Angine de Poitrine have turned local buzz into a global surge in consumption.
Following their viral KEXP performance, the buzzy Quebec duo have taken over the internet — and streaming — with their virtuosic math-rock sound.
On the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart this week, dated April 18, the band's new album Vol. II debuted at No. 11, marking the group’s debut entry onto the charts.
Now, the streaming data backs up the surge.
According to Spotify, the polka-dot clad Angine de Poitrine — who performs under the pseudonyms Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine — have increased their monthly listeners on the platform by nearly 300%. At the time of publishing, they’re notching almost 2.3 million listeners. Meanwhile, their global streams are up over 340% in the past month alone.
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Their new album, released this month, features their breakout hits “Fabienk” and “Mata Zyklek,” both of which are up over 350% on Spotify. In just over a week, their single “Sarniezz” has surged by 130%, making it the group’s fourth most-streamed track on the platform.
It’s sparked by listeners in Canadian cities like Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Quebec City, says Spotify, which all feature among the duo’s top locations globally, highlighting momentum and support at home.
The increase is international, as well. The band has gained traction across international music markets in Brazil, the U.S., the U.K., Mexico, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Chile, the streamer says, with major cities like London, New York, Los Angeles and São Paulo driving discovery. What started as a local cultural moment is quickly becoming a global one.
“What we’re seeing with Angine de Poitrine is incredibly exciting,” said Elizabeth Phipps, head of artist & label partnerships at Spotify Canada, noting that “Québec listeners sparked this moment, but the speed at which it’s travelling globally” shows how instrumental discovery on streaming platforms can be for artists with a unique sound.
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Some of the group’s current success can be credited to the KEXP performance, which was uploaded in February and has since surpassed 10 million views.
“It was the perfect storm of really fun, really creative and it just connected with everyone,” vice president of The Feldman Agency, Steven Himmelfarb, told Billboard Canada as part of Executive fo the Week. “It was passing around to everyone, fans of all different genres, and everyone was like ‘this is awesome.’”
To meet the record demand of Vol. II, vinyl plants increased production of the album, while forthcoming concerts have instantly sold out, with resale tickets going for more than $500. Their live schedule is now packed with shows across the globe, including an opening stint for Jack White at Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre in July, which is followed by three sold-out nights at Mod Club.
It seems everyone is getting on board with Angine de Poitrine. Last week, Google implemented an easter egg for fans in the form of an interactive polka dot canvas, which is displayed when looking up the duo’s name on the search engine.
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“This was the perfect opportunity to play with the duo’s famous papier-mâché masks and patterned aesthetic,” says designer Mick Champayne.
With all this momentum, Himmelfarb shares that the duo are in a “wait and see” phase of their career. “They have a year ahead of them that is gonna be ridiculously tiring and hopefully rewarding, and we need to see some of this play out before moving on to next steps, which is currently a blank slate.”
In the meantime, the band is riding the momentum in a big way.
