Indie, Pop

Valence is the French indie-pop project of singer-songwriter Vincent Dufour from Québec, serving as an outlet for his passions. From the very first notes, Valence unveils a spectrum of colors, adorned with flowers and poetic garlands. His new album, La nuit s’achève, reveals him more confident than ever. One thing is certain: when Valence arrives, he dives deep.

On stage, Valence brings his songs to life with maximalist and enveloping instrumentation that oscillates between emotional intimacy and the brilliance of grand arrangements. Accompanied by five talented musicians dressed in crooner-style outfits reminiscent of the Rat Pack era (but in technicolor), the singer also takes on the role of a natural storyteller. His performance begins introspective and sensitive, but ultimately builds to an explosive and rock-infused crescendo.

In concert, there’s a sense of progression in the music and in Vincent’s exchanges with the audience, where the fourth wall dissolves and spontaneity triumphs over the script. It’s an ode to music as a unifying force and live performance as one of our last communal rituals.

It’s worth noting that Valence was awarded the very first Bourse Karim-Ouellet this past February. This accolade included, among other things, a paid performance at the Grand Théâtre de Québec within a year of receiving the grant.