Gal Musette by Alex Justic
A magical enchantress bridging the present and a distant past, Gal Musette is riding high on the whimsy of her latest single, “Into the Blue,” and straight into this year’s Bumblefest to delight fans with her personable style of baroque piano pop.
“It has been the most chaotic, eventful and transitional year of my life, to be honest,” she tells PureHoney about readying her next release, “Pendulum.” “It’s coming out on Oct. 6, and I could not be more thrilled to share it!”
Musette is the nom de plume of Californian Grace Freeman, who plies a sound inspired by the bygone “bal-musette” scene popular in late-1800s France. “Into the Blue” is her last single previewing the album, and a hint to the more rhythmic feel she’s concocted with producer Jon O’Brien. She considers the new work bolder and denser than her previous efforts, and a nice evolution from their work together on 2021’s “Backwards Lullaby,” a nostalgically somber exploration of romantic hopelessness.
Musette’s other musical partner on “Pendulum” is Olivia Mainville, aka Via Mardot, a Michigan-born musician with an evocative stage name and a nostalgic Francophone streak of her own, as an updater of 20th Century French ye-ye pop. “She’s also all over my new record, on which she performed strings, theremin, bells and so much more,” Musette says. “She’s such a genius.”
Musette arrived as precocious young talent daring to one-up The Magnetic Fields and their indie-pop opus, “69 Love Songs,” by compiling an astonishing “70 Love Songs.” And she was just getting warmed up.
Festival-goers can expect a performance evoking the sweetness of bubblegum pop, the earnestness of folk and the panoramic grandiosity of Irving Berlin’s Great American Songbook. And that’s just when she’ll be on stage — like any curious Bumblefest attendee, she’s looking forward to the two-day event.
“I had such a wonderful time performing last year, enjoyed the beautiful performances, and met some great folks,” she said. “This year’s audience is in for an incredible lineup and a great vibe!”
Bumblefest is 40 acts on 5 stages, Sept. 1 and 2, in downtown West Palm Beach. bumblefest.com, galmusettemusic.com ~ Abel Folgar
