Canadian Indie Artist Lisa SQ Releases Debut Album 'Reel Me In' feat. Brooding Lead Single "Teeth"
• LISTEN TO + SHARE REEL ME IN FEAT. “TEETH” HERE •
Montreal, QC-born, Hamilton, ON-based multidisciplinary artist Lisa SQ unveils her debut full-length album Reel Me In, a kaleidoscopic reflection of her late 20s and early 30s, filled with snapshots of introspection, growth, and playful sonic experimentation. Released alongside the brooding, atmospheric lead single “Teeth,” the album captures Lisa SQ’s penchant for turning life’s sticky moments into artful, indie-pop catharsis.
“Reel Me In is kind of a sonic photo album,” she shares. “It’s a collection of songs that have grown from me trying to get to know myself better during a perplexing time of life. Naturally, some of the songs are moodier and more introspective, but overall I think there’s a playfulness fuelling the whole thing.”
Half recorded overseas on the Isle of Wight in a converted stone abbey, and half captured during impromptu “birthday sessions” in Toronto with a crew of close friends, Reel Me In embraces spontaneity, collaboration, and imperfection. The project, produced by Tyler Kyte (Dwayne Gretzky), Ian Docherty (July Talk), and David Granshaw, bridges continents and creative circles from late-night jams at Toronto’s Dwaynespace to sun-soaked sessions in the English countryside.
Listen to Reel Me In featuring “Teeth” HERE.
At the heart of it all is “Teeth,” a hypnotic swirl of dream-pop textures and lyrical bite. “Have you ever been crushed by the thing you love?” Lisa SQ asks. “‘Teeth’ is young love and falling hard. It’s lapping up the poison of pop culture romance – the glamourized torment of Ross and Rachel. Bonnie and Clyde, doomed from the start.”
The single originated from a moody, Twin Peaks-inspired instrumental by Docherty, which Lisa SQ transformed into a disarming meditation on infatuation, jealousy, and self-realization. “The main motif was very evocative – dredging up all kinds of memories and feelings from early relationships I thought I had cleverly tucked away,” she explains. “It kind of broke me open in a weird way. I tried to lean into it and dredge up some young love.”
With its lush blend of synths, guitars, and eerie harmonies, “Teeth” builds toward an explosive finale – complete with a spontaneous French verse that dissolves into a sombre cacophony. “It’s not trying to tie things up in a pretty bow,” Lisa SQ says. “But instead letting things fall apart in atmospheric chaos.”
Tapped out, brace for explosion
Tongue tied, naive in my notions
Lisa SQ’s multidisciplinary approach shapes not only the sound but the soul of her music. Born in Montreal into a bilingual household, she grew up immersed in French and English, fostering a lyrical dexterity that infuses her indie-pop and art-pop compositions with nuance, wit, and intimacy. Influences ranging from Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf to David Bowie and El Perro del Mar inform her eccentric, emotionally resonant sound, which balances nostalgic warmth with avant-garde experimentation.
Across Reel Me In, Lisa SQ finds strength in vulnerability and beauty in imperfection while exploring how connection, creativity, and community can reel us back to ourselves. “I think each song can be linked to a moment of personal growth,” she says. “Without getting too existential, I think the heart of the album is about how the quality of our relationships to others and to ourselves is what really brings value and purpose to our lives.”
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