It is with a cocktail of emotions (and a lot of tears) that Cowboys Fringants admirers from here and elsewhere welcomed the new Cowboys Fringants album, Royal Pub.
The album was released on digital platforms at midnight, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. Many fans stayed up until then to be able to listen to it as soon as it was released. Cliff Eugene, from Quebec, was even smarter: as the album was released at midnight in France as well, therefore six hours earlier than in Quebec, the graphic designer used his VPN to allow him to listen to it from 6 p.m. , Wednesday evening.
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He’s been listening to it non-stop since (he even cut his night short to listen to it more). “For me, this album is the testament that the Cowboys leave us,” says Cliff Eugene, convinced that the album will “forever have a special place in the hearts of fans.”
The album contains five songs from the musical Royal Pub – welcome to our house, Loulou vs Loulou, The end of the show, Unanswered questions And (again)Welcome home. The other eight were created for album, including the waltz The good continuationsthe instrumental song that closes the record, and possibly the work of Cowboys Fringants.
The Cowboys Fringants also released the video clip for The end of the showthe flagship song of the musical Royal Pub. This time, obviously, it is not actors, but Karl Tremblay who plays him. He will have had time to sing six before his death on November 15. Like many others, Cliff Eugene shed a few tears “at the accuracy of JF Pauzé’s words and Karl’s voice.” “I couldn’t do otherwise,” says the 33-year-old.
For Karine Brodeur, from Longueuil, hearing Karl Tremblay sing The end of the show was a balm. She feels him at peace. “I’m relieved,” she said.
The song The White hairs, written and performed by musician Marie-Annick Lépine, also touched admirers straight to the heart. The widow of Karl Tremblay speaks to her daughters so that she knows that growing old is an opportunity. “You will see, my dears, that life is often unfair, often unjust, especially for those who leave before having white hair.”
Others were charmed by Thank you well!, a song which is part of the festive tradition of the Cowboys Fringants, and a message of love and gratitude towards their admirers met over more than 20 years of touring. “As much as the song is joyful, we can understand the message that there will no longer be a group,” notes Emanuelle Blais, from Terrebonne.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM MARIE-ANNICK LÉPINE’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
Karl Tremblay recorded a song a month before his death.
There are a lot of activities and discussions on Thursday on the Facebook groups dedicated to Cowboys Fringants. Many people have praised Karl Tremblay’s courage in recording this album despite illness. On October 19, Marie-Annick Lépine shared on Facebook a photo of Karl Tremblay, at home, in the middle of a recording session. It was less than a month before his death.
This is what spontaneously came to the mind of Jérôme Rumak, an admirer in Switzerland: the strength of Karl Tremblay in being able to sing such poignant words before his death. “I haven’t yet managed to watch the new clip all the way through,” he confides.
In Europe too, admirers were impatiently awaiting the album, underlines Caroline François, from Belgium. She has been listening to the Cowboys Fringants for 15 years and “will never stop” listening to them. “This album is a real slap in the face,” she confides. It marks the end of an era, but at the same time, it brings Karl back to life a little a few months after his departure…”
Patrice Labelle, 44, chose not to listen to this album because it is not ready. Thursday morning, he just read the lyrics to The End of the Show. “And I cried like a calf,” confides the Web integrator from Saint-Colomban. The death of Karl Tremblay plunged him into great sadness, which lasted several weeks. “When I was thinking I was strong, my boy played Cowboys songs in the car and I started crying,” he said. He will listen to the new album later, probably in bits and pieces.
The album Royal Pub will be released on compact disc on May 10 and on vinyl in summer 2024.