Aloysius Bell (a·lo·wish·us bell) is the alter ego of Winnipeg-born, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Annick Brémault.
While her name is a nod to the male pseudonyms of the iconic Brontë sisters, Aloysius Bell is a persona born from intense soul-searching who aims to shed light on murky, in-between spaces.
In 2019, Annick, as Aloysius Bell, took her first solo steps with the tracks Mountains and Your Heart Is Feathers. Co-produced with long-time collaborator Sacha Daoud (Blanche Baillargeon, Daniel Bellegarde), the songs feature a talented crew of Montreal musicians including Mélik-Alexandre Farhat, Mathieu Charbonneau, Amélie Mandeville, Sheila Hannigan, Chantal Bergeron and Monica Günther.
Mountains and Your Heart Is Feathers offer a glimpse into Aloysius Bell’s introspective world, showcasing an ethereal, open-eyed perspective, imaginative, atmospheric pop language and a style of prose both minimalistic and masterful. Drawing heavily on her modern dance and theater background, her travels and a 3-year stint living in Japan, Aloysius Bell’s writing portrays a deeply personal take on relationships, both with ourselves and others.
Alongside friends Andrina Turenne, Ariane Jean (Sala), Alexa Dirks (Begonia), Benoit Morier and Sacha Daoud she’s also toured extensively as a member of the now defunct Juno-award-winning group Chic Gamine. The pop/soul/r’n’b music of the latter led to numerous performances in North America and internationally, including opening for Smokey Robinson, Mark Broussard, Lake Street Dive and appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, Vinyl Café, Radio-Canada’s Studio 12 and other notable broadcasts. She’s since become increasingly sought after as a collaborator, co-writer, background vocalist and guest artist (Damien Robitaille, Willows, Sala, David Myles).
Born from the interplay of otherworldly realms and her imagination, Aloysius Bell’s debut EP Warm Thing artlessly melds her distinctive songwriting and Pop, R’n’B and electro influences. With her evocative, agile voice front and center, the accompanying mix of music and lyrics distills into a kind of soft, lucid directness. Produced with multi-disciplinary Toronto artist Driftnote (Korea Town Acid, R. Flex) and mixed by David Plowman (July Talk, Dillan Ponders), Warm Thing is set for release in February of 2024.
