Montreal Art Rock Trio DahL Release Haunting Nautical Single "High Tide"
Montreal-based art rock trio DahL unveil their arresting new single, “High Tide” – a nautical fugitive romance that sails straight into the imagination. Equal parts prison break and polar expedition, the track anchors the listener, drags them under, and refuses to let go.
Inspired by Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky, “High Tide” conjures a bleak escape story set on a fragment of land surrounded by wreckage, penguins, and saltwater static. The song follows a silent passenger – Hightide – as the narrator delivers a fragmented, feverish monologue of exile and flight. The identities of these castaways remain uncertain: prisoners, explorers, or simply stranded souls. What remains is their grim camaraderie, soaked in isolation and nautical tension.
Listen to “High Tide” HERE. Watch the accompanying visualizer HERE.
The song’s title refers to this ambiguous companion – part name, part mood, part cipher. “Maybe the two characters were prisoners. Maybe they were explorers who became stranded. Maybe the island itself was the prison. They may have once been friends, or even lovers, but none of that is spelled out,” explains frontperson guitarist/vocalist Nassir Liselle. “Hightide is a presence more felt than heard – a rising pressure, a pull toward movement, a sense that something is about to break.”
Recorded at Studio Saint Zo in Montreal with Monty Munro (Preoccupations), the track was built piece by piece, culminating in a session that left even the producer stumped. “Someone asked Monty, ‘So what does this song sound like?’” recalls Liselle. “He paused, nodded thoughtfully, and said, ‘I have no idea… but I like it.’ That was the moment I put my head in my hands. Deep down, we were trying to make something accessible, and somehow ended up in this strange, emotionally-charged grey zone that doesn’t quite behave. Classic us.”
Stylistically, “High Tide” strips back DahL’s usual sequenced layers in favour of a more physical sound. The focus shifts to percussion and bass – grounding the song in a tension and momentum that mirrors their live shows. Atmospheric textures remain, but the result feels more immediate, like being in the room with the band.
The point of view from the yoke and you
Huddled equally as cold and soaked
All the while the ocean engendered very little conversation
Because it was belching up salvo
DahL is the Montreal-based art rock trio of Nassir Liselle (Anthony McLachlan), Bryan Greenfield, and Edward Scrimger. With roots in post-punk, R&B, and ‘90s trip-hop, the band fuses socially charged songwriting with experimental sound design to craft music as fluid as it is fearless.
Formed in 2014 after the dissolution of their former project Oliverthegreat, DahL has grown into a force of immersive storytelling. Their 2024 debut LP That’s It earned critical acclaim from CULT MTL and Exclaim!, and their unpredictable live performances have shared stages with Suuns, FACS, and more.
Fresh off their international debut at New York’s New Colossus Festival, DahL continue to carve a path through art rock’s uncharted waters. “High Tide” is the latest proof of their uncompromising vision.
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