Watch Polaris Music Prize nominee Les Louanges' new video for 'Attends-moi pas'

Montreal newcomer Les Louanges has had a whirlwind year since he released his debut album, La nuit est une panthère. It included tours across Quebec, Europe and the U.S., hitting up the summer music festival circuit and a Polaris Music Prize shortlist nomination. 

Ahead of his highly anticipated appearance at this year's Polaris gala, which will take place at Toronto's Carlu on Sept. 16, Les Louanges has released a new single from his upcoming new EP, Expansion Pack (out Sept. 27). The track, "Attends-moi pas" ("Don't wait for me" in English), and its accompanying music video follow the musician, real name Vincent Roberge, as he tries to balance a life on the road and at home with friends and family.  

"'Attends-moi pas' is about the hardships of maintaining relationships while on tour, with a fast-paced life," Roberge explains in a statement. "It's about people we leave behind or disappoint, because we're gone all the time, or too busy." 

Drawing on the same grooving pop sounds that made La nuit est une panthère a success, "Attends-moi pas" uses swirling synths to create a sense of longing and distance. 

The video, directed by CAO, illustrates Roberge's busy life as he crams into a tour van with his bandmates, signs records for fans, does on-camera interviews and, most importantly, performs for thousands of fans at his live shows. It's a hectic, sometimes lonely job, but the beginning of the clip shows a point of respite where Roberge gets to relax at home in Montreal between stops. It's a candid and brief look at the musician's life before the van revs up once again, and is a poignant reminder that home is always there, waiting for him, when the tour wraps up. 

For more coverage of the Polaris Music Prize, head over to cbcmusic.ca/polaris.