Band releases Speak & Spell, a track-for-track covers record of Depeche Mode’s 1981 album of the same name, on Friday, May 27.
Available on vinyl courtesy of Headless Owl Records, By Divine Right’s take on Speak & Spell sees the band diving head first into the only Depeche Mode album written by Vince Clarke before he quit the band and coming up with a treasure trove of unexploited possibilities.
Tracked live off the floor with all the band members in the same room, BDR’s rendition has a spontaneous garage rock feeling and offers a revised look at the album that celebrates its 35th anniversary in October.
With nine albums under their belt, JUNO Award and Polaris Prize nominations in tow, and an evolving lineup that has included Feist, Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene), Brian Borcherdt (Holy Fuck), and members of The Meligrove Band, By Divine Right are one of Canada’s crown jewels.
Influencing generations of musicians and providing a fertile breeding ground for other artists to make their own mark, the band’s oeuvre is centered around the iconic songwriting of José Contreras. His fervent passion for artistic adventure and cultural intuition thrives on creative curiosity and a fusion of sensibilities – a combination that has charted a unique psychedelic-sludge-rock-infused path for the group for over two decades.
Now in their 25th year, and with their tenth album on the way, By Divine Right continues to create essential Canadian music.
In New Brunswick:
By Divine Right are one of several artists performing at Sappyfest 11 – July 29 – July 31 in Sackville, NB.
