Sound Recording Grant Helps Close Talker Release Fourth Album

Chris Morien was a successful recipient of our Sound Recording Grant (LP stream) for Close Talker’s “The Sprawl”.

Close Talker, an indie rock band from Saskatoon, just keeps building momentum. The band has gained the attention and praise of notable publications such as NPR, Billboard, Clash, Spin, Q Magazine, and Consequence of Sound.

With their fourth album, “The Sprawl” in pre-production, Close Talker’s Chris Morien applied for a Sound Recording Grant (LP stream) to produce and promote the project. “Our goal was to create an album we are proud of and music that people can appreciate and connect with,” says Morien.

Close Talker has always explored ideas around growing up and how our lives shift over the years. There are references to time and change across their entire catalogue. Finding love, losing it again, making friends, getting married, rejecting your past self, and having kids are all themes that etch their way into Close Talker’s writing style as they attempt to understand their identity.

Inspired by Close Talker’s time leaving home for the first time and touring Europe, “The Sprawl” builds on these themes. There are numerous references in the album lyrics to elements including cathedrals, saints, and European cities.

“The Sprawl” was released on March 22, 2024, and while the full impact of the album will be realized over the next few years, Close Talker has already realized many positive outcomes from it. With the few singles already released, the band has seen support on streaming platforms, with editorial placements such as Spotify’s Indie All Stars, and Fresh Finds: Indie, along with Apple Music’s “Today’s Indie Rock,” in addition to airplay on SiriusXM ‘The Verge’ and CBC Radio 3.

“We are thankful to be a part of a community and province that prioritizes and supports the arts within our diverse and vast culture,” states Morien. “It’s truly a pleasure and a privilege for us to take part in.”