Ghostly Kisses Share New Single 'Crimson'

Ghostly Kisses share “Crimson,” a drum & bass infused electropop single that pulls inspiration from the “Box of Secrets” initiative, where the band invited fans to anonymously share their most personal secrets.

What they discovered was a global, post-pandemic, postmodern era of pain - an intense and strange loneliness felt around the world. Their sophomore album Darkroom, out May 17th, synthesizes those missives into a mesmeric album that brings our inner monologue into view.

Margaux Sauvé explains that “Crimson aims to be a broader reflection and claim on individual rights and freedom, also echoing events such as the tragic death of Mahsa Amini and the Iranian protest movement for women's freedom.

I know it's not us, I know it's not us, I know it's not us to flee and hush

I know it's not us, I know it's not us, they bruise they crush, they kill the love instead

This passage vividly captures the intensity of their emotions - the profound anger, the deep-seated pain, and an unwavering resolve to persist in the fight for their rights and freedoms. Being the most lyrically intense song of the album, we wanted to couple that with the most intense musical production as well. The verses are sung by one voice, but as the message comes “I know it's not us”, it's progressively joined by more and more voices as a metaphor of how a movement starts.”

Listen to the new single below, and previous singles “Keep It Real,” “On & Off,” and “Golden Eyes,” which Paste Magazine called “a beautiful love story full of vivid, glowing flickers of doubt and companionship.”

Comprised of French-Canadians Margaux Sauvé and Louis-Étienne Santais, Ghostly Kisses has become an international sensation, cultivating a cult overseas audience. The duo's style of writing reflects their ability to bridge the gap between people who may feel far away, a gift they've honed on their sophomore effort Darkroom.

Traditionally, Sauvé and Santais would each set up in a different room, sharing snippets via email and only meeting up to finalize ideas. “Writing separately ensures we're not influenced by anything else, and we can bring more depth to our process,” Sauvé says. This time, the messages from the “Box of Secrets” provided an unusual baseline for that influence rather than just their own individual experiences, and the result refracts and shimmers kaleidoscopically.

After compiling demos, Ghostly Kisses brought in new collaborators to further bolster their new electronic palette: co-producers George FitzGerald (London Grammar, as well as solo work) and Oli Bayston (Boxed In, Yune Pinku). Longtime engineer (and Santais' cousin) Alex Ouzilleau further helped shape the work in the studio, and Gabriel Desjardins' string arrangements add depth and drama to the proceedings.

To test their boundaries even further, Ghostly Kisses tested their recordings while on tour, a new step in their process and a portal into connecting more with their music and their fans. 

“We heard from a lot of fans from countries where they couldn't openly love the person they were in love with for political or social reasons,” Sauvé says. “I felt that pain, identified with it in my own way, and knew many others would too.” 

Each track of Darkroom's magnetic run comprises its own world, with Sauvé's vocals as the radiant arc connecting their orbits, the moments and themes shared by fans finding resonances—the whole Ghostly Kisses universe together even when expressing its loneliness. In moments, Ghostly Kisses offer an awe-inspiring hope for connection, for love, even when it seems impossible.

By opening up their music to be the conduit for other people's stories, they landed up finding their own. And by doing so through the stories of their fans and in new, more kinetic tones, Darkroom should prompt that same hope in many around the world who may otherwise have felt the darkness creeping too far in.

Ghostly Kisses will embark on a world tour this Spring, touring Europe and North America. Tickets available HERE.

Tour Dates

European Tour

Apr 02 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg @ Kulturfabrik

Apr 03 - Cologne, Germany @ Jaki

Apr 05 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Rust

Apr 06 - Oslo, Norway @ Blå

Apr 07 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Bar Brooklyn

Apr 10 - Hamburg, Germany @ Nochtspeicher

Apr 11 - Berlin, Germany @ Frannz Club

Apr 12 - Warsaw, Poland @ Hybrydy

Apr 13 - Prague, Czech Republic @ NOD

Apr 14 - Vienna, Austria @ B72

Apr 17 - Munich, Germany @ Kranhalle

Apr 18 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Bogen F

Apr 19 - Milan, Italy @ Magnolia

Apr 20 - Bologna, Italy @ Locomotiv Club

Apr 23 - Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie

Apr 25 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Tolhuis

Apr 26 - Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Lantarenvenster

Apr 28 - Antwerp, Belgium @ TRIX

May 01 - London, England @ Islington Assembly Hall

May 02 - Salford, England @ The White Hotel

May 03 - Glasgow, Scotland @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

May 04 - Dublin, Republic of Ireland @ The Workmans Club

North America Tour

May 23 - Montreal, QC @ Church of the Gesu

May 24 - Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW

May 25 - Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Bell

May 29 - Boston, MA @ Cafe 939

May 30 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd

May 31 - Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust

June 01 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live

June 04 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village

June 05 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry

June 07 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall

June 08 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

June 11 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza

June 12 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

June 14 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar

June 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo

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