Paragon Cause - What We Started (2020)

For Canadian duo Paragon Cause, comprising Ottawa residents Jay Bonaparte and Michelle Opthof, it has been less than twelve months since the release of their EP Lies Between Us; a mix of haunting, dark mystery and totally absorbing indie electronica. The duo returns with the European Edition of their new masterpiece What We Started released on the 9th of October 2020, via AnalogueTrash.

With a style that combines a warm, enveloping electronic sound that at times borders on post-punk, melodies to the forefront that defy being labelled in that genre and indie influenced vocals that stand up to the best you can think of, What We Started feels that creatively the gloves are finally off.

Exceptional song craft apart, What We Started reaps the reward of the collaboration with Sune Rose Wagner of Danish pop/alternative sensations The Raveonettes on production duties, which began on the Lies Between Us EP, proving that sometimes you should meet your heroes. “During the first sessions for Lies Between Us we weren’t as free and open as we were still getting to know each other,” remarks Bonaparte. “But for What We Started, we were all more relaxed and comfortable with each other, to the point where Sune became more of a creative collaborator, rather than just a producer.”

In a remarkable case of happenstance, the release of What We Started marks a fitting bookend to a chapter that began with random tweet from the duo stating they’d love to work with him. He replied and following a series of correspondence and a phone call, a New Year’s drive from New York to Ottawa, an EP, and now an album.

The lead track Lost Cause explores a broken relationship and developed from a simple piano noodle Opthof had been toying with. “It’s a song about the end of a relationship and coming to the conclusion that the other person is a lost cause. Sune loved the song right from the beginning, and once I started working on the lyrics and melody, it just came together super-fast after that. I guess I was just in a mood,” laughs Opthof.

Firmly part of the AnalogueTrash worldwide family, this European Edition will feature remixes from label mates The Cowls and Nature of Wires to bring another special addition to the band’s already impressive discography.