More musicians are bringing their shows to the region, but few have gone beyond one-off concerts to craft fully integrated, multi-stop tours.
One of the bands who have done just that are the brooding synth-pop group Ghostly Kisses. An act classified as indie in their native Canada, and by European promoters, they are undeniably a major draw in the Middle East.
Over the past four years, they have undertaken some of the region’s most expansive tours. Their latest return to the UAE, with a show at Dubai’s Bla Bla, follows two sold-out dates in Cairo, a headlining slot at Saudi Arabia’s Balad Beast Festival in Jeddah, and comes ahead of a performance in Bahrain on February 23.
It adds to their previous stops in Beirut and AlUla, where they performed at the stunning Al Maraya Theatre. Such extensive touring has given founder and singer Margaux Sauve an insight into the nuances of their growing regional fan base.
“The crowd in Saudi Arabia and Dubai has always been so warm, attentive, and lovely,” she tells The National from the Balad Beast. “In Cairo, they’re very expressive and so happy that we made the effort to come all the way there to play a concert. It feels just as special for us as it does for them, and they sing along to every lyric.
“In Beirut, it's different. The audience stays quiet during the show, but afterward they’ll wait in line for hours just to get an autograph. They’re incredibly grateful that we came.”
Beyond the painstaking effort to build a devoted fan base, another reason for their consistently strong crowds is the personal bond fans share with the group's music.
Formed in Quebec City in 2016 as a solo project by Sauve, a classically trained violinist, Ghostly Kisses evolved into a duo two years later with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Louis-Etienne Santais. Together, they crafted a signature sound, blending ethereal, languid melodies with cinematic production and unflinchingly emotive lyricism.
Their work, particularly the 2019 EP Alone Together and the 2022 album Heaven, Wait, became a soundtrack for a new legion of fans retreating and re-emerging in the wake of the pandemic.
“It’s always evolving,” notes Sauve. “It’s hard to pinpoint – did the pandemic help? In terms of our online presence, yes. But I also think it’s because our music asks questions. It reflects the experiences our fans have been through and how they’re processing them.”
It's an approach Ghostly Kisses take even further on their 2023 album, Dark Room. With lyrics exploring broken and healed bonds and the search for euphoria amid turmoil, the record feels like a collective therapy session – because, in many ways, it was. In the lead-up to recording to Dark Room, the group launched The Box of Secrets, an initiative inviting fans to anonymously share their worries through online entries. Sauve promised to read each of them in full.
“The purpose was mainly to offer a space where they could express something in secret, because we felt that many people wanted to connect with us but didn’t know how,” she recalls.
“What we found were recurring themes from people all over the world – most of them going through similar break-ups, questioning their lives, feeling lost, or dealing with grief. I thought it was interesting to bring those universal subjects into our songs because, in the end, no matter who we are, we’re all more connected than we sometimes realise.”
The intensity of the lyrics is balanced by Ghostly Kisses' most dynamic songwriting to date. While the signature melancholy and Sauve's whispery vocals – reminiscent of Canadian chanteuse Sarah McLachlan – remain, they are now paired with more upbeat tracks, all driven by an underlying mission to make listeners move.
This shift is notable in songs like Golden Eyes and Oceans, which feature assertive basslines and percussive elements rarely heard in the band’s earlier work. Santais explains that the evolution was partly inspired by their shows in the region.
“Once we started touring in the Middle East, especially, we felt such a deep connection to the crowds,” he says. “It was more instinctive, more emotional – more physical, even – because, suddenly, we were in packed rooms, feeling the energy of the audience. That made us think, ‘OK, we've explored all the ways we can connect emotionally and intellectually. Now, let’s tap into the physical beats.’”
That doesn’t mean the group is shifting into full-on EDM sound. While their Dubai show is sure to have the audience dancing, it won’t come at the expense of experiencing the 'feel' required at Ghostly Kisses gig.
“When we play live, we want to tell a story with ups and downs, highs and lows,” Sauve says. “There will be moments of surprise and moments of calm. We’ll take you on a journey – one where you’ll dance and cry.”
Ghostly Kisses perform in Bla Bla, Dubai on Sunday. Doors open 7pm. Tickets start at Dh239
