M83‘s Anthony Gonzalez has today announced that the band have ended their search for a new female singer-keyboardist (March 4).
Gonzalez put out an open call for a female singer-keyboardist to join the band and replace Morgan Kibby, who had parted ways with the group.
According to Pitchfork, Gonzalez took to Twitter today (March 4) to announce that the search had found it’s new star in the form of Kaela Sinclair. The keyboardist released a debut album in 2013, ‘Sun in Mirror’ that featured collaborations with The Polyphonic Spree, Midlake, and more.
It was really difficult to choose a new singer for the band but when I saw @kaelasinclair it was obvious she would be perfect! *A
— M83 (@M83) March 4, 2016
I think @kaelasinclair is amazing and I can’t wait for you to meet her. See you at one of the shows: https://t.co/QiN8FCLKaR
— M83 (@M83) March 4, 2016
Applicants had to provide videos demonstrating their singing and keyboard-playing abilities at M83’s website.”You must be available to join M83 rehearsals in Los Angeles in March, be available to travel and work between April and December 2016 and own a valid passport for the next two years. You must also have no criminal history “that may cause you to be denied entry to another country.”
It’s not the first time the musician has advertised for a new member online. In 2011, he put out a similar call and recruited Jordan Lawlor. As Gonzalez writes in a note on the group’s website, he is still in the band today.
PressM83 premiered the first single from their forthcoming new album ‘Junk’ on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show on Tuesday March 1.
‘Do It, Try It’ has now been made available to stream through Radio 1’s website.
On the show, M83 frontman Anthony Gonzalez admitted that he struggled with writing the new album following the mainstream success of ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’. The 2011 album made it into the top 50 of the UK charts with single ‘Midnight City’ becoming the band’s biggest hit to date, reaching no. 34 in the charts.
“It’s difficult,” Gonzalez told Mac. “It was my most successful album and because of that, I didn’t feel any pressure because I just told myself, well, you had an amazing success with the previous album so now you can do whatever you wanna do, so just experiment and have fun with your music and just put it out.”
Before revealing details of M83’s new album last month, Gonzalez put out an open call for a female singer-keyboardist to join the band and replace Morgan Kibby, who has parted ways with the group.
In support of ‘Junk’, the band will also be heading out on an international tour, kicking off proceedings in New Orleans on April 6.
After playing shows across the US, they’ll then start the European leg in Oslo, Norway at the Øya Festival on August 10 before wrapping in France on August 28.
‘Junk’ will be released on April 8.
M83 currently have tour dates booked across America, Canada and Europe. They will play:
04-06 New Orleans, LA – The Civic Theatre (April 6)
Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX (8)
TBD, Houston, TX (9)
Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater, Austin, TX (10)
Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ (12)
Comerica Theatre, Phoenix, AZ (13)
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Indio, CA (15)
Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas, NV (16)
Fox Theater, Oakland, CA (17)
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Indio, CA (22)
The Catalyst Club, Santa Cruz, CA (23)
Rosalind Theater, Portland, OR (25)
Rosalind Theater, Portland, OR (26)
The Wilma, Missoula, MT (27)
Winspear Centre, Edmonton, Alberta (29)
Grey Eagle Event Centre, Calgary, Alberta (30)
Sasquatch Festival, Quincy, WA (May 27-30)
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (31)
The Governors Ball Music Festival, New York, NY (June 4)
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD (16)
BBK Live Festival, Bilbao, Spain (July 7)
NOS Festival, Lisbon, Portugal (9)
Melt Festival, Gräfenhainchen, Germany (15)
Øya Festival, Oslo, Norway (August 10)
Way Out West Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden (11)
Flow Festival, Helsinki, Finland (13)
Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary (15)