New Orleans-based Cajun French band Sweet Crude is back with a new single, “Déballez,” along with the announcement of upcoming album Officiel//Artificiel coming April 24 via VERVE Forecast. The six-piece band is known for its musical duality, with bilingual lyrics and musical elements derived from traditional Cajun music to modern pop.
The band’s latest single, deemed “[a] sparkling melody and Cajun-influenced groove” by Billboard, premiered with a music video, which spotlights New Orleans French immersion schools Lycée Française and Audubon Charter. The music video is a celebration of French culture and language in Louisiana. As Sweet Crude vocalist and violinist Sam Craft explains “The French education of this young generation is not only important in that they have been given the gift of a multilingual future, but that through them, French has been once again normalized in a place that for hundreds of years called the language home.”
Officiel//Artificiel is the result of Sweet Crude’s ever-evolving sound and artistry. The album was recorded live at New Orleans’ Esplanade Studios with producer and engineer Sonny DiPerri, whose resume includes striking acts such as My Bloody Valentine, Animal Collective, and Trent Reznor. The new album is a synthesis of the band’s long-standing relationship, expansive skills, and constant innovation: “Every song feels like it’s been some collaborative splatter painting,” says keyboardist Jack Craft.
In concurrence with the single release, Sweet Crude has confirmed upcoming tour dates as well as performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Bonnaroo:
January 21—Oxford, MS—Proud Larry’s
January 22—Jackson, MS—Duling Hall
January 23—Hattiesburg, MS—Thirsty Hippo
January 24—Lafayette, LA—Blue Moon Saloon
January 25—Baton Rouge, LA—Mid City Ballroom
February 6—New Orleans, LA—Save Our Sponge Concert @ New Orleans Jazz Market
March 21—New Orleans, LA—ART&SOUL @ NOCCA
March 27-March 28—New Orleans, LA—Hogs for the Cause @ Uno Lakefront Arena
May 1—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Jazz Festival
June 11-June14—Manchester, TN—Bonnaroo
