Imaginary Cities goes for bigger sound with Fall of Romance

Winnipeg indie duo Imaginary Cities has forged some new collaborations for its new album Fall of Romance, released Tuesday.

Vocalist Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas, formerly of The Waking Eyes and sometimes with The Weakerthans, are the heart of the group, but for their second album they’ve worked with musicians from Sloan, Mother Mother and The Sheepdogs.

"It’s kind of a benefit in a way to not have five all-the-time members," Matyas told CBC’s Laura Thompson in a Toronto interview. "With just the two of us in the studio, we let the song speak to us, tell us what should be on it next."

With Fall of Romance, Imaginary Cities was going for a bigger, more orchestrated sound, he said.

The first video from the new album, Bells of Cologne, incorporates church bells that Matyas heard when he was on tour in Cologne, Germany. He recorded them on his iPhone and promised a friend he’d write a song around them.

For Sarbit, who still waits tables occasionally, Imaginary Cities is a great opportunity to sing and record.

She says she’s not worried about the future and she loves her creative collaboration with Matyas. Matyas says they get on like "brother and sister."

Imaginary Cities tours Canada and the U.S. this summer, with appearances at Toronto’s Edge Fest, Ottawa’s Bluesfest, Edmonton’s Sonic Boom Festival and the Brandon Folk Festival.