San Francisco Frontiers - Canada's Patrick Watson channels dread into new 'Uh Oh' album

The bilingual 45-year-old multi-instrumentalist, whose ballad "Je te laisserai des mots" is the most-streamed francophone title ever on Spotify, said he'd tried to channel the ambient feeling of dread into his music.

"It's related to what it feels like being in this world and I think that everybody's experienced that unanimously, everybody's in a state of constant "Uh oh!", you know what I mean?" he told AFP in an interview.

"It's been like that since Covid, it's never stopped. As soon as Covid finished, it was Russia's war (in Ukraine), then it was Gaza, then America's invading Canada," he said, referring to US President Donald Trump's threats to his country.

"You're like 'Trump's going to invade Canada with an army?' That's new, what a twist!".

He adds "AI monsters" and economic collapse to the list of things that keep him up at night -- but he insists the best response is not to take it all too seriously.

"The word 'Uh oh' comes with a bit of a laugh and a smile I thought it was the best way to describe what it's like living now because you can't take it too seriously because it's too crazy," he added.

The 11-track EP features Watson's trademark dream-like, orchestral compositions, with his floaty vocals featuring alongside a diverse cast of other singers including fellow Canadians Klo Pelgag and Sea Oleena.

"I'm very picky with the voices. If they're on my record, it's because they're exceptional singers," he explained.

Watson is best known for his melancholic piano ballads such as "Je te laisserai des mots", "Lost with You" or "To Build a Home" with the English electro-jazz band The Cinematic Orchestra.

"Je te laisserai des mots" ("I'll leave you some words") originally appeared in the 2009 film "Mothers and Daughters" by French director Julie Lopes-Curval, featuring screen icon Catherine Deneuve.

But thanks to the algorithmic magic of streaming platforms and social media networks like TikTok, the song has experienced a second life 15 years later, racking up 1.2 billion streams on Spotify and introducing younger fans to Watson's music.

"Is it the best French song? No. Is it the best song of mine? No. But it was a feeling that people needed, just out of that simple idea," he said of the wistful song about leaving a written message for a loved one.

"Every day I receive a letter being like 'oh I just buried my child to that song', 'oh I just got married to that song'," he added.

He said he would have preferred Stromae, the francophone Belgian lyricist, to be first into the billion-stream club.

"I think what he does is more valuable in terms of the French language," he said.

K.Torres--SFF