With the release of the third single from their forthcoming album, Tortue continues to be one of the most interesting and eclectic bands in the local scene.
Matt Carter
A new single from Tortue is always a treat. Based in Fredericton, Tortue is a multifaceted rock trio that can shift between genres and styles as easily as they can tempos and rhythm. They are not following a certain sound as much as they are exploring what their collective abilities can muster. From a listener’s perspective, it’s been a fun ride so far.
“For me, we’re really not going for a particular sound with any of our singles,” said the band’s vocalist and guitarist Aidan Bullock. “But for this single I kind of just wanted to focus more on the vocals and song structure.”
When compared to the band’s previous two singles Petty and HYB, both rumoured to be included on the Tortue’s long awaited full length debut, Overburdening stands as both a contrast and somehow, a compliment to the band’s earlier singles. This eclecticism is all part of the Tortue method. Their reason for being.
“Tortue has always been weird,” said Bullock. “In that sense, we don’t fit a mold. It’s been hard to market, but we don’t mind. You never know what kind of song you’ll be hearing next when you listen to us. We just write songs that we enjoy no matter the genre. Our upcoming album, whenever it is finished, will be all over the place in that sense. It really excites us, and we hope it excites others as well.”
Overburdening follows a punchy guitar melody placed atop a highly energetic rhythm section. It’s a combination that gives adequate space for Bullock’s lyrics to resonate while also allowing them to remain centered amidst a wealth of momentum powering the song’s overall flow. It doesn’t hurt that Bullock and his band mates, bassist Connor MacAulay and drummer Gage Kelly, are edging ever closer to masterfully commanding their instruments. No slouches here.
“I wanted the vocals to breathe more and for the meaning to shine,” said Bullock. “The past few years have really been quite exhausting. I was trying to get my life in order and fit into the classic mold of getting a job and settling down after graduating college. I was just constantly moving from town to town and it was really just an overall stressful experience. I just wish I put less pressure on myself to be successful in the eyes of society and just go at my own pace. That is basically what the song is about, finding your own happiness and not fitting somebody else’s version of it.”
Overburdening was tracked and mixed at Shiftwork Recording by Dylan Ward. In a post to the studio’s Instagram account on February 24 (the single’s release day), Ward explained how he approached the song from an engineer’s perspective and shared a few techniques he used to bring Overburdening to life in a way to best represent the band’s three musical voices.
Tortue | Linktree
