Gal Musette is the artist name used by Grace Freeman, who began writing piano and guitar based lyrical compositions and performing at open mics in her home city of San Clemente, CA at the age of ten. Her graceful approach to melody-driven indie-folk has captured audiences all over Southern California.
At age fourteen, inspired by The Magnetic Fields’ triple album '69 Love Songs', Gal recorded her own collection titled '70 Love Songs', which caught the attention of the band, and won her an opening slot on a few of their Midwestern U.S. tour dates. In more recent years, Gal has opened for several renowned artists such as Macy Gray, Suzanne Vega, Todd Snyder, and Donavon Frankenreiter. While her artist name is taken from bal-musette, the accordion-based, waltz-style French instrumental music, Gal’s primary inspiration is drawn from songwriters including Joni Mitchell, Regina Spektor, Björk, Cocteau Twins, Burt Bacharach, Big Thief and The Cure.
In October 2021, Gal released her debut album, 'Backwards Lullaby', featuring a vocal duet with one of her biggest musical inspirations, Rufus Wainwright. The record explores the pangs of hopeless romances and unrequited love, what it’s like to move beyond idealized love into the acceptance of what is real and constant, as well as the cyclical nature of life and love in relationships. In July 2022, Gal released an orchestral EP consisting of three re-imagined cuts from 'Backwards Lullaby' featuring the musicianship of Via Mardot, a talented multi-instrumentalist based in Detroit, Michigan.
Gal’s latest single 'Je vois le ciel' is a tune sung entirely in French with lyrics heavily inspired by surrealist French poetry. The track features classical inspiredpiano, haunting theremin (performed once more by Via Mardot), and plenty of harmonies which masterfully intertwine with contrasting bass and drums, driving the song with a consistent groove while grounding the whimsical treble tones.
The avant-garde film noir inspired visuals follow Gal's character of a woman who is overcome with boredom and loneliness - everyday feels mundane and the same. After discovering a couple deeply in love, she is stricken with curiosity for the couple and what it's like to feel a loving human connection. Gal goes to great lengths to follow and document their every move, delightfully intoxicated by the act of watching and being watched. Her newfound obsession becomes so powerful that she herself transforms, disappearing completely while simultaneously becoming someone else.
Directed / Costume Design byMaria Garcia and Cinematography by Wes Cardino, 'Je vois le ciel' is avisually pleasing diary of guilty pleasures.
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