event Centre and The Lido. Identities, features orchestration by Colin Nealis (Andy Shauf), bass by James Meger (Frazey Ford), and production by Colin Stewart (New Pornographers).

The song is the follow-up to their single, “The Work Of Your Hours”, with Jessica sharing, “If ‘The Work of Your Hours’ is about staying true to certain aspects of your identity, then ‘Soften You’ is about being brave enough to be open and not let your identity lead you into an echo chamber. This song also confronts the very real differences between identities that we can put on and take off versus those that are not a choice.”

“The album is about Identities and how we craft them, manipulate them, and resist them in relation to one another; how we hold the parts we can’t change. In exploring the complexities of identities, it makes sense that we expanded the musical scope of our sound to include the additional players that we interacted with to make this record.”, says CAST.

The duo was formed with the intention of treating rhythm as a dominant characteristic and focal point for composition and performance to highlight the intricate relationship between rhythm and voice. The album also features tap dance percussion by Dayna Szyndrowski, a sound that has had a long-standing presence in the band’s creative practice. With Szyndrowski’s collaboration, it created new kinds of exciting possibilities for unconventional grooves and compositional phrases that would not usually be written or conceived with instruments alone.

Pre-order Identities by CAST HERE