Hyphen Hyphen Releases New Track 'Own God'

Queer Pop/Rock Band Hyphen Hyphen reveals "Own God," a new extract from their upcoming album C'est la Vie to be released on January 20, 2023 via Parlophone France. The album features "Call My Name", "Don't Wait For Me", "Too Young" and latest track, "Own God" Pre-order/add/save C'est la Vie here.

Having already performed more than 500 concerts in Europe, Hyphen Hyphen already took the next step and seduced the American public with their performance at Summerstage Festival in NYC this year. Following up with an international tour in 2023, it seems quite certain that this new album and the collection of infectious songs has the potential to cross borders and to excite a worldwide audience.

About Hyphen Hyphen

Four years have passed since Hyphen Hyphen's second album, the brilliant HH, entirely written and self-produced by the band. And what a roller coaster these four years have been... with the trio going from a spectacular sold-out tour (nearly 200 gigs in two years) to quarantine and isolation, imposed by the global pandemic.

For a group that has long built its reputation on stage and spent week after week on the road, this return home could have been fatal. But it turned out to be quite the opposite: forced into isolation, the band managed to turn these successive lockdowns into an opportunity to reset and refocus on the thing that has connected them for more than ten years: a genuine love for music, performance and songwriting.

" When we recorded our previous album, it was all about showing we could be producers. For this one, it was about showing that we are musicians. Everything was recorded live in the studio. We really wanted to get back to the soul of the band. "

In a nostalgic (but by no means backward-looking) approach, the trio started by immersing itself in the back catalogs of bands and artists from the '70s, from Fleetwood Mac to America, via Bruce Springsteen. Then they got down to writing the third chapter of their own discography, the aptly named C'est La Vie, and made the crucial decision to slow down and take their time.

The time to travel back and forth between the ICP studios in Brussels (where Hyphen Hyphen created their first record) and their personal studio in Paris's 19th arrondissement, fitted out DIY style during the first French lockdown. And the time to work on writing, thanks to their meeting with Glen Ballard, with whom the trio co-wrote two tracks. A collaborator of Alanis Morissette, Katy Perry and Michael Jackson, the American and Grammy award winner played a key role in this new episode.

" Glen was working on music for series and films and was living in Paris at the time. Our meeting with him was remarkable. He showed us how he wrote and suggested that we approach things in a simpler way, and be more direct in the expression of our emotions. It was the first time we had let someone into our trio, but it felt very natural."

Other guests have also joined the adventure, such as mix engineers Mark "Spike" Stent (Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, etc.) and Dan Grech (Lana del Rey, Moby, and more), marking the first time either of them had worked with a French artist. Armed with such an impressive cast, this third album is also the most personal for Hyphen Hyphen, who admit that its creation has been a way of overcoming the unprecedented personal upheavals experienced in recent years.

What quickly becomes clear is the quality of the trio's impeccable songwriting and their ability to carve out melodic gems with the potential to be instant classics, like the irresistible first single Don't Wait for Me, co-written with Glen Ballard. We also rediscover Santa's vocal acrobatics, more stripped back than ever (on Call My Name and Symphony, where she channels Kate Bush in style).

Reconnecting with the energy of live shows (Too Young, Help Yourself), the band has successfully put together a dazzling display of pop music, combining sensitivity, dance, melancholy and hedonistic vibes. In it, they learn to live with their ghosts (Help Yourself), revive their first punk loves (Lie!), invite us to let go (Own God) and accept our flaws and quirks (Cry Cry Cry).

Always with a touch of humor (Voices in my Head), they excel in the art of making intimate lyrics impactful for everyone. " For this album, we wanted to move towards music that is more universal, which we can therefore promote abroad. This has been our strategy from the start, to try to get closer to our dream, step by step; guided by a desire to win people over." And today the band is focused on winning over the West.

Having already performed a handful of concerts in Europe, Hyphen Hyphen is ready to take the next step. This fall, the trio will travel across the Atlantic to seduce the American public, followed by a big European tour in 2023. And it's clear to see that this new album and its collection of infectious songs will certainly make their mission easier.

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