Vulnerability and teenage angst in Lucas Fournier's sophomore EP "Who are we"

Lucas Fournier

Only 19 years old with a world of ambition, Lucas Fournier has one goal: to spend his life making music that excites him, pushes boundaries, and connects with like-minded music lovers. Currently in his third year studying music at McGill University, the music that Fournier makes in his home studio is drastically different to what he studies. With a soft spot for the classic lush indie folk aesthetic of Novo Amor and early Bon Iver, but perhaps an equal influence from the genre-bending discography of Radiohead, and the outside-the-box production of Tony Berg on albums like Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher, Fournier refuses to confine himself to a genre, and instead will go wherever a song takes him.

Fournier makes music with the goal of connecting with people who go through similar experiences to himself. For Fournier, music is an outlet that has a truly unique way of influencing his thoughts and emotions, and he has always felt that writing music is the most natural way of expressing himself. In the past two years, Fournier taught himself how to record and produce, and soon after released his debut album, Many Waters, in December 2021. Since then, Fournier has continued to develop his skills as a musician and, perhaps more importantly, has continued to grow as a person. Back bigger and better than before, Fournier returned with "Who Are We" on November 4th, 2022, a genre-bending and expectation-defying collection of five songs that represent the journey he has been on in the past year.

I've followed Lucas Fournier from a relatively short amount of time but it's crystal clear to me how much work and dedication he's putting in the effort of growing up musically and in pushing himself over the bar. As songwriter, the talented young artist loves to write music that tells a story. With recurring themes of growing up, teenage angst, heartbreak, and overcoming insecurity, his EP "Who Are We" contains songs about looking back into and accepting the past, as well as moving forward into a hopeful future. 

His latest release shows great attention to details - evident also in his growing YouTube Channel about tips&tricks for indies - and focus on deepest emotions and feelings - that shows up in Lucas' general approach to things as well (I'm referring for example to his care in spreading the word out about Men's Mental Health).

  

The opener and title track of "Who are we" is a journey of overcoming insecurity and becoming comfortable with vulnerability, followed by Friday In The Basement and Brothers, which delve back into a past filled with regret and anger. The fourth track, Lakeside, shifts in tone towards acceptance and responsibility, and the closing track Golden is a positive look into the possibilities of the future.

Lucas says: "My sophomore EP "Who Are We" is about growing up, entering into adulthood, and overcoming insecurity with 5 songs that vary quite a bit in style. It has everything from orchestral indie folk to Radiohead-esque rock. It’s a collection of songs that pushed me to my limits as a songwriter and producer, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Above all, I always want my releases to tell a story. So often when we’re growing up and maturing we reach a moment when we feel like we’ve figured everything out. Because we’ve overcome one thing, we feel like we can overcome anything. The EP opens with one of these moments in its first track, Who Are We, which is about a journey of overcoming insecurity and becoming comfortable in your own skin. The song ends with a feeling of being on top of the world and triumphant. However, in the next three tracks, the ghosts of the past return, and it’s clear that this victory was only temporary. The final track, Golden, leaves the listener with some ambiguity, all about change and starting a new chapter. I have no idea what the next chapter of my life will look like, so I tried to reflect that in the song. I know I’m not the only one going through this kind of journey, so I hope this music connects with other people going through a similar thing!".

 

"Who Are We?"

Let’s talk about the weather, Cause my sweater covers all my fucking shame

This is warmer than September, And the city who I love might be to blame

I’ll send my cavalry, Hide and seek

Count to three and be a man, It’s the nights that set you free

Who are we?, Who are we to be ashamed?

The ghost of summers past, Is scrolling through my phone, what a pain in the ass

Naked on the grass, Freedom isn’t complementary

Growing up is not what I learned in class, Well it came to me at last

All of me, My body is in the past

And if that’s what makes my name

Who are we?, Who are we to be ashamed?

I’m wading through my dream, By the quay

You found me in this state, This night just set me free

Who are we?, Who are we to be ashamed?

So we talked about the weather

And that night I burst my lungs just yelling your name

Lucas Fournier

Instagram: @lucas__fournier

Linktree: Lucas Fournier