127: Sister Ray - Believer

tom johnson

28 Jan 2025 — 1 min read

Home to the likes of US Girls, Wolf Parade, Ducks Ltd et al, Royal Mountain has always been a pillar of the Canadian indie scene and their latest release is another gem of a record, this time from Alberta songwriter Ella Coyes.

Now based in Toronto, and releasing records as Sister Ray, Coyes is following up their Polaris-nominated debut LP with a whole new collection of carefully-considered indie rock; the album produced by Big Thief collaborator Jon Nellen, who's also a current live member of the band alongside Lenker & co.

Kick-starting the new chapter is 'Believer', the album's title-track and a gorgeous return/arrival. Immediately compelling – that swooning brass leading the way like a pair of heavy open arms – the song is pained but graceful, Coyes' voice an ever-present and ever-engaging centre-weight.

"Gave you the left side of my giant double bed / You kept it feeling just as wide as the west skies I left," Coyes sings in the song's opening lines, presenting the kind of coloured-in, detailed snapshot of a scene that throws us right into the heart of a life, right into the weight of a heart.

The full album arrives April 4th, and is up for pre-order now via Bandcamp where you can hear another from it alongside 'Believer'.

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