2Frères is even more convinced that their new show goes beyond previous tours. Sonny Caouette even says he “pulled out all the stops” in this “major” project which features six musicians in front of a giant screen and a variety of projections.
Human science is the fifth studio album by brothers Erik and Sonny Caouette who released their first concert album in 2023 2Brothers at the Anglican.
“We address subjects in more depth. It’s an album that is definitely more mature,” says the member of the group from Chapais, who received three Félix awards and several nominations at ADISQ.
The duo took the reins of production and artistic direction of this musical project, whose tour began in September 2024. “It gave us more prominent latitude,” emphasizes Sonny Caouette.
“Officially, it is, in my opinion, our best album, by far. It’s also the album that most resembles us.”
— Sonny Caouette, member of 2Frères
The compilation of 11 tracks, available to the general public on November 15, tells the story of “the imperfect” in the pop-folk style that still sticks to the duo adored by Quebecers.
The song released first, Our little refrainalso evokes the story of a separated couple who are only held together by the existence of their child, their chorus, tells the singer and guitarist of 2Frères. “We’re a little less busy with life,” he admits.
“If life were a science, I would like it to be a human science”, sings 2Frères in the song Believe in uswritten by singer-songwriter Alexandre Poulin.
Everything is also built around this title theme. “Erik and I broke down and cried. We found it magnificent,” confides Sonny Caouette.
Perceptions change over time… Family, friendship and love every day. If the themes attached to 2Frères remain, they are visibly discussed differently with less candor, notes Sonny Caouette.
In this latest album, it is above all the “science behind the human”.
Take control
Sonny Caouette says he let himself be lulled by the freedom of having the “guideline of the project in his hands”. The duo, however, wanted to keep their winning recipe of pop-folk style with rock and country colors.
“It’s just different enough that people can feel an evolution,” says the musician.
The Caouette brothers are not idle. In ten years, they have released six albums and have more than 275,000 albums sold and 70 million streams on online platforms.
Time is lacking for the brothers who are constantly on tour, in the studio or in promotion. This is why they regularly rely on their employees. A way of bringing “rich” and multi-headed projects to fruition, explains Sonny Caouette, who identifies more as a performer.
Marc Dupré, Nelson Minville and Jean-Sébastien Chouinard sign tracks from the album Human science. But the Caouette brothers remained loyal to their “front line” partners, Sherbrooke residents Alexandre Poulin and Amélie Larocque.
“They have been there since the very beginning,” says Sonny Caouette. Otherwise, collaborations manifest themselves “naturally”, “by chance” and one thing leading to another.
The band owes the lyrics to its success The rest of us to songwriter Steve Marin. But the one who wrote several songs for the duo is absent from the distribution. “We simply didn’t agree on the terms of the album,” explains Sonny Caouette.
In Human sciencehe devotes three minutes to the pen of his friend Maya Hegetschweiler in his song In the four seasonslocated on the edge of Highway 20 in front of the motel of the same name. “She sang the song to me and I found it really beautiful.”
2Frères even gives a short eulogy to the late singer of Cowboys Fringants. “What does the weight of the void matter now / The shooting stars have your name,” sing the duo in My idolsigned once again by Alexandre Poulin.
The title is above all a call to “the urgency of provoking moments”, underlines Sonny Caouette. “It’s about the regrets you can have when you don’t push through.”
But it is also a nod to Karl Tremblay, the man who left his mark on the minds of several Quebec artists.
A jump to London
A large part of Human sciencedirected by Gauthier Marinof, was recorded in Sonny Caouette’s studio, that is to say in his converted shed, at the back of his house in Saint-Denis-de-Brompton.
His brother Erik lives in Montérégie, near Saint-Césaire. But the duo completed the recording in Montreal.
The brothers even took the liberty of flying to London to record Believe in us in the legendary Abbey Road studio which hosted the legendary groups The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
A dream opportunity for Sonny Caouette who calls himself a “recording geek”.
The tour continues for 2Frères who will perform at the Assomption on November 15 before taking the stage at the Grand Théâtre de Québec. The duo will travel the province from Matane to Gatineau to Dolbeau by spring 2025.
In this show, the pop-folk group presents eight new titles and performs around ten of its classics.
In Sherbrooke, 2Frères will be at the Maurice O’Bready hall on November 28.
