It’s been quite a weekend for Montaigne; she just turned 21 years old, and her triumphant album Glorious Heights made a stellar debut at #4 on the ARIA charts – a remarkable feat for such a young artist. Due to high demand, two extra shows in Melbourne and Sydney have been added to the BECAUSE I LOVE YOU national tour. On this tour Montaigne and the band will be hitting the road running, kicking off at The Brisbane Festival on September 13, moving through Toowoomba, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Port Macquarie, Caloundra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, Geelong and finishing up at the iconic Corner Hotel in Melbourne on October 15.
“Her debut album is aptly titled, with the singer delivering thrilling electro pop infused with genuine soul… A star is born. If she’s this good at 20, I can’t wait to hear what she does over the next decade.” – Jeff Jenkins, STACK Magazine
“Sometimes musicians just arrive fully formed, raring to go. Meet 20-year-old Jessica Cerro. This is an almighty first impression.” – Cameron Adams, Herald Sun
“Glorious Heights is a record that is built around Montaigne’s inimitable voice. Pretty much everything else created with the goal of featuring her vocals in a variety of contexts, in an effort to show off her vocal skillset. It’s truly a grandiose start for the singer – but it is truly apt given the title of the album.” – Music Feeds
Thrilling, unconfined songstress, Montaigne has today announced the greatly anticipated release of her debut full-length LP, Glorious Heights, set to drop on August 5. She will be celebrating with her extensive BECAUSE I LOVE YOU national tour, set to kick off at The Brisbane Festival on September 13, moving through Toowoomba, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Port Macquarie, Caloundra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, Geelong and finishing up at the iconic Corner Hotel in Melbourne on October 15.
The new single released earlier this month, ‘Because I Love You’ offers an electrifying perspective on pop music and an exciting taste of the debut album. Ever the innovator, Montaigne collides an impossible variety of influences on this track. Catchy piano chord progressions and sparkling string arrangements are sculpted to perfection around the anchor of her stunning vocal. The woman behind Montaigne, Jess Cerro, says of the release, “‘Because I Love You’ is a look back at what you’d known to be a healthy and fulfilling relationship whilst experiencing it, but with a little perspective discovered was pretty bad.”
The new album, Glorious Heights is an in-depth exploration of the world that encompasses Montaigne. 80’s inspired, but impossible to contain, Glorious Heights was written in close collaboration with Tony Buchen (Andy Bull, Spookyland, The Preatures) and recorded at Sony Studios and Studios 301.
Montaigne’s voice is ubiquitous and soaring throughout; an earnest staple that empowers and inspires sincere emotion in the listener. Of the release, Cerro says, “Tony and I did whatever the hell we wanted without thinking about things we’re fans of too much, only using references to illustrate to one another what kinds of sounds we wanted. I want to preach empowerment by means of self-improvement; to be able to identify ones weaknesses, analyse them, and mitigate them. I want people to realise that the warrior of this age is the kind that combats evil by refusing to take part in the processes that sustain it.”
A Montaigne show must be seen to be believed, as the undeniable talent this young person encapsulates is truly something to behold. Pumped to be hitting the road to tour her new album for fans in September and October, Cerro enthuses, “I think this will be the most fun tour yet. It’s gonna be like a grand quest, and what we’ll be questing for is les frissons which come with live performance. It’s gonna be so nerdy and great!”
MONTAIGNE ‘BECAUSE I LOVE YOU’ TOUR DATES
TUE 13 SEP | THE SPIEGELTENT @ BRISBANE FESTIVAL, QLD (ALL AGES)
FRI 16 SEP | CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS, TOOWOOMBA QLD (ALL AGES)
FRI 23 SEP | FAT CONTROLLER, ADELAIDE SA
SAT 24 SEP | JACK RABBIT SLIMS, PERTH WA
SAT 01 OCT | BEYOND FESTIVAL, CANBERRA ACT (ALL AGES)
SUN 02 OCT | WILDWOOD FESTIVAL, PORT MACQUARIE NSW (ALL AGES)
MON 03 OCT | CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL, CALOUNDRA QLD (ALL AGES)
WED 05 OCT | OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY NSW
FRI 07 OCT | UNI BAR, WOLLONGONG NSW
SAT 08 OCT | OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY NSW
SUN 09 OCT | LIZOTTES, NEWCASTLE NSW (ALL AGES)
THU 13 OCT | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC
FRI 14 OCT | WORKERS CLUB, GEELONG VIC
SAT 15 OCT | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC