BIG|BRAVE have announced their tenth album in grief or in hope, due June 12, 2026. The sessions mark the first studio appearance of touring bassist Liam Andrews alongside vocalist and guitarist Robin Wattie and guitarist Mathieu Ball. Recorded live, the material centers on layered guitar structures and extended distortion within a song-based framework.
For more than a decade, BIG|BRAVE have continued to redefine the possibilities of heavy music, moving effortlessly between crushing intensity and near-silent restraint. The Canadian trio’s sound thrives on tension, blending towering drones, raw emotional weight, and meticulous sonic experimentation.
This latest work pushes that vision even further. Fusing electro-acoustic textures with deeply personal storytelling, the album unfolds as a powerful meditation on vulnerability, endurance, and transformation.
Listen below and check our chat with Robin Wattie who shares the details and the story behind the new full-lenght.
Let’s start from the new album “In Grief or In Hope” which will be out on June 12. What are the first vivid memories of this album and what was the main focus when you started to think to this album?
We didn’t really start with a main focus. it all kind of happened organically. A Chaos of Flowers had very little drums as our drummer Tasy played more on different instruments. when she decided to take some much deserved vacation from the band to pursue her other projects, we decided to try our hand and writing something without.
The record circles around grief, hope, and the human condition in broad, almost elemental terms. Did these themes arise from specific experiences, or were they more about distilling something universal and difficult to articulate?
it is about both. it is increasingly becoming more difficult for most of the entire world to function on a fundamental level.
There are vivid echoes of your early works Feral Verdure and Au De La that seem to resurface here. Do you see this album as part of a continuous narrative? And in relation to those early records, what aspects do you feel most connected to, and where do you sense the greatest distance or evolution musically?
in retrospect, everything new we produce could definitely be considered part of the narrative of the sonic trajectory of the band.
The album leans into live recording to capture what you’ve described as the “gargantuan” quality of your performances. What gets lost—or gained—when translating that physical intensity into a recorded format?
I find that live performances tend to have more of an impact. there is more to take in visually, aurally, physically and even emotionally. the recorded materials can be just as heavy, but may have more of an impact aurally. live music is a shared experience in real time with many other folks which can have a layered affect to the experience. recorded music can be listened to and consumed in more private and personal settings. i think there are gains to both.
The artwork is powerful. How did you choose it? How important is the visual aspect of your music—from the artwork to the aesthetics of your videos?
We decided on this image from a select few of mathieu’s photos he shot in and around LA. mostof what he captured resonated beautifully with the general feel of the album. we also have a sort of dark sense of humour, so whether in grief or in hope, the world still has a lot crap deal with!
The tour started on May 24th from Utrecht and then also a couple of Festival in Italy (Jazz is Dead and Desert Fox Festival). How would you like to introduce this album on the stage? Which live settings do you feel most drawn to, and where are you most at ease—from festivals to small clubs—and why?
For me personally it all makes me uncomfortable hahaha! but if i were to choose, it would be smaller spaces. i love the intimacy of small venues/clubs and especially when playing on the floor.
You are from Canada. I’m really interested in the connection between the places we live over the years, our roots and the art. How do you feel these theme connected to your music, your way to think music? What are your favourite places which inspired the most?
Having studied cultural anthropology in university i have learned that ultimately one’s culture/ society will influence an individual’s artistic practices and works. so yes definitely, where we live can have an impact on how we practice and create music for sure.
Ritual question. Have you seen or heard anything good recently?
Still House Plants at the Quai 5160 in Montreal Quebec Canada
