You Said Strange Share Their New Single “Dance For No One”

French psychedelic noise-pop trio You Said Strange shares the much-anticipated Trade Your Soul EP. Additionally, they share the focus track “Dance For No One.” The track, initially excluded from the two previous volumes despite its contemporary writing, now takes center stage, bringing incisive tones and dance beats to the fore. Its experimental version (“Dance For No One” (Take II)) by Daniel James Goodwin, accompanied by saxophonist Joseph Baudet, adds a bold, sensory dimension to the composition, offering a unique interpretation of the track.

The Trade Your Soul EP marks a significant milestone for the band. It sees them broaden their horizons with a more striking musical approach and several innovations. Even still, they continue to create the work of passionate musicians who combine dazzling instrumentation and the union of voices to fuse melancholy and energy alike.

Serving as a conclusion to the band’s Thousand Shadows era (capitalized on over the past two years via two new LPs: Thousand Shadows Vol. 1 and Thousand Shadows Vol. 2), the new EP is a post-rock tale unfolding as a metaphorical journey of spirituality through life’s most intense and intimate emotions and experiences. It demystifies the heroes and figures in whom we place our trust and covers themes of betrayal and disillusionment as key elements of the human journey. It also reflects on the use of faith and spirituality as metaphorical tools for apprehending human reality as well as raises profound questions about the creation of social frameworks in the absence of a concrete creator, and offers a quest for and discovery of true love.

The EP is the fruit of exciting collaborations with friends Marvin Borges-Soares (Structures), Raphaëlle Verlaine (Metro Verlaine), and Joseph Baudet. Their contributions add a unique dimension to three of the tracks. A dynamic, feminine pop touch with Raphaëlle for “My Own God.” Bold elements and flamboyant flights of fancy for “Dance For No One” with Joseph, the musician and occasional saxophonist. A cold-wave dimension to “Trade Your Soul,” featuring Marvin.

This EP was also an opportunity to collaborate with engineers Arthur Guegan and Daniel James Goodwin. Furthermore, the project was additionally mixed and mastered by Goodwin.

In 2022, the band shared their LP Thousand Shadows Vol. 1. Mythomaniac kings, the Mediterranean, the colours of mourning, these are the detailed subjects, described against a backdrop of psychedelic pop, proto-grunge, and shoegaze. The first part of a powerful, reverberant, melodious second album, drawing its inspiration and production, stems from encounters during their 2022 European and North American tours between Normandy, New York, and Oregon. Most recently, You Said Strange shared the second part of their sophomore release, a follow-up to Vol. 1 entitled Thousand Shadows Vol. 2.

These last two projects were recorded in their home studio, then mixed and mastered in New York by Daniel J. Goodwin. Powerful, reverberant and melodious, they are the fruit of their tours, their human experiences, and their relationship with the world. They also embody an acquired maturity, combining more personal statements, assertive music, and successful risk-taking, notably thanks to the addition of a flamboyant saxophone.

You Said Strange’s EP, Trade Your Soul, is out now via EXAG / Le Cèpe Records.

Trade Your Soul EP Track Listing:

1. My Own God
2. Trade Your Soul
3. Dance For No One
4. Trade Your Soul (Alternative)
5. Dance For No One (Take II)
6. Where I Found The One

You Said Strange ‘Trade Your Soul’ EP album artwork