Midscale unveil a new music video single from their new EP!

In just five years, Midscale has become a leading name in the French shoegaze scene, standing as a bulwark against the genre's uniformity. With their debut EP in 2022, followed by their album Movements in 2024, the Parisian quartet made a name for themselves by opening for Foxing, The Telescopes, Pale Blue Eyes, GIFT, and most notably Explosions In The Sky at the Bataclan in Paris. International exposure also embraced them, with several UK tours already under their belt and appearances at The New Colossus festival in New York in March 2026, followed by Left Of The Dial in Rotterdam in October. This solid foundation allows them to convert the try with a brand new EP, produced under the guidance of Clément Libes (BRUIT ≤, M83, Bigflo & Oli).

The starting point for Dread, This Could Save You was a lineup change. Eliott Barbot joined Midscale shortly after the release of Movements. His arrival proved to be a driving force, sparking the creation of a short and intense format. Previously responsible for lead guitar, singer Yohann Badorc was able to delegate this task to his new colleague in order to focus on rhythmics, accompanying new, prominent, and inspiring melodic lines. This is particularly noticeable in the second half of the EP, while the first half follows in the footsteps of its predecessor. Or perhaps it's the result of an immediate synergy, as the "new kid on the block" points out:

I experienced my integration into Midscale as very natural because I already really liked their music. They have the discipline to rehearse very often, and I think that helps a lot to be in that kind of dynamic. We composed quite quickly, right from the first rehearsals, whereas I had learned all the other pieces in two weeks. It was incredibly fluid, and it's a music genre I love. So everything was in place for us to be on the same wavelength.

With this new EP, Midscale manages to embrace a slightly more stripped-down sound, without its introspective power diminishing one iota. Better yet, it seems to have multiplied tenfold. By toning down the effects and layering of textures, the band gains in technical skill what it loses in technology. This allows their melodic character to shine even brighter on these four new tracks. Even within "Braincrash", which rolls in like a shoegaze tidal wave, seemingly picking up where Movements left off, extending its most feverish intentions. Delicate notes mark their presence there, before taking on even greater scope on the more up-tempo "Screengaze", no less steeped in spleen.

Subsequently, the quartet embarks on a carefully paved detour, towards a certain liberation from their genre label. "Blurry" lays the groundwork by venturing into indie and folk, but then takes a completely soaring post-rock turn, even more confidently than before. While Midscale narrowly avoids the climax, it throws itself into it wholeheartedly with "0-1", an 8-minute track that shifts from a distorted soundscape to a gentle incursion, accompanied by a worried piano. The anticipated grand climax finally erupts in pure catharsis, with a vocal cry rising in the distance. A return to calm ultimately closes the EP, with an acoustic guitar grafting itself onto the piano that inspired it. All that remains is to answer Yohann's invitation, repeating "It's time your brain quits/Your mind leaves/Your eyes sink". An idea of letting go, probably not unrelated to the underlying theme of this new project, about which the singer confides:

When we finished the demos, as I had lyrics that weren't completely finished, I realized that the theme of fear was quite central. Without meaning to, I had written things that were personal or generic, that evoke my own experiences as much as anyone else's. I think fear is omnipresent in everyone. We're all afraid of something, from spiders to heights to death, in different extremes. I've come to a conclusion, which isn't necessarily gospel truth: being afraid is something that protects you. If you're afraid walking home alone at night, you'll become wary, but you're less likely to have anything happen to you than if you weren't afraid. If you're afraid of how technology might affect your life, you automatically adopt a critical perspective on it, which can, in turn, protect you. This doesn't mean that fear saves you, because it's difficult to detach yourself from it, but your instinct triggers this mistrust, which acts as a shield.

Stream / Buy / Download the album on Bandcamp

Dread, This Could Save You benefited from the expertise of seasoned producer and musician Clément Libes. His impressive resume speaks for itself: he plays bass, violin, and keyboards for patron saints of French post-rock BRUIT ≤, as well as for M83 and French rap superstars Bigflo & Oli, for whom he has long served as musical director. Midscale turned to him for his strong understanding of music from an emotional perspective. His ear and sensitivity allowed them to identify what was missing to get as close as possible to what the quartet wanted to express through their music. Added to this were a few adjustments in terms of energy, which brought out the full potential of this handful of tracks. Bassist Gabrielle de Saint Léger sums up this collaboration:

The recording went very well but was extremely intense, since we did it over 4-5 days. Clément took on the roles of producer, arranger, and sound engineer, supported by Julien Couralet. Since we arrived with our complete demos, we were quite efficient; some tracks went very quickly. It was precisely Clément's personality and talents that brought some rather interesting elements, particularly to "0-1". We owe him the piano. He laid it down in a one take, based on the acoustic guitar. It's the kind of thing that comes out spontaneously and enriches what we had already recorded.

Sébastien Leboucher (drums) adds about his producer:

Personally, I think that Clément manages to refine things, not to simplify, but to make them more effective. Even though we already had demos and were very familiar with the tracks, he was able to get me to make some minor rhythmic changes without altering the drumming style.

With Dread, This Could Save You, Midscale is resolutely (post) rock, albeit ever more dreamy and melancholic. A poignant 4-track EP, the kind that leaves you stunned, even shaken, unable to think anything else than "what a ride".

Line-up :

Yohann Badorc (vocals/guitar), Eliott Barbot (guitar), Gabrielle de Saint Léger (bass), Sébastien Leboucher (drums)

Recorded by Clément Libes and Julien Couralet at Studio Capitole (Toulouse)

Mixed and mastered by Clément Libes

Photos promo et artworks : Sarah Hottiaux @orangegrise

Midscale:

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Thank you very much Vous Connaissez ? // PR by Clément Duboscq

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Photo by © Sarah Hottiaux @orangegrise