Fernie – Hopeless Dreams

At 26 years old, the Montreal singer has gone international: fighting back his doubts and embracing his history, transforming seasons of pain into unflinching, cinematic R&B. Now signed to Secret City Records—after catching the ear of Patrick Watson— Hopeless Dreams is the proof that this exciting new talent here to stay, singing dark songs that light up the night.

Following on Aurora’s bewildering success, "Hopeless Dreams sees the singer ashine with new confidence, revisiting the worst moments of his past—from childhood trauma to extractive relationships. At times, as on the silken “Valhalla,” Fernie’s voice is carried by rich, soulful string arrangements; elsewhere, like the devastating “Bones & All,” his songs have been stripped nearly bare. “Pain” produced by fellow Montrealer Patrick Watson, discovered Fernie before Aurora’s release and became a mentor. The two musicians swapped guest appearances at 2022’s Festival d’été de Québec and M for Montreal, and Watson was the one to introduce him to Secret City.  For all its vulnerability, Hopeless Dreams isn’t “a hand reaching out for help,” Fernie says. This sumptuous record is “a hand