On March 28th, Bria Salmena will release her debut solo album Big Dog on CD/LP/DSP, with Royal Mountain in Canada and Sub Pop for the remainder of the world. Big Dog chronicles a story of transformation–a deeply personal exploration of resilience and a declaration of artistic independence forged through collaboration.
Long celebrated as the frontwoman of Canadian post-punk outfit FRIGS and as a vocalist in Orville Peck’s band, Salmena culminates her artistic evolution on Big Dog. Anchored by her commanding voice—alternately tender, raw, and defiant—the album traverses the terrain of vulnerability and connection, marking the arrival of an artist boldly coming into her own.
Big Dog’s sound hovers between worlds, it takes elements of hypnotic krautrock and shimmery shoegaze, opulent goth and pulsing darkwave, with a smearing of electronic textures for a sophisticated and often uncanny sound. Amidst this vast sonic landscape, Salmena’s potent lyrical imagery and vocals stand dead center, perfectly in focus.
Today, you can watch the captivating new video for the debut single “Stretch the Struggle”, directed by Gennelle Cruz & David May. Throughout the video, we are struck by its rebellious nature and the immediacy and power of Salmena’s performance. The surveillance motif that runs throughout the video mirrors Salmena’s own personal reckoning as she confronts the truths necessary to break free from what no longer serves her. Click here to watch.
For Salmena, it is impossible to unlink the personal journey represented by Big Dog from the collaborative relationships that went into its creation. Salmena worked with producer and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Hay Jennings in both FRIGS and Orville Peck’s band. Jennings, who is not only Salmena’s closest creative collaborator but also her closest friend, wrote Big Dog with Salmena over several years, during which Salmena was based in LA and Jennings in Toronto. Before Big Dog, the two gave classic and modern Americana songs a goth-y dream pop treatment on Salmena’s Cuntry Covers EPs.
Graham Walsh (Holy F**k, METZ, Debby Friday, Alvvays) helped the pair further refine their budding mix of rock and electronic music, while Meg Remy (of critically acclaimed experimental pop project U.S. Girls) focused primarily on Salmena’s vocals. Remy helped coax out the unforgettable performances that lie at the center of Big Dog through a series of cathartic meetings, pushing Salmena to dig even more deeply into the meaning of her lyrics and really think about different ways of using her voice. As Big Dog came together, it became apparent that Salmena’s songwriting had taken a raw and intimate turn, going well beyond her and Jennings’ work on their prior EPs. Big Dog features additional contributions from alternative rock icon Lee Ranaldo, who contributes guitar on the song “See’er.”
Salmena has announced an initial run of headline tour dates for 2025; see below for a full list of North American dates—further dates to be announced. Tickets will be on sale on January 17 (10 AM local time) and available via Bria Salmena’s official website.
Tour Dates
Wed. Apr. 02 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
Fri. Apr. 04 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy + Harriet’s
Sat. Apr. 05 – San Francisco, CA – Make Out Room
Tue. Apr. 08 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
Wed. Apr. 09 – Portland, OR – Swan Dive
Fri. Apr. 11 – Visilia, CA – Cellar Door
Sat. Apr. 12 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
Fri. Apr. 25 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Lounge
Sat. Apr. 26 – Kingston, NY – Tubby’s
Sun. Apr. 27 – New York, NY – Baby’s All Right
Tue. Apr. 29 – Baltimore, ML – Metro Baltimore
Wed. Apr. 30 – Richmond, VA – The Camel
Thu. May 01 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room
Fri. May 02 – Cincinnati, OH – Southgate House Revival
Sat. May 03 – Chicago, IL – Hideout
Wed. May 07 – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB
Fri. May 09 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall
Big Dog is now available to pre-order from Sub Pop. LP pre-orders from the Sub Pop Mega Mart (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide (excl CA) will receive the album on Orchid Vinyl.