Funeral Lakes is Sam Mishos (she/her) and Chris Hemer (he/him). They started the project in the spring of 2018, self-producing music in their apartment in Vancouver, B.C., and now in Toronto, ON.
Funeral Lakes exists as a creative medium to share their fears and frustrations, drawing on experiences of life in the Anthropocene as inspiration. The duo’s emotionally charged songs create a musical world where they lead listeners by the hand through the destruction all around us, asking them to bear witness and take pause as they get lost in the dream — or nightmare.
Following the release of last year’s eponymous debut album in support of the Pull Together campaign organized by RAVEN Trust , Funeral Lakes have returned with their latest EP, Golden Season . It was written, produced, and performed by members Chris Hemer and Sam Mishos, accompanied in the studio by Charlie Van on drums and by Colin Spratt who engineered, mixed, and mastered the songs. The three-song EP resulted from two days spent together last January at a studio in North Vancouver.
Whereas last year’s release came from a place of frustration, defeat, and dejection, this EP is charged, energetic, and frantic at times. The first album covered topics that ranged from environmental destruction and generational malaise to grifting and crooked politicians. Golden Season carries on with similar politically and socially charged lyrics, exploring themes of toxic masculinity, the sunset of industry, and what it means to be living in this day and age.
The opening track, “Eternal Return,” deals with the intersection of toxic masculinity and the scourge of petro-nationalism, along with the misery fueled by the false promises of politicians. This is followed by “Earth Falls,” which takes stock of the alarming realities of the world we’re now living in, sitting precariously on the edge of collapse, and what it means to be grappling with the fear of it all. The final track, “Power Trip,” marks a sonic departure that is frenetic and confrontational, criticizing the heteropatriarchy and domination that permeate our society.
The Golden Season is a period of transition. A period of reflection. A time to hold dear the things we love. The gentle glow of foliage before the fall, the sunset years of life as we know it, and the distant glimmer of hope that we might forge a path forward.
