Montréal-based duo Bibi Club (Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nicolas Basque) unveiled their striking new single, “Washing Machine,” a track that is as haunting as it is entrancing and atmospheric.
A buzzing synth opens the song like static emerging from the void, immediately drawing the listener in as Adèle’s vivid, forward-moving lyrics take hold.
You’re dropped into a moment of grief and immense loss, firmly planted in the scene she describes: “On the table by the window, the sun is reflecting on his favorite books, photos of him, the washing machine, where do we go after the death of our child?”
As the word child lands, the guitars swell and swarm around her, intensifying the weight of the moment.
“We hold on to each other” is uttered softly as that swarm is still in mid-air.
Much like a washing machine spinning through repeated cycles before reaching clean laundry, the song mirrors the process of grief both lyrically and sonically, capturing the reflection, pain, and slow steps toward acceptance after a profound loss.
Regarding “Washing Machine,” Bibi Club says: “The anomaly. This song is a homage to Tobie, who loved washing machines, the way they rush in and spin in every direction. It’s also a reflection on our experience as parents and the visceral bonds that connect us to our children. The song is full of light and life despite its underlying grief, the guitars dance together, the keyboard pulses with life, it's energetic, even danceable. It evokes the short passage on Earth of a child who left a vivid, powerful mark on everyone who loved him.”
“Washing Machine” is a powerful testament to art’s ability to hold grief, showing how even the unimaginable loss of a child can become a space where love, connection, and remembrance rise above the pain.
Serving as an attempt to find clarity amid tragedy, “Washing Machine” is part of their upcoming album Amaro, dropping in February.
The record is rooted in learning to live in spite of loss, blending upbeat yet melancholic textures like coldwave to create songs that carry conflicting emotions of angst, sorrow, and resilience.
