Autopilot
by Paragon Cause
ConcertJunkie
ConcertJunkie
Hi from northern Germany.
I just saw a tweet from you on twitter retweetet by ACTORS and followed your profile and then searched on bandcamp for your latest album and started listening to it and bought it.
I like your new wave, indie style. 80ths sound in modern style. Fav song is "I"m not here", by so far. Congratulations to your little collaboration. 💕
Keep on going!
@ffaserman ✌🎶🎧 Favorite track: I'm Not Here.
I just saw a tweet from you on twitter retweetet by ACTORS and followed your profile and then searched on bandcamp for your latest album and started listening to it and bought it.
I like your new wave, indie style. 80ths sound in modern style. Fav song is "I"m not here", by so far. Congratulations to your little collaboration. 💕
Keep on going!
@ffaserman ✌🎶🎧 Favorite track: I'm Not Here.
Chris Huston-BandGeekRecords
Chris Huston-BandGeekRecords
From the few tracks I’ve listened to so far, you’ve taken all the great elements of 80’s New Wave and reshaped them into something new and unique. Could be modern John Hughes-esq anthems.
Favorite track: I'm Not Here.
Ben Bell
darkprague1334
Carnardo Voom
Brian Elwart
collies4me
Michael JK Evans
Timbolevium
bhuss
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DarinH
umba
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CHLY 101.7FM
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Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
VINYL // Cassette // CD // Digital // Stickers // Posters
Anytime you order a Vinyl/CD/Cassette, we'll throw in a special surprise :)Purchasable with gift card$8 CAD or more
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Record/Vinyl + Digital AlbumPLEASE NOTE: Due to Covid, Vinyl production is a bit variable these days, we are doing everything to get Vinyl ready asap, but we are at the mercy of the production plants. Please be patient with us!
LOCAL PICKUP - If You would like to pick up then vinyl as opposed to Delivery, please Select ANTARCTICA for your delivery Option. If you are really from Antarctica and order a vinyl, honestly, we'll ship it to you as long as you send us a picture.
VINYL DETAILS
This is a limited (1 of 100) 180g Vinyl LP of the album, Autopilot with all Bonus Tracks
Lyrics printed on Inner Sleeve insert
Pressed by Precision Pressing in Canada only 100 of these printed
Colors
- The vinyl is going to printed on a base of a translucent, Coke Bottle Clear Color with a marble pattern from other colors. Each one will be different and unique
Sound
The tracks are mastered for vinyl from 96Khz 24bit source material so will sound incredible. They have been mastered for Vinyl by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering
These limited edition color vinyl orders will be SIGNED by the band
33RPM printed on a special colored vinyl.
ADDING MERCH
- If you would like to add some merch and are unsure about shipping, please let us know. We can not ship posters and vinyl in the same package, so two shipping costs are required. Stickers, etc can be shipped with no added shipping, so if you want some please add a few dollars and just write a note with your order and we'll include it!
The album was printed and pressed by Precision Pressing in Ontario, Canada.
NOTES ON SHIPPING
- Please note, we do our best to get the best shipping rates, we don't make money off it and usually take a 1$ or 2$ loss. if you want faster, please read below and there are some options. Also, we can not change the price for customs purposes.
Canada - will Ship via Canada Post Expedited Parcel with Tracking Number (for local pickup, select Antarctica please!).
USA - Two Options
Standard: Shipped via Tracked Package with Tracking Number (5-7 Business days)
Expedited: (Please add 3 dollars to your payment and indicate Expedited) 2-5 Business days
United Kingdom/Europe
Standard (Untracked) - 5-12 business Days
AIR MAIL (Tracked) - 5-10 business days PLEASE ADD $20.00 CND to your payment if you would like a tracked package.
- If you choose standard shipping, there is no insurance on the shipment and it is not tracked, sadly, once it is sent we can not be responsible for damage or loss. We promise, we do our best to ship safely, but without tracked shipment we can not control what happens.
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... moreships out within 3 daysedition of 100$28 CAD or more
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Record/Vinyl + Digital AlbumThis is the original test pressing of the album, only 1 of 3 available and we will sell two of them. What is a white label pressing? Before we get the actual albums we need to review the Vinyl sound. These are the review albums so the very FIRST pressings. They are rare and we will never have them again. We keep one and we'll sell the other two.
Included in the package
1) Original test pressing, signed by the band
2) Limited Edition Signed, standard copy of Autopilot Vinyl
3) CD Version of Autopilot
4) Full Color Graphic Novel, Story by Jay Bonaparte, Written by Jay and Michelle (Signed)
5) High Resolution Poster Print of Art for Autopilot, Signed 16"x24" Art by Katie Marie Gallagher
6) High Quality vinyl Sleeve (2)
7) Buttons/Stickers (lots!)
8) Signed Copy of What We Started\Lies Between Us and Escape Vinyl
ABOUT SHIPPING
SHIPPING INCLUDES TRACKING and INSURANCE
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... moreships out within 3 daysedition of 2$150 CAD or more
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Cassette + Digital AlbumTogether with Duplication.ca we have created a limited run of incredible quality, pure analogue tapes of Autopilot
Features include
Maxell XLII-S high bias tape
Duplication using 24bit/96kHz Masters in Real Time - Gets you the best sound possible
Stadard Clear Hard Case
Color Printed J-Card (two sided)
Digital Copy Included on Bandcamp
Only 35 of these tapes will ever be produced, so get them while you can.
IMPORTANT CANADIAN SHIPPING NOTE
**** IN Canada, the shipping can be crazy. Its much cheaper if you order with another product (ie vinyl). The cost of shipping a cassette is the same as a vinyl hence the large charge, Yes, its nutts, its more expensive than shipping to the USA****
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... moreships out within 3 daysedition of 35$25 CAD or more
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital AlbumDigipack of Autopilot.
Includes all songs on vinyl and digital album
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 5 days$15 CAD or more
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Poster/Print + Digital AlbumSatin Photo Paper Hi-res Photo Poster
16 x 20 inches
1 of 2 signed
Includes Digital Copy of the EP - Lies Between Us
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 5 daysedition of 2$40 CAD or more
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Poster/Print + Digital AlbumSatin Photo Paper × 2
16 x 24 inches
selling rare print Posters
Art by Katie Marie Gallagher
www.katiegallagher.com
Includes Digital Copy of the EP - Lies Between Us
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 2 daysedition of 2 1 remaining$35 CAD or more
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Poster/Print + Digital AlbumSatin Photo Paper × 5
8 x 10 inches
Art by Katie Marie Gallagh
www.katiegallagher.com
Includes Digital Copy of the EP - Lies Between Us
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 3 daysedition of 5$15 CAD or more
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Poster/Print + Digital AlbumSatin Finished POster, signed by the band
Art by Katie Marie Gallagher
www.katiegallagher.com
Includes Digital Copy of the EP - Lies Between Us
Includes unlimited streaming of Autopilot via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 3 daysedition of 3 2 remaining$30 CAD or more
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Some cool new stickers. these are high quality, hi-res halographic stickers with a cool reflective look. We can ship standalone, or if you purchase a CD/Vinyl/book let us know and we can send 2 of your choice :)
Hard to take photos of the halographic pictures, but they look awsome in real life.ships out within 5 daysedition of 50$1.50 CAD or more
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1. |
Two To Play
02:53
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Looking forward falling back
Moving along without your blessing
Time won’t stop for you
Pushing pushing your not ready
You’ve fallin behind and your running now
There’s no guarantees
And your certainty scares me
How do you know if you’ll still be there
How will you know when I pass by
Looking forward falling back
Moving along without your blessing
Time won’t stop for you
I keep running until the guilt sets in
I knew when I began that it was wrong
I did it anyway
I did it anyway
It takes two to play
I took delight in the fall
Cuz for them you took him down you took him down
You think that you could get away with this
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
Now your running scared
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2. |
I'm Not Here
03:20
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You see me but I’m not here
You feel me but I am stuck in the past
Racing thoughts tie up my mind
Tossing wide eyed night after night
And it’s killing me
It’s slowly killing me
Cuz I can’t live like this
I can’t live like this
I can’t live like this
You see me I’m not here
You feel me but I’m still lost in my head
So many voices it’s driving me mad
An endless supply of ideas and plans
And it’s driving me mad
I scare myself sometimes
I scare myself sometimes
I scare you too
Push them down or lock me up
You can’t give in now
You’re forever lost
Now you see me I’m not here
I’m in the future it’s brighter here
In the future
When will we get here
When will we get here
Will you listen
Will you listen
Will you listen
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3. |
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Eyes wide
Can't look away
Can't forget
Can't forget
You should be frightened
But we carry on
We carry on
Carry on
Carry on
You should be frightened
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy
Tight lipped
It's not in my nature
To be like this
To be like this
You should be frightened
We carry on
We carry on
Carry on
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
I can't get past our own selfishness
Even with this evidence
Something so wrong
Who's to blame
Who's to blame
Who's to blame
Even with this evidence
Something so wrong
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy
Think I'm goin' crazy over you
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4. |
Disconnected
03:50
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There’s no cares to cloud this moment
The sun is out so we’ll enjoy it anyway
Anyway we can
Got no cares to cloud this moment
No distractions in this place
It’s our hideaway
And that’s where I’ll stay
It’s a beautiful dream when I’m disconnected
When I can’t be reached it’ll just be me forevermore
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Stay in my hideaway
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Free from all the screens and posers
All the trolls that can control us
Anyway
Anyway they can
It’s a beautiful dream when I’m disconnected
When I can’t be reached it’ll just be me forevermore
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Stay in my hideaway
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
I just want it so I can have it
From the valley’s always scarce
But where’s your smile?
There’s no clouds to cloud this moment
The sun is out so we’ll enjoy anyway
Anyway we can
Got no cares to cloud this moment
No distractions in the place
It’s are hideaway and that’s I’ll stay
It’s a beautiful life when I’m disconnected
When I can’t be reached it’ll just be me forevermore and more and more
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Just let it in just let it in
Just let it in and be disconnected
Stay in my hideaway
Stay in my hideaway
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5. |
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Eyes wide
Can’t look away
Can’t forget
Can’t forget
You should be frightened
But we carry on
We carry on carry on
We should be frightened
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy
Tight lipped it’s not in my nature
To be like this to be like this
You should be frightened
We carry on
We carry on carry on
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy over you
I can’t get past our own selfishness
Even with this evidence
Something’s so wrong
Who’s to blame
Who’s to blame who’s to blame
Even with this evidence
Something’s so wrong
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy over you
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy
Think I’m going crazy over you
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6. |
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I hope that you are happy
Almost to the point it makes me think
That I could take a chance with you
I know that you still feel it
So I know that it’s up to me
I know that I must simply chose for you
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
Making up
I hate to see you with somebody new
I know I’m not suppose to but
I’m worried he’s a prick
Who can say when we are ready
Just be sure that you don’t settle down
Before you know the truth of him
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
I came out swinging but you got hit back
Like a leech he drains you slowly
Forgive yourself if it’s not showing
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
Making up for lost time
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7. |
Play Me
02:15
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Play me over and over again
You won’t save me
Play me just over and over again
Cuz I will let you
Is this the best you’re offering
Are sure you don’t have something more
That’s what I’m looking for
Just play me over and over again
Cuz you won’t save me
Play me over and over again
Cuz I will let you
Cuz I will let you
Over and over again
I think it’s so obvious
That I wasn’t born yesterday
But not too old to enjoy
The silly games you play
So play me over and over again
Cuz you won’t save me
Play me just over and over again
Cuz I will let you
Play me over and over again
Cuz you won’t you save me
Play me over again
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8. |
More Than We Can Handle
05:06
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It’s making me upset
This is more than we can handle
This is more than we can handle
This is more than we can handle
And it’s making me upset
I just need something little from
Can’t you see your running out of time
Sticking out more than ever
Your selfishness has never been so clear
And it’s hard for me
And it’s hard for me to stay quiet
This is more than we can handle
This is more than we can handle
And it’s making me upset
This is more than we can handle
This is more than we can handle
And it’s making me upset
And it’s making me obsessed
I just need something little from you
I just need something little from you
Who we had when you realize
It’s so hard for me it’s so hard for me
It’s so hard to stay quiet
This is more than we can handle
This is more than we can handle
It’s making me upset
This is more than we can handle
This is more than we can handle
And it’s making me obsessed
And it’s making me upset
I want to change your mind
I want to change your mind
I want to change your mind
I want to change your mind
I want to change your mind
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9. |
Denied
03:03
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Will I keep your secret
Or watch it all unfold
Sure we all want something
But selfish ways implode
You plead innocence
You plead innocence
You are exposed
Denied is that your choice
We won’t accept it we won’t accept it
Denied is that your choice
We will choose for you
We will choose for you
We will choose for you choose for you
How long have you been hiding
Pushed it down but it’s still there
You’re the last person I suspected
Constant shock from what I know
Just how low you’d go
You plead innocence
You plead innocence
You are exposed
Denied is that your choice
I won’t accept it
I won’t accept it
Denied can you make it right
We won’t accept it
We won’t accept it
Denied and I won’t accept it
I won’t accept it
Let me choose for you
We won’t accept it we won’t accept it
You won’t get away
You won’t get away with it
You won’t get away
You won’t get away
You won’t get away with it
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10. |
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11. |
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12. |
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13. |
Time To Leave
03:27
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There's no time for hide and seek
Knowing you will seek release
Picking now and you don't see it
Truth is now you don't see it
Time always tells the truth
Time always tells the truth
Picking now and you don't see it
Lying and happy
Lying and happy
Just repeat it
Time always tells the truth
Time always tells the truth
But you don't see it
Time To
Time To Leave
But you don't see it
Time to Time to Leave
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14. |
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15. |
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16. |
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about
While the term ‘autopilot’ has connotations of surrendering one’s freedom to a machine or going through the motions, this is far from the truth when it comes to the energy, emotion and stylized excellence of composition put forth by Paragon Cause’s creative core – Jay Bonaparte and Michelle Opthof.
The Ottawa group’s third album, Autopilot is an affirming and resolute benchmark in their career, signalling a profound elevation in their commitment to superlative songwriting, masterful arrangements and exceptionally compelling and memorable production.
In short, it is a tour de force, and emblematic of a pair of creative talents who have found their collective voices and who have shed their youthful uncertainty for a sense of musical destiny and artistic gravitas that will hold them in good stead for years to come.
This overflowing confidence, based on the success of their previous album, What We Started, as well as the deepening of their comradeship with their veteran producer/collaborator Sune Rose Wagner (The Raveonettes) is evident in the unparalleled sense of adventure, experimentation and the solidity of the compositions and production of each note of every song on Autopilot. It is an album that demonstrates the power of positivity for any creative soul, and how powerful the outcome can be when music markers are freed from the shackles of their own self doubt. In addition to frequent collaborator Sune Rose, the due further expanded their palate by bringing some iconic and surprising collaborators on board. Liam Howe (Sneaker Pimps, FKA Twiggs, Lana Del Ray) and indie rock legend Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Garbage) have provided both production and performances to the new music.
“With our previous music, even though we were trying to be creative and artistically unique and original, I think were more self conscious and a little more averse to risk. Now, because of the confidence we’ve gained over the last year and a half, we are allowing ourselves to open our minds even more and explore ideas a little more deeply and ideas that challenge us more,” said Bonaparte, who is generally the compositional instigator, bringing forward an abundant series of chord progressions that generally blossom into full on masterworks once Opthof and Wagner get on board.
The relationship with Wagner, a native of Denmark and a veteran of the European and North American music industry has evolved to the point where Bonaparte and Opthof no longer see themselves as starry-eyed newbies, but rather as seasoned professional collaborators.
“We were less intimidated and starstruck this time. I knew we would be able to work more comfortably and more adventurously with him, and it says a lot that he trusts us enough now to let us take the lead in the process and still putting his brand into our music. That’s a big deal. We weren’t hesitant to be spontaneous and let the creativity kind of flow because of Sune wanting to be more involved in the songwriting process as opposed to sort of directing us from behind the board,” said Bonaparte.
Wagner helped produce the two previous Paragon Cause albums and returned once again to the duo’s studio to help craft the new material on Autopilot.
“He’s kind of a third member. He’s incredibly engaged and really encourages and challenges us. He performs and sings on the new album as well as being responsible for co-writing much of the music. During the making of this album, he gave us these little tasks—homework. He’d say, ‘I want you guys to go listen to Bananarama, The Ramones and Richie Valens and use that as inspiration.’ Not to copy them, but to get motivated by the feel of the music.”
With Wagner collaborating on every step of the process, Paragon Cause hammered out all the songs for Autopilot in 10 days—a spontaneous outpouring of creativity where the music and melody would spark lyrical ideas and vice versa. While they came into the initial sessions with dozens of small ideas for potential songs, the duo estimates that those resulted in minor elements for two tracks. The rest came via flashes of inspiration and excellent chemistry.
Autopilot sees Paragon Cause probing the length and breadth of their musical inspirations, creating a sound that is as memorable as it is unique and original. It features a moodiness and atmospheric nature that comes from the best of the 1990s and early 2000s Brit Pop scene, melded with guitar sounds that would not be out of place in the 1970s or 1980s, but enveloped in a 21st century production sensibility that makes each song sound timeless and yet very much of the moment.
“We are so much better at the recording process – more efficient for sure. This provides us with more time to explore and take everything to the next level in the creative process because of this efficiency and the confidence we had when we started this album,” Bonaparte asserted.
Thematically, after the first few songs started to come together, Paragon Cause soon realized there was a couple of key thematic veins coursing through the album – the vagaries of time and jaded sense of outrage over the uglier aspects of modern life. This is primarily expressed within Opthof’s lyrics, but soon the melodies and song structures themselves began to conform to these emotional and thematic parameters.
“One of the first songs we wrote and recorded for this album was called Making Up for Lost Time, but soon all of the songs we were writing had some sense of time involved: wasting time, or time passing us by, or losing time, or forgetting to take advantage of the time we have,” she said, with Bonaparte adding. “All the songs seem to share this idea of time in general. It’s almost like a meditation on time. We even started playing with the time structure in the songs and changed the feel of the songs, slowing them down and speeding them up. I think as we progressed it became a bit of a concept album. A song like Disconnected, Michelle wrote about getting lost in technology, getting lost in the modern age. And even though things are supposed to be designed to make life more efficient, in the end, phones and all these devices make you waste more time, which I think is the ultimate irony of modern life, and kind of what we’re saying in a lot of the songs on Autopilot.”
One of the album’s first singles, Think I’m Going Crazy Over You, has been mixed three different ways to offer three different choices of ‘mood’ for the listener. This came from Opthof’s feeling of helplessness in fixing things that are obviously broken, but which are cemented into place in ‘the way things are done’ that speaking up is useless.
“I felt like my hands were tied behind my back and I was frustrated, and I was going nuts over these issues and not being able to say anything. I am a person who is usually unafraid about speaking up and speaking my mind, but when I feel like I am being silenced, it drives me crazy,” she explained.
Imbued with confidence and loosed from any self-consciousness, Paragon Cause decided to shoot for the top by cold-calling Liam Howe, one-half of cult ‘90s trip-hop group Sneaker Pimps and a current collaborator with FKA Twigs, Jessie Ware, and Lana Del Rey. Initially, the duo contacted Howe with the idea of him remixing one of the tracks from Autopilot, but he was so excited and inspired by what he heard that he wanted to make some new music instead. Howe produced two unique visions of the track Think I’m Going Crazy Over You. Although the songs share the same lyrics, they represent vastly different visions of a core idea.
“We actually produced different versions of this song. The idea is that the lyrics and meaning of the song change dramatically with the emotion of the music. It doesn’t even feel like the same song. One version is about Lust, another about retribution while another is about loss. It was a fun experiment, and we think people will be impressed and intrigued,” said Opthof.
Like their continuing work with Wagner, Howe’s vision and guidance provided the opportunity for Paragon Cause to be pushed out of their comfort zone and produce music that functions both in a club or relaxing at home.
“We sent him some songs and he loved them,” Bonaparte said. “Then we talked over Zoom and our personalities just gelled. He gave me some ideas and said he wanted to do two new songs. So, we sent him some stems and he spent some time with them, and we did these songs across the ocean on social media during COVID!”
Another call Paragon Cause made during the making of Autopilot was to Eric Avery, the musician best known for his tenure in legendary alt-rock group, Jane’s Addiction. A long-time fan of Avery’s former band, Bonaparte reached out to him to see if he’d have any interest in working together. As everyone seems to do when they hear Paragon Cause’s music, Avery was an instant convert, adding bass parts and, with the help of other Los Angeles musicians, drums to some of the music on Autopilot.
From the provocative anti-technology angst of forthcoming single Disconnected to the wry, clever, tongue-in-cheek Play Me, and the assertive, ‘I am not going to be your doormat’ affirmations in Two to Play, Autopilot weaves it magical tapestry of musical dynamism, while maintaining a cohesive emotional tone focusing on the challenges of time, our place in the world and the meaning of it all.
It is an album that plants Paragon Cause deeply and firmly into the bedrock of alternative-rock/pop music, and which welcomes the listener to take a journey that is fascinating, intriguing and endlessly thought-provoking.
The Ottawa group’s third album, Autopilot is an affirming and resolute benchmark in their career, signalling a profound elevation in their commitment to superlative songwriting, masterful arrangements and exceptionally compelling and memorable production.
In short, it is a tour de force, and emblematic of a pair of creative talents who have found their collective voices and who have shed their youthful uncertainty for a sense of musical destiny and artistic gravitas that will hold them in good stead for years to come.
This overflowing confidence, based on the success of their previous album, What We Started, as well as the deepening of their comradeship with their veteran producer/collaborator Sune Rose Wagner (The Raveonettes) is evident in the unparalleled sense of adventure, experimentation and the solidity of the compositions and production of each note of every song on Autopilot. It is an album that demonstrates the power of positivity for any creative soul, and how powerful the outcome can be when music markers are freed from the shackles of their own self doubt. In addition to frequent collaborator Sune Rose, the due further expanded their palate by bringing some iconic and surprising collaborators on board. Liam Howe (Sneaker Pimps, FKA Twiggs, Lana Del Ray) and indie rock legend Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Garbage) have provided both production and performances to the new music.
“With our previous music, even though we were trying to be creative and artistically unique and original, I think were more self conscious and a little more averse to risk. Now, because of the confidence we’ve gained over the last year and a half, we are allowing ourselves to open our minds even more and explore ideas a little more deeply and ideas that challenge us more,” said Bonaparte, who is generally the compositional instigator, bringing forward an abundant series of chord progressions that generally blossom into full on masterworks once Opthof and Wagner get on board.
The relationship with Wagner, a native of Denmark and a veteran of the European and North American music industry has evolved to the point where Bonaparte and Opthof no longer see themselves as starry-eyed newbies, but rather as seasoned professional collaborators.
“We were less intimidated and starstruck this time. I knew we would be able to work more comfortably and more adventurously with him, and it says a lot that he trusts us enough now to let us take the lead in the process and still putting his brand into our music. That’s a big deal. We weren’t hesitant to be spontaneous and let the creativity kind of flow because of Sune wanting to be more involved in the songwriting process as opposed to sort of directing us from behind the board,” said Bonaparte.
Wagner helped produce the two previous Paragon Cause albums and returned once again to the duo’s studio to help craft the new material on Autopilot.
“He’s kind of a third member. He’s incredibly engaged and really encourages and challenges us. He performs and sings on the new album as well as being responsible for co-writing much of the music. During the making of this album, he gave us these little tasks—homework. He’d say, ‘I want you guys to go listen to Bananarama, The Ramones and Richie Valens and use that as inspiration.’ Not to copy them, but to get motivated by the feel of the music.”
With Wagner collaborating on every step of the process, Paragon Cause hammered out all the songs for Autopilot in 10 days—a spontaneous outpouring of creativity where the music and melody would spark lyrical ideas and vice versa. While they came into the initial sessions with dozens of small ideas for potential songs, the duo estimates that those resulted in minor elements for two tracks. The rest came via flashes of inspiration and excellent chemistry.
Autopilot sees Paragon Cause probing the length and breadth of their musical inspirations, creating a sound that is as memorable as it is unique and original. It features a moodiness and atmospheric nature that comes from the best of the 1990s and early 2000s Brit Pop scene, melded with guitar sounds that would not be out of place in the 1970s or 1980s, but enveloped in a 21st century production sensibility that makes each song sound timeless and yet very much of the moment.
“We are so much better at the recording process – more efficient for sure. This provides us with more time to explore and take everything to the next level in the creative process because of this efficiency and the confidence we had when we started this album,” Bonaparte asserted.
Thematically, after the first few songs started to come together, Paragon Cause soon realized there was a couple of key thematic veins coursing through the album – the vagaries of time and jaded sense of outrage over the uglier aspects of modern life. This is primarily expressed within Opthof’s lyrics, but soon the melodies and song structures themselves began to conform to these emotional and thematic parameters.
“One of the first songs we wrote and recorded for this album was called Making Up for Lost Time, but soon all of the songs we were writing had some sense of time involved: wasting time, or time passing us by, or losing time, or forgetting to take advantage of the time we have,” she said, with Bonaparte adding. “All the songs seem to share this idea of time in general. It’s almost like a meditation on time. We even started playing with the time structure in the songs and changed the feel of the songs, slowing them down and speeding them up. I think as we progressed it became a bit of a concept album. A song like Disconnected, Michelle wrote about getting lost in technology, getting lost in the modern age. And even though things are supposed to be designed to make life more efficient, in the end, phones and all these devices make you waste more time, which I think is the ultimate irony of modern life, and kind of what we’re saying in a lot of the songs on Autopilot.”
One of the album’s first singles, Think I’m Going Crazy Over You, has been mixed three different ways to offer three different choices of ‘mood’ for the listener. This came from Opthof’s feeling of helplessness in fixing things that are obviously broken, but which are cemented into place in ‘the way things are done’ that speaking up is useless.
“I felt like my hands were tied behind my back and I was frustrated, and I was going nuts over these issues and not being able to say anything. I am a person who is usually unafraid about speaking up and speaking my mind, but when I feel like I am being silenced, it drives me crazy,” she explained.
Imbued with confidence and loosed from any self-consciousness, Paragon Cause decided to shoot for the top by cold-calling Liam Howe, one-half of cult ‘90s trip-hop group Sneaker Pimps and a current collaborator with FKA Twigs, Jessie Ware, and Lana Del Rey. Initially, the duo contacted Howe with the idea of him remixing one of the tracks from Autopilot, but he was so excited and inspired by what he heard that he wanted to make some new music instead. Howe produced two unique visions of the track Think I’m Going Crazy Over You. Although the songs share the same lyrics, they represent vastly different visions of a core idea.
“We actually produced different versions of this song. The idea is that the lyrics and meaning of the song change dramatically with the emotion of the music. It doesn’t even feel like the same song. One version is about Lust, another about retribution while another is about loss. It was a fun experiment, and we think people will be impressed and intrigued,” said Opthof.
Like their continuing work with Wagner, Howe’s vision and guidance provided the opportunity for Paragon Cause to be pushed out of their comfort zone and produce music that functions both in a club or relaxing at home.
“We sent him some songs and he loved them,” Bonaparte said. “Then we talked over Zoom and our personalities just gelled. He gave me some ideas and said he wanted to do two new songs. So, we sent him some stems and he spent some time with them, and we did these songs across the ocean on social media during COVID!”
Another call Paragon Cause made during the making of Autopilot was to Eric Avery, the musician best known for his tenure in legendary alt-rock group, Jane’s Addiction. A long-time fan of Avery’s former band, Bonaparte reached out to him to see if he’d have any interest in working together. As everyone seems to do when they hear Paragon Cause’s music, Avery was an instant convert, adding bass parts and, with the help of other Los Angeles musicians, drums to some of the music on Autopilot.
From the provocative anti-technology angst of forthcoming single Disconnected to the wry, clever, tongue-in-cheek Play Me, and the assertive, ‘I am not going to be your doormat’ affirmations in Two to Play, Autopilot weaves it magical tapestry of musical dynamism, while maintaining a cohesive emotional tone focusing on the challenges of time, our place in the world and the meaning of it all.
It is an album that plants Paragon Cause deeply and firmly into the bedrock of alternative-rock/pop music, and which welcomes the listener to take a journey that is fascinating, intriguing and endlessly thought-provoking.
credits
released August 13, 2021
All Songs Written by Michelle Opthof, Jay Bonaparte, Sune Rose Wagner
Performed by Paragon Cause, Sune Rose Wagner, Liam Howe, Eric Avery
Produced by Sune Rose Wagner, Liam Howe, Eric Avery and Paragon Cause
Artwork by Katie Marie Gallager
Vocals: Michelle Opthof,
Backing Vocals: Michelle Opthof, Sune Rose Wagner
Guitar: Jay Bonaparte, Sune Rose Wagner, Eric Avery*
Bass Guitar: Jay Bonaparte, Eric Avery
Keyboard: Michelle Opthof, Liam Howe,** Sune Rose Wagner, Eric Avery
Drums: Sune Rose Wagner, Liam Howe, Eric Avery
Recorded at Neko Studios, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*Supported by a grant from the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition
*Crazy
** Think I'm Going Crazy over You (Jupiter Mix), Think I'm Going Crazy Over You (Brooklyn Mix)
All Songs Written by Michelle Opthof, Jay Bonaparte, Sune Rose Wagner
Performed by Paragon Cause, Sune Rose Wagner, Liam Howe, Eric Avery
Produced by Sune Rose Wagner, Liam Howe, Eric Avery and Paragon Cause
Artwork by Katie Marie Gallager
Vocals: Michelle Opthof,
Backing Vocals: Michelle Opthof, Sune Rose Wagner
Guitar: Jay Bonaparte, Sune Rose Wagner, Eric Avery*
Bass Guitar: Jay Bonaparte, Eric Avery
Keyboard: Michelle Opthof, Liam Howe,** Sune Rose Wagner, Eric Avery
Drums: Sune Rose Wagner, Liam Howe, Eric Avery
Recorded at Neko Studios, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*Supported by a grant from the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition
*Crazy
** Think I'm Going Crazy over You (Jupiter Mix), Think I'm Going Crazy Over You (Brooklyn Mix)
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about
PARAGON CAUSE Ottawa, Ontario
There are few bands that can conjure up vivid images as well as emotions through the medium of their music. Paragon Cause, Ottawa/Nova Scotia's burgeoning ethereal electro-rock sensation, is one of those rare amalgams of talent who can tug on heartstrings, make one think deeply or simply enjoy a sophisticated yet universally accessible musical experience. ... more
discography
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Aug 2021 -
Apr 2020 -
Sep 2019 -
May 2018
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