Claude Fontaine

American singer Claude Fontaine found herself adrift in London while recovering from a painful split. An unplanned visit to Honest Jon's record shop during one of her wandering walks exposed her to classic reggae, dub, and rocksteady, igniting a deep fixation that redirected her creative path. Already based in Los Angeles, where her prior work had consisted only of sporadic self-produced tracks posted online, she immersed herself in the textures of Jamaican music from the 1960s and 1970s alongside Tropicalia and older Brazilian recordings. Fontaine then composed original material echoing those vintage styles and, through unexpected connections, secured contributions from drummer Airto Moreira, guitarist Tony Chin, and bassist Ronnie McQueen. These musicians brought direct experience from recordings by Althea and Donna, Astrud Gilberto, Miles Davis, Steel Pulse, and King Tubby, lending period authenticity to her self-titled debut. Parts of the album were tracked at the studio once occupied by Chet Baker, and the release appeared in spring 2019, blending those influences with Fontaine's own lovelorn perspective.