Corridor has returned with “Et Hop,” a new single out today on all DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop and in Canada through Bonsound. The song is the band’s first new recorded material since the release of Junior, their acclaimed album from 2019.
Written during the sessions for Corridor’s second LP, Supermercado, “Et Hop” was a gem gathering dust in the band’s musical vault. But when CISM, the student-run radio station at the University of Montreal, asked the band if they wanted to release a song to mark the radio station’s 30th-anniversary, they knew exactly what to offer.
Corridor is a guitar-slinging, anthem-singing band from Montreal. They are DIY enthusiasts of the earnest variety: the kind who like to design their own merch and create mind-bending animated music videos for their catchy, captivating tunes. They also happen to be the first Francophone act ever signed to Sub Pop.
Junior, the band’s third full-length and first for Sub Pop, has a special kind of “je ne sais quoi?” that comes from self-imposed restraints. With a deadline to submit a finished record looming, the members of Corridor - Jonathan Robert (guitar & vocals), Dominic Berthiaume (bass), Julian Perreault (guitar), and Julien Bakvis (drums) - hunkered down and wrote furiously, never stopping to second guess themselves. The end result is a record defined by intimacy and immediacy. Is it kosmische Musik? Is it indie rock? Is it post-punk? It’s all those things and more. It’s Corridor.
The impact of Junior was immediate and enduring. It earned Corridor rave reviews from Brooklyn Vegan, CLASH, PASTE, Stereogum, Exclaim!, and more. Their live performance also impressed, as evidenced by the band’s KEXP session and their dynamic shows. The band toured Europe and North America, a string of shows that established Corridor as one of the brightest and best of the genre. The shows went so well, in fact, that they decided to make Samuel Gougoux - a live collaborator for the Junior tour - a full-time member.
Corridor has also added headlining performances to its 2022 touring schedule, which includes new dates in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Grand Rapids. Meanwhile, the band’s previously announced shows in Montreal and Toronto will precede these dates in November 2021. Please find Corridor’s current schedule below.
Fall 2021 Fri. Nov. 19 - Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theatre Fri. Nov. 26 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison
Spring 2022 Thu. Mar. 31 - Brooklyn, NY - Sultan Room Fri. Apr. 01 - Philadelphia, PA - Milk Boy Sun. Apr. 03 - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern Fri. Apr. 08 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
What people are saying about Corridor: “The French-Canadian foursome may write and perform in French, but rock music this good is something we can all understand.” [Junior] - PASTE
“Junior is a nice progression from Supermercado, building steam as it goes, climaxing with the literal one-two punch of “Pow” (maybe their best pop song yet) and the “Bang” (spiraling, magisterial). It’s an infectious, unique sound that needs no translation.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“Strong melodies and propulsive rock structures, which reference everything from shoegaze and post-punk to Krautrock and psych…” [Junior] - Bandcamp Daily
“This Montreal band’s third album is a potent set of twitchy, psych-tinged post-punk with intertwining angular guitars, driving, sometimes motorik rhythms, soaring harmonies and impressionistic French lyrics.” [Junior] - KEXP
“Junior blends a cocktail of urgency and euphoria, delivering a woozy, rosy-cheeked buzz that warms from the inside out.” [Junior] - Glide Magazine
“The album sounds wonderful. The guitars interplay is so immersive. The production casts a glorious sheen on the whole affair and the dreamy vocals add an another dimension to the proceedings.” [Junior, 8/10] - Northern Transmissions
International touring extended through August 23rd, w/ SXSW performances March 16th-21st.
Corridor has delivered an official video for “Grand cheval,” directed and animated by Chad VanGaalen, and a standout from Junior, their acclaimed debut of 2019.
Corridor’s Jonathan Robert says of “Grand cheval,” “The song is inspired by a grumpy old man who came to bother us in a park once. He talked about mediocre poetry and philosophies of life while asking us for cigarettes and beers. When we asked him to leave us alone, he became angry, climbed on his high horse (“Grand cheval”) and became this old demagogue belittling the youth.”
And VanGaalen offers this, “I sewed a jacket, pants, and hat to rotoscope myself as this alien gatherer. Everything was drawn onto a malfunctioning 15-year old Cintiq. You can buy them for $20 on eBay, although I wouldn’t recommend it. The music made the snow fall up and not down. No matter what I did on Final Cut, it would always fall up. I filled my body and mind with many ingredients in order to go from monocular to trinocular, now my vision is blurry but my tailored clothing feels amazing. I can’t believe it is finished.”
Corridor Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Corridor has extended its headlining international tour schedule for 2020 in support of Junior which kicks-off this Wednesday, March 4th in Brooklyn at Rough Trade NYC and now ends Sunday, August 23rd in Wales at Green Man Festival. The band will also appear at the 2020 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas. For more information on tickets, visit Corridor’s Sub Pop tour dates page.
Mar. 04 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade NYC * Mar. 06 - Savannah, GA - Savannah Stopover Mar. 07 - Orlando, FL - Will’s Pub * Mar. 08 - Tampa, FL - Hooch and Hive * Mar. 09 - Miami, FL - Gramps * Mar. 10 - Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic Nightspot * Mar. 13 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger * Mar. 14 - Houston, TX - Satellite Bar * Mar. 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW/Hotel Vegas (Do512+Strange Brew Party / 6:45 pm) Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW/Lazarus Brewery (Music For Listeners showcase/3 pm) Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW/The Venue ATX Outdoors (Telefilm CAN + Bonsound showcase/9 pm) Mar. 18 - Austin, TX - SXSW/Hotel Vegas (Desert Daze showcase/10:15 pm) Mar. 19 - Austin, TX - SXSW/Hotel Vegas (Levitation Fest showcase/8 pm) Mar. 20 - Dallas, TX - Nasher Sculpture Mar. 21 - Austin, TX - SXSW/Hotel Vegas (Burger Records showcase/2 pm) Mar. 22 - Hot Springs, AR - VOV Festival * Mar. 23 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR * Mar. 24 - Atlanta, GA - 529 * Mar. 26 - Richmond, VA - Poor Boys * Apr. 30 - Brussels, BE - Botanique May 01 - Vlieland, NL - Here Comes The Summer Festival May 04 - Lille, FR - L’Areonef May 05 - Mainz, DE - Schon Schon May 06 - Amiens, FR - La Lune May 07 - Caen, FR - Le Cargo May 09 - Utrecht, NL - Ekko May 11 - Bristol, UK - The Old England May 12 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club May 13 - London, UK - The Victoria Dalston May 15 - Nancy, FR - Bon Moment @ Autre Canal May 16 - Paris, FR - Le Beau Festival May 17 - Dijon, FR - MV Festival @ Consortium Jul. 10 - Quebec City, QC - FEQ Festival Aug. 23 - Brecon Beacon, UK - Green Man Festival *w/ Deeper
[Photo Credit: Caroline Desilets]
Corridor’s Junior, their Sub Pop debut, is available now on CD/LP/DL/CS worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Bonsound. The album was produced by Emmanuel Éthier, engineered by Samuel Gemme, mixed by Éthier and Gemme in Montreal at ReelRoad Studios, and mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering in New York.
LP purchases of Junior through Sub Pop Mega Mart, select independent retailers and the band’s live shows in North America will receive the limited Loser edition on Soft-Boiled colored vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP purchases of Junior throughout the UK and Europe from select independent retailers and the Corridor’s live shows, will receive the limited Loser edition on Egg Yolk colored vinyl (while supplies last).
Corridor’s Junior, their Sub Pop debut, is available now on CD/LP/DL/CS worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Bonsound. Stream it today on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
[Photo Credit: Caroline Desilets]
Corridor’s international tour schedule in support of Junior kicks-off tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23rd in Philadelphia at Boot & Saddle and currently ends December 13th in Los Angeles at Morrocan Lounge. For more information on tickets, visit Corridor’s Sub Pop tour dates page.
Oct. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Oct. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Oct. 25 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong Oct. 29 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (Upstairs) Oct. 31 - Nyon, CH - La Parenthese Nov. 01 - Lyon, FR - Le Sonic Nov. 02 - Nantes, FR - Soy Music Festival Nov. 04 - Paris, FR - Point Ephemere Nov. 06 - London, UK - The Waiting Room [Sold Out] Nov. 07 - Antwerp, BE - Trix (Free Show) Nov. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang Nov. 09 - Berlin, DE - Westgermany Nov. 10 - Kortrijk, BE - Sonic City Music Festival Nov. 20 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison* Nov. 22 - Montreal, QC - M for Montreal Festival (Le National) * Nov. 28 - Quebec City, QC - l’Anti Dec. 04 - San Francisco, CA - Milk Bar Dec. 07 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar # Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria ^ Dec. 10 - Seattle, WA - Barboza Dec. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge
* w/ Absolutely Free # w/ Woolen Men ^ w/ N0V3L
Corridor’s Junior is now available through Sub Pop. Purchases of the LP through megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers and the band’s live shows in North America will receive the limited Loser edition on Soft-Boiled colored vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP purchases of Junior throughout the UK and Europe from select independent retailers and the Corridor’s live shows, will receive the limited Loser edition on Egg Yolk colored vinyl (while supplies last).
The album features the singles “Topographe,” “Domino” “Grand Cheval,” “Pow,” and the title track, and was produced by Emmanuel Éthier, engineered by Samuel Gemme, mixed by Éthier and Gemme in Montreal at ReelRoad Studios, and mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering in New York.
The Line of Best Fit premiered the track today, October 9th. They say of the track, “‘Pow’ has all the rhythmic impact that you would hope from such a title, from the jittery hi-hats that steadily drive the track to the booming tom-tom off beats that counter them at the turn of every line.”
Corridor Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Corridors international tour schedule in support of Junior, spans October 23rd in Philadelphia at Boot & Saddle and currently ends December 13th in Los Angeles at Morrocan Lounge. For more information on tickets, visit Corridor’s Sub Pop tour dates page.
Oct. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Oct. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Oct. 25 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong Oct. 29 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (Upstairs) Oct. 31 - Nyon, CH - La Parenthese Nov. 01 - Lyon, FR - Le Sonic Nov. 02 - Nantes, FR - Soy Music Festival Nov. 04 - Paris, FR - Point Ephemere Nov. 06 - London, UK - The Waiting Room Nov. 07 - Antwerp, BE - Trix (Free Show) Nov. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang Nov. 09 - Berlin, DE - Westgermany Nov. 10 - Kortrijk, BE - Sonic City Music Festival Nov. 20 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison* Nov. 22 - Montreal, QC - M for Montreal Festival (Le National) * Nov. 28 - Quebec City, QC - l’Anti Dec. 04 - San Francisco, CA - Milk Bar Dec. 07 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar # Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria ^ Dec. 10 - Seattle, WA - Barboza Dec. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge
* w/ Absolutely Free # w/ Woolen Men ^ w/ N0V3L
Corridor will release Junior, their Sub Pop debut, on CD/LP/DL/CS October 18th, 2019 worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Bonsound. The album features the singles “Topographe,” “Domino” “Grand Cheval,” the aforementioned “Pow,” and the title track, and was produced by Emmanuel Éthier, engineered by Samuel Gemme, mixed by Éthier and Gemme in Montreal at ReelRoad Studios, and mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering in New York.
Corridor’s Junior is now available to preorder through Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser edition on Soft-Boiled colored vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders of Junior throughout the UK and Europe from select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on Egg Yolk colored vinyl (while supplies last).
International tour dates on the books October 23rd-December 13th, 2019.
You can now hear Corridor’s “Domino,” a new single and insistent highlight from Junior, their forthcoming album. The band’s inventive genius is on full display here, showcasing what might be their best trick – creating singular tunes that are purposeful, full of songcraft, even as they let loose, slip their collar.
CLASH says of the track, ““’Domino’ opens with gilded dream pop with chiming guitars and frosted melodies from the streets of Montreal, before crunching into a chugging Krautrock breakdown. Dominated by a bassline straight out of Neu!’s mighty ‘Hallagallo’ the song climaxes with a straight up No Wave thrash, all downstrokes, fury, and feedback-soaked melody.”
Corridor’s Jonathan Robert had this to say of the song, “People are often glorifying what being an artist or a musician can mean. Art doesn’t necessarily make you a better person. There can be angst, stress and so on. It can have a negative, direct impact on the people closest to you. ‘Domino’ is about navigating just that. It is the first song out of Junior that we’ve composed and we’ve played it live quite a few times already.”
[Photo Credit: Matthieu Zazzo]
Corridor Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Corridor has added new dates to its international tour schedule in support of Junior, which spans October 23rd in Philadelphia at Boot & Saddle and currently ends December 13th in Los Angeles at Morrocan Lounge. New shows include November 1st in Lyon, France at Le Sonic and a free show on November 7th in Antwerp, Belgium at Trix. For more information on tickets, visit Corridor’s Sub Pop tour dates page.
Oct. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Oct. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Oct. 25 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong Oct. 29 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (Upstairs) Oct. 31 - Nyon, CH - La Parenthese Nov. 01 - Lyon, FR - Le Sonic Nov. 02 - Nantes, FR - Soy Music Festival Nov. 04 - Paris, FR - Point Ephemere Nov. 06 - London, UK - The Waiting Room Nov. 07 - Antwerp, BE - Trix (Free Show) Nov. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang Nov. 09 - Berlin, DE - Westgermany Nov. 10 - Kortrijk, BE - Sonic City Music Festival Nov. 20 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison* Nov. 22 - Montreal, QC - M for Montreal Festival (Le National) * Nov. 28 - Quebec City, QC - l’Anti Dec. 04 - San Francisco, CA - Milk Bar Dec. 07 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar # Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria ^ Dec. 10 - Seattle, WA - Barboza Dec. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge
* w/ Absolutely Free # w/ Woolen Men ^ w/ N0V3L
Corridor will release Junior, their Sub Pop debut, on CD/LP/DL/CS October 18th, 2019 worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Bonsound.
Corridor’s Junior is now available to preorder through Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser edition on Soft-Boiled colored vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders of Junior throughout the UK and Europe from select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on Egg Yolk colored vinyl (while supplies last).
Updated international tour dates October 23rd -December 13th, 2019.
Montreal’s Corridor will release Junior, their Sub Pop debut, on CD/LP/DL/CS October 18th, 2019 worldwide through Sub Pop with the exception of Canada through Bonsound. With Junior, the group make the most dazzling, immediate and inventive album of their young career: 39 minutes of darting and dodging guitars, spiraling vocal harmonies, and the complicated, goldenrod nostalgia of a Sunday mid-afternoon. The album features the singles “Topographe,” “Grand Cheval,” “Pow,” “Domino” and the title track, and was produced by Emmanuel Éthier, engineered by Samuel Gemme, mixed by Éthier and Gemme in Montreal at ReelRoad Studios, and mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering in New York.
You can now watch the new Monty Python-esque animated video for “Topographe,” which stars the band themselves. Corridor’s Jonathan Robert directed the visual and had this to say, “While I’ve explored and mixed many different techniques in my past music videos, it’s the first time that I took the process this far, blending all of them together in one place. It’s a melting pot of stop motion, green screen, illustration, animation, collage, and live video. It’s the visual equivalent of the progression of the song, a simple idea that takes amplitude through repetition.”
Corridor Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Corridor has extended its international tour schedule in support ofJunior, which span October 23rd in Philadelphia at Boot & Saddle and currently end December 13th in Los Angeles at Morrocan Lounge. New highlights for this time frame include: Brooklyn’s Union Pool (October 24th); Nyon, Switzerland at La Parenthese (October 31st); Soy Music Festival in Nantes, France (November 2nd); and Vancouver, BC at Astoria (December 8th). For more information on tickets, visit Corridor’s Sub Pop tour dates page.
Oct. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Oct. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Oct. 25 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong Oct. 29 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (Upstairs) Oct. 31 - Nyon, CH - La Parenthese Nov. 02 - Nantes, FR - Soy Music Festival Nov. 04 - Paris, FR - Point Ephemere Nov. 06 - London, UK - The Waiting Room Nov. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang Nov. 09 - Berlin, DE - Westgermany Nov. 10 - Kortrijk, BE - Sonic City Music Festival Nov. 20 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison* Nov. 22 - Montreal, QC - M for Montreal Festival (Le National) * Nov. 28 - Quebec City, QC - l’Anti Dec. 04 - San Francisco, CA - Milk Bar Dec. 07 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar # Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria ^ Dec. 10 - Seattle, WA - Barboza Dec. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge
* w/ Absolutely Free # w/ The Woolen Man ^ w/ N0V3L
Corridor’s Junior is now available to preorder through Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser edition on Soft-Boiled colored vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders of Junior throughout the UK and Europe from select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on Egg Yolk colored vinyl (while supplies last).
Junior Tracklisting:
1. Topographe 2. Junior 3. Domino 4. Goldie 5. Agent double 6. Microscopie 7. Grand cheval 8. Milan 9. Pow 10. Bang
About Corridor’s Junior: Corridor are a group from Montreal and their Sub Pop debut, Junior, was made just yesterday. The rock’n’roll band had barely inked their record deal when they surfed into studio, racing against time to make the most dazzling, immediate and inventive album of their young career: 39 minutes of darting and dodging guitars, spiraling vocal harmonies, and the complicated, goldenrod nostalgia of a Sunday mid-afternoon.
This ain’t Corridor’s first rodeo. Junior is the band’s third full-length and their third recorded with their friend, producer (and occasionally roommate) Emmanuel Ethier. However 2015’s Le Voyage Éterneland 2017’s Supermercado were made languorously, their songs taking shape across whole seasons. This time Dominic Berthiaume (vocals/bass), Julian Perreault (guitar), Jonathan Robert (vocals/guitar/synths), and Julien Bakvis (drums) permitted themselves no such indulgence. The band were committed to releasing an album every two years, and for Junior it required a blitz. “If you want to release something this fall, we need the masters by the 10th of May,” the label had warned them. Winter was already in its last throes: on March 1, Corridor went into studio; in mid-April, Corridor came out. They had somehow created Junior and it was, if we may be so bold, spectacular.
Singers, two guitars, bass, drums: the timelessness of the setup underpins the timelessness of the sound, a rock’n’roll borrowing from each of the past six decades—punk and pop, psych and jangle, daydream and swoon. This is music that’s muscular, exciting and full of love, its riffs a kind of medicine. Whereas Corridor’s past work could sometimes seem overstuffed, twenty ideas to the same song, the new work is hypnotic, distilled. “Part of the beauty of the thing is that we didn’t have time to think about it,” says Berthiaume. Six of Junior’s 10 tracks were conceived during a single weekend. The words to “Bang” were written on the eve of the sessions, as Robert began to panic: “Je payerai tôt ou tard,” he sings: I’ll pay, sooner or later. Fewer jams, fewer overdubs—no fortnight in the countryside, secluding themselves in a chalet. Even the artwork came in the nick of time: in spite of other, meticulous, masterpieces, Robert’s “shitty last-minute collage” (of an egg saying hello) was the one his bandmates went for.
That might be Corridor’s best trick—their mixture of seriousness and whimsy. Songs like “Miscroscopie” and the standout “Domino” are purposeful, full of songcraft, even as they let loose, slip their collar. “Topographe“‘s all call and answer, like rival Cupids shooting arrows at each other across a ravine. “Pow” and “Goldie” are like hurtling racecars, or teams of horses, accelerating towards a memory. And Junior’s title track—by turns twitchy and anthemic—is in fact a tribute to Perreault, their “joueur étoile,” star player: in spite of his disappointed parents (“parents déçus”), he’s Corridor’s VIP. Junior’s ten tracks are filled with tributes like this, impressionistic portraits of characters in the band-members’ lives. Their tone is affectionate, the meaning hazy—even if you speak French.
Sub Pop have never before, in their 33-year history, signed a Francophone act. Maybe the band’s magic springs from their ingenious hooks, their topaz-tinted vision. Maybe it’s the panache of Québec’s insurgent underground scene, or the camaraderie of Robert and Berthiaume, who have played together since they were 14. Maybe it’s their name—a hallway crossed with a toreador. Probably it’s all of these, and none of them: Junior is a joy, a hasty miracle, because it’s so much damn fun to listen to. This album is 39 minutes; each day has 24 hours; you can listen 36 times before tomorrow.
[Photo Credit: Dominic Berthiaume of Corridor]
What people are saying about Corridor:
“The Montreal band Corridor knows how to highlight its strengths while getting in and out of a song with maximum efficiency: Sung in French, “Coup d’épée” only needs a little more than two minutes to let its robust guitar sound — a kind of weaponized jangle — fully worm its way in your head.” [“Coup d’épée” / Supermercado] - NPR Music
“Supermercado is the best French record of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and even 2022 (for all we know, at least, since I doubt the Earth will explode exactly at midnight on January 1, 2022, even if it’s a possibility we shouldn’t ignore).” - Vice
“Their jangly, synth-pop-tinged sound will entrance fans of the genre and post-punk newbies alike. On their latest LP, Supermercado, post-punk fans will gravitate towards their tight, neat percussion and spasmodic guitars while others will get lost in their bright vocals and spellbinding soundscapes.” [Supermercado] - PASTE
“Corridor sing entirely en Français. Don’t let that put you off though: the creativity and abundance of killer tunes found on their acid-baked 2017 album Supermercado breaks through the language barrier. Corridor are even better live, with a real joie de rock that knows no borders — guitars slash, harmonies soar, bodies a constant blur.” [Supermercado] - Brooklyn Vegan
