Québec progressive rock collaborators release latest track from forthcoming album The Solivagant Tales
SAGUENAY, Que. — Québec musicians Martin Larose and Anaïs Vanessa have released “Breathe In Breathe Out,” the latest single from their collaborative album The Solivagant Tales, a project that shifts from politically charged progressive rock toward a more intimate exploration of anxiety, emotional resilience and self-reflection.
The Saguenay-based artists said the track was conceived as both a personal meditation and a broader commentary on the pressures of modern life. Built around layered guitar arrangements and emotionally direct lyricism, the song centres on themes of stillness and confronting discomfort rather than avoiding it.
“Inhale the fear, exhale the pain / The only door that still remains / Is deep inside a quiet space / Where I can breathe and find my place,” Vanessa sings in the opening lines of the track.
The single marks the second release from The Solivagant Tales, an album co-written primarily by Larose and Vanessa. While previous collaborations between the pair leaned into socially and politically infused progressive rock, “Breathe In Breathe Out” takes a more introspective approach, focusing on personal anxiety and emotional endurance.
Lyrics explore anxiety and emotional pressure
Vanessa’s songwriting has long been associated with deeply personal storytelling, and the new single continues that direction with lyrics that examine the pace and emotional strain of contemporary life.
“The race goes on I can’t keep pace / They call it life I call it chase,” she sings, before delivering what the artists describe as the song’s emotional centrepiece: “Breathe in the ache / Breathe out the sin / The only way out / Is deeper in.”
The lyrical themes reflect Vanessa’s longstanding connection to poetry and songwriting. The vocalist and lyricist, daughter of a chansonnier, spent much of her youth writing poems before pursuing music more seriously as an adult.
Her career path has been unconventional. Before emerging as a featured artist, Vanessa worked for years as a backing vocalist and performer while also serving as a counsellor at a drug addiction treatment centre. At age 31, she enrolled at the École nationale de la chanson and later presented original compositions at the Festival de la Chanson de Saint-Ambroise.
Her artistic biography describes that journey succinctly: “the road may be winding – but don’t worry… she’s used to crossing the lines.”
Larose expands signature progressive sound
For Larose, the song presented an opportunity to create a production style capable of matching the emotional intensity of Vanessa’s lyrics while preserving the expansive arrangements associated with his work.
The guitarist, producer and composer trained at the Chicoutimi Conservatory and first gained wider recognition in the early 1990s after being acknowledged by Guitar World. Across an eight-album catalogue, Larose has developed a reputation for intricate progressive rock compositions and layered guitar-driven production.
“Breathe In Breathe Out” was recorded and mixed at Larose’s Le Studio Septentrio in Saguenay, where the musician crafted a soundscape designed to mirror the breathing motifs embedded throughout the song’s lyrics.
The track’s arrangement gradually expands and contracts around Vanessa’s vocal performance, reinforcing the central themes of tension, release and introspection.
Creative partnership spans more than two decades
The collaboration between Larose and Vanessa dates back more than 20 years, beginning when Vanessa was a student under Larose’s guidance. Their creative relationship evolved steadily over time into a full musical partnership.
Reflecting on their first meeting, Larose previously recalled a formative performance from Vanessa during her teenage years.
“At 15, she delivered a rendition of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ in front of a packed audience,” Larose has recalled, “and I was completely floored.”
That connection now forms part of The Solivagant Tales itself, which includes the duo’s interpretation of The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” The artists say the song continues to resonate in the current social and political climate.
The album also features a bonus track version of Bob Dylan’s “Down in the Flood,” which Larose said closes the record “in a fun yet darker mood.”
Album reflects independent artistic identity
Larose selected the title The Solivagant Tales to reflect what he sees as his distinct position within the Canadian and Québec music landscape — one shaped by independence, prolific output and a refusal to follow conventional industry expectations.
The album combines progressive rock structures with emotionally focused songwriting, drawing influence from folk, alternative rock and literary lyricism.
With “Breathe In Breathe Out,” the duo appears intent on connecting with listeners through vulnerability as much as musical complexity. The release positions The Solivagant Tales as a project rooted not only in technical musicianship, but also in emotional immediacy and reflection.