From Lockdown to Limelight: The Infectious Evolution of Bye Parula

There is a specific kind of magic that happens when artists are forced to create in isolation. For the Montreal-based trio Bye Parula, that period of COVID quietude didn’t just foster experimentation—it became the blueprint for a sound that is both comfortingly folky and unexpectedly funky.

Formed just as the world shifted in 2020, the band—Loïc Calatayud-Sola, Sebastián Riquelme, and Sergio D’Isanto—have spent the last few years refining a style that feels like a love letter to Montreal’s indie-rock roots. With their latest project, Something Out Of Nothing, they aren’t just building on that foundation; they’re blowing the doors off it.

Cinematic Soul with a Pulse

If you’ve been following the band, you know they don’t like to stay in one lane. Something Out Of Nothing feels like a dusty, 1970s film soundtrack reinvented for the present day. Working with producer Robbie Kuster and mixing engineer Warren Spicer, the band has managed to blend the cinematic sweep of Serge Gainsbourg with the raw, gut-level vulnerability of artists like Elliott Smith.

It’s an album that refuses to be categorized. It’s got the rhythmic bounce of art-pop, the textured soul of modern R&B, and a lyrical depth that hits you long after the music fades.

A Two-Sided Journey

What I love most about this release is the intention behind it. The band has divided the record into two distinct movements, perfectly capturing the push and pull of our daily lives:

• Side A: “Songs to Listen to in a Standing Position” – This is the kinetic, playful side. Tracks like “KISSBURN” are designed for movement. It’s the sound of confidence and the thrill of the chase.

• Side B: “Songs to Listen to in a Sitting Position” – This is where the band drops their guard. Drawing from their own experiences as immigrants living far from home, these songs explore the weight of distance and the fear of losing touch.

It’s rare to find a record that can make you want to dance in your living room and cry into your coffee within the same hour. As the band puts it, they’ve created something that “massages your shoulders musically while punching you in the gut lyrically.”

Why They’re Leading the Pack

Bye Parula has been on a steady climb since their track “Still Got the Spirit” became the theme for CBC’s Q with Tom Power. But it’s their commitment to community that really sets them apart. Whether they are collaborating with Inuk artist Elisapie or looping in friends from the local scene like Bibi Club, they make the Montreal music world feel like one big, creative neighborhood.

Something Out Of Nothing isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a document of growth. It’s honest, it’s vibrant, and it’s arguably the most exciting thing coming out of the city right now.