Québécoise songwriter Gabrielle Shonk's story so far is regrettably a tale as old as time. As enticing as the idea of releasing her self-titled debut album on a major label sounded five years ago—and the record itself certainly went over well, earning Shonk a 2019 Juno Award nomination—the partnership didn't work out. Major label machinations have sunk careers before, but Shonk got out before she got burned too badly…and then a pandemic happened.
That's why it's been five years since that debut, but she's now signed to Canadian tastemakers Arts & Crafts, and not only is she returning today with her first new music in a half-decade, but also the news that her second album is done. Stand by for further details on that, but in the meantime we've got your first listen for her gorgeous comeback single via its Gerardo Alcaine–directed video.
Written with Jessy Caron of Men I Trust, “How We Used to Be” provides an updated version of Shonk's signature sound: mid-tempo, layered, and heavy on melodic flourishes. Surveying the romantic detritus of a love gone sour, Shonk sums the song up as “a ballad about a relationship that was hard to leave,” and you can hear the pain in her voice; wanting something back yet knowing it's gone.
Tune in below—the follow-up to Shonk's self-titled 2017 debut is currently slated for early next year.
