Join us as we explore the depths of their upcoming album, From the Heights of Our Pastureland, and uncover the creative sparks that drive their electrifying music.

Stepping into the world of Yoo Doo Right is like falling headfirst into a cosmic tornado - a whirlwind of sound, ideas, and raw emotion. One minute, you're anchored to the ground, and the next, you're floating somewhere between political commentary and sonic landscapes, with no real desire to come back down. Yoo Doo Right are creating intricate reflections on imperialism, colonialism, and the endless process of rebuilding in the face of modern chaos. Don’t let that fool you into thinking it's all doom and gloom though. Amid the bleakness, there’s a core of resilience, a fight to build a life worth living.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

HI! First off I'll just say this is John here and something really beautiful about our project and general artistic process/vision is that if you asked all three of us the same question we'd probably all give different answers! It's a democracy we're all swimming through in our own way! That being said, we're Yoo Doo Right. We're a three piece based Montreal, Quebec and we make very loud experimental music.

Your upcoming album From the Heights of Our Pastureland is described as a solemn entry reflecting on themes of expansion and rebuilding. What prompted you to explore these ideas in your music?

I think we've been witnessing and reflecting on a lot regarding imperialism and colonialism these days. More so, this often overlooked aspect of what is built in the aftermath or continuation of the processes. It's brutal. When the destructive powers that be can raze something to the ground and in it's place build some warped new creation upholding the ideology of the victor, all can feel quite hopeless.

In rejection of this, we're all trying to build, rebuild, be better, and feel alright with our place in the world. So living in a state of defeat isn't ideal.

Ultimately we’re still trying to build a life we’re not trying to escape from. 

The opening track, "Spirit’s Heavy, But Not Overthrown," is divided into two parts. Can you discuss how the two sections differ and what each conveys in terms of mood and message?

I always feel like the opening is the orchestra tuning before the performance, the overture before the story begins. The soaring trumpets and crushing chord changes point the direction the story is heading before it begins, a metaphorical and sonic text crawl giving a lay of the land. I also love this part live.

The second part is actually quite dancy and guitar driven lending momentum and drive. It kind of culminates in this massive motorcycle riff that falls off into ambient field recordings. The small to big and big to the small without being manipulative and hamfisted about it all.

During the recording process, you spent three days snowed in at a cabin in Saguenay, QC. How did this environment affect your songwriting and the overall vibe of the album?

This was actually kind of crazy. One night in -40 degree weather Justin and I walked up a mountain to a yurt that was doing a dinner service. I was feeling kind of nuts up there, it was beyond cold. I guess the freezing cold and isolation of it all lent to the energy we were putting into the songs. A lot of the tracks evolved quite a bit from this time, but the sporadic creation and live songwriting that comes from having 3 days of microphones set up and recording everything we do is always something we love to do.

The album is said to have parallels drawn between natural phenomena and socio-political frameworks. Can you elaborate on how you weave these themes into your music?

I guess the motif of a tornado for this record lends itself to that. That power obviously can be recognized sonically, but also, this idea of absolute destructive force and then the aftermath of a rebuild. We see this quite explicitly in nature, and then also navigate it in everyday political life. Canada is on stolen indigenous land, late-capitalism is ever present to the point of every waking moment being commodified, we're all witnessing a genocide in palestine in real time. I don't think it's weird that this record feels a little bleak and the themes of sadness or hopelessness find themselves across the record.

I'm trying not to be too bleak and pessmistic though! All hope is not lost, there is still lots of beauty to be found. There is power in efforts to rebuild.

Your collaboration with trumpetist Francis Leduc-Bélanger adds a unique element to “Spirit’s Heavy, But Not Overthrown.” How did you decide to include brass instruments in your sound?

Francis is such a pro. We're excited to be performing with him live and adding even more brass elements to the songs for our album launch. Justin thought the soaring trumpets would lend to the opening and he was certainly right.

You worked with producer Seth Manchester at Machines with Magnets. What was that experience like, and how did it influence the final sound of the album?

This was big! For us this record was a challenge to make. The year was hard. Seth then also challenged us in the studio. Kind of brought us outside our comfort zone in terms of how we normally go about things. Without yamming on about too much details we decided to trust his process and capabilities in that studio and I think he really leveled up that sense of vastness we're always trying to capture in our sound.

You describe the album as darker and heavier than your previous works. What experiences or changes in your creative direction led to this evolution?

Getting older, getting sadder, struggling in everyday life. Haha, but no really I think we opted to lean into, and further explore, the heavier themes we engaged with on our last record.

The video for "Spirit’s Heavy, But Not Overthrown Part 1" captures a sense of anxiety and awe. How do visuals complement your music, and what do you hope to convey through them?

Kristina Pederson, who created the music video, is a genius and we just opted to fully trust her artistic vision. I think the multiple layers and levels of what is going on in that piece help push forward the depth of the sonic experience as well. We always love using visuals live, often trusting people to do what they will. Anthony Piazza is an incredible projectionist in montreal who makes for a very fun live show, I'm sure he'll be using some of Kristina's work for future visuals.

We're not trying to force meaning on anyone, but with enough layers going on someone is bound to link or reflect or engage with some form of thought or feeling.

Given your extensive touring experience, how does performing live differ for you compared to creating in the studio, and what do you enjoy most about each?

We love to rip. Just really like being on the road and performing for people. YDR live isn't a super accessible experience and for a while I feel like we would win over only about 10% of the crowd every night. I feel like we have proven ourselves enough now that folks know what they're coming for.

In the studio I just love frantic and sporadic creation. Really leaning into the old Krautrock ethos of jamming forever and taking what works. Lately though, Justin has been doing some absolute front to back songwriting and that feels just as exciting.

What do you love right now?

I really love my dog. It's also fall and the leaves are starting to change.

What do you hate right now?

I hate electric heaters. My partners portable heater just drives me nuts.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

Recently fell into another Mars Volta spin, specifically Deloused but also Francis the Mute. Jon Theodore is probably one of my favourite drummers and they were never compromising or trying to make their music obtusely accessible and I really love that.

As you prepare for the album launch and upcoming performances, what do you hope audiences take away from From the Heights of Our Pastureland?

We always just hope people like it, and take something meaningful away from it. We feel very lucky anyone listens at all and are grateful for their time and ears and presence.