Valence

From the very first notes, Valence conjures a prism of colors, adorned with flowers and poetic garlands. The indie-pop project of Vincent Dufour, a native of Quebec City, serves as an outlet for his passions; when Valence arrives, he delves deep.

The fiery single “Léo (rentre à la maison)”, released on May 20, 2025, emerges like a swallow heralding a new chapter for the project. In the artist’s own words, it is “a call to return to lived experience — here, now — far from contemporary alienation and the mirage of a better life to come.” By painting the portrait of the allegorical character Léo, Valence offers a glimpse into the expansion of his narrative universe, gradually populated by new, vibrant figures.

Valence’s first musical sketches took shape in 2019 with the release of the Cristobal Cartel EP — a smooth offering overflowing with spacious arrangements and impressionistic lyrics that stir the heart with velvet gloves. A year later, in the fall of 2020, the singer-songwriter received high honors at the 24th edition of Les Francouvertes, winning first place along with over twenty other prizes at the prestigious showcase competition. This led to his debut full-length album, Pêle-Mêle, released in 2021 on the Chivi Chivi label. The LP delivered a rich, dreamy, and fiery sound that captured the exuberant chaos of the artist’s twenties. It marked a resounding start to Valence’s career, earning him the Revelation of the Year award at the 2021 GAMIQ.

2024 was a breakthrough year for Valence: the release of a second album (La nuit s’achève) and an EP of reinterpretations (Correspondances sous somnifères), the reception of the Karim-Ouellet Prize, and a first ADISQ nomination in the Pop Album of the Year category for his aforementioned second LP. Produced by Alexandre Martel (Alex Burger, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Thierry Larose) and mostly recorded at Le Pantoum, La nuit s’achève has the breath of a concept album — without quite being one. Unburdened by strict narrative constraints, Valence delivers a panoramic work that shows he has reached artistic maturity, now fully able to harness the expressive power of music.

Valence presents a jubilant and incandescent live show across the province in a maximalist setup featuring six musicians (guitars, drums, bass, synthesizers, saxophone, flutes, percussion, pedal steel guitar, and backing vocals). Over the years, he has performed at all of Quebec’s major festivals (Osheaga, FEQ, Francos de Montréal, Le Festif!, La Noce), opened for renowned artists (Half Moon Run, The Franklin Electric, Les Louanges, Dumas), and graced stages in English-speaking Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver. The La nuit s’achève tour sold out in many venues before returning home for a memorable headline show at Quebec City’s Grand Théâtre in February 2025.