Octoberman’s Seventh Album ‘Chutes’ Explores Aging, Analog, and Melody, All in That Signature Octoberman Sound
After more than two decades of evolving sounds and lineups, Chutes brings together longtime Octoberman collaborators Marc Morrissette, Marshall Bureau, Tavo Diez de Bonilla, J.J. Ipsen, and Annelise Noronha for an album that blends intimacy with organic spontaneity. Recorded primarily live-off-the-floor at Little Bullhorn and later enhanced with home studio overdubs across Ontario, the record introduces new instrumentation—including accordion, banjo, and vibraphone—while maintaining a spare, relaxed sound. Morrissette’s DIY approach emphasizes authenticity and warmth, supporting songs that explore grief, memory, and resilience. The death of his mother sharpened his awareness of impermanence, and the resulting songs reflect a quiet vulnerability shaped by his experiences as a father and husband.
Over seven albums and two EPs, Octoberman has earned comparisons to “a sunnier Elliott Smith or Sparklehorse” (Uncut) and “Stephen Malkmus at his loosest” (Pitchfork), with songs featured on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and performances alongside artists such as Julie Doiron and Mount Eerie. Now, with members spread across Ontario, Chutes arrives not as a reinvention but a subtle reaffirmation—an album that embraces change as inevitable and celebrates life’s fragile, fleeting moments, one song at a time.
Octoberman returns with Chutes, the band’s seventh full-length album, out now on Ishmalia Records. Produced by Jarrett Bartlett and Marc Morrissette and recorded live at Ottawa’s Little Bullhorn Studios, the album captures the band in a reflective, stripped-back mood. Recorded to two-inch tape without click tracks or screens, the sessions prioritize presence over polish, resulting in a warm, loose, and emotionally resonant collection that embraces imperfection and intimacy.
Opening with the line “It’s hard to know just how to grow old,” Chutes explores themes of aging, shifting relationships, and the passage of personal history. Morrissette draws on a mix of older demo ideas and newer, introspective songs, blending third-party storytelling with personal reflection. The album moves fluidly between perspectives while maintaining a unifying thread of curiosity, empathy, and human connection, offering a gentle meditation on change, endings, and new beginnings.
Make sure you check out ‘Chutes’ on Spotify below!
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