By: Jack O’Sullivan
Loch Nisse Monster’s debut album is a daring concept record that explores the emotional aftermath of a breakup through the metaphorical framework of a murder investigation. Named after the Latin word for “the forum” or “public affairs,” Forensis evokes themes of forensic analysis, diving deep into the unsettling process of uncovering hidden truths.
This thirteen-track project features six singles released over the last year, including her debut song “Fog in the Window”, along with seven new songs released on June 11th, 2025. It’s an incredible introduction to the poetic alt-folk indie-rock work of Loch Nisse Monster.
Right off the bat, the song “Your Catalyst” provides a perfect example of this specific sound. Leading the listener in with an acoustic guitar and sullen singing on top of a rolling rhythm section. As it progresses into the pre-chorus, the electric guitar joins in, and the energy rises into a catchy indie-rock chorus.
Alternative-folk instrumentation shines throughout the entire album with every haunting fiddle part and beautiful harp accompaniment. However, there is clear evidence of indie-rock influence with each moment of lively, chant-like, gang vocals that come before or after the guitar solo.
Each song acts as a lyrical testimony that paints a picture. Loch Nisse Monster’s detailed depictions are clear-cut clues for the listener to interpret the themes and relate them to their own real-life experiences.
“White flower decay, your mother’s vase
Playing you Scott Street up in the staircase
Still my empire, still crowned in stone
Still in hostile attribution’s chokehold”
(Blue Prints by Loch Nisse Monster)
The album follows a natural emotional progression in the wake of a breakup, opening with expressions of anger and sadness before shifting toward introspective self-reflection in the middle. By the end, the mood softens into a gentle sense of nostalgic optimism and quiet acceptance.
“The record brings out the themes relating to the Forensis concept: reluctance of falling in love, expectations in love, stages of grief and reckoning in heartbreak, estrangement, womanhood and fame, coming of age, and existentialism”, Loch Nisse Monster explained.
As a way to deal with heartbreak, Nisse Anonby began writing poetry at the age of 14, and this newfound passion eventually grew into songwriting. The natural progression continued, so she started performing as a solo act around 2023, and eventually decided to find a backing band.
“I was just getting into playing shows, and I thought it’d be sick to set my tunes to a band”, said Loch Nisse Monster. “Besides, the covers I wanted to play were pretty instrument-heavy and would need some backup to do a similar rendition.”
The core of the band includes Laetitia Lemieux on guitar, Griffin Nguyen on bass, and Chloé Martin on drums. More recently, natural extensions to the roster have joined, such as harpist Sarah Dolan, fiddle player Robin Lychaa, and flutist Charlotte Rajsic.
Forensis features performances from all the aforementioned musicians but also has a collection of other collaborators. Matthew Scharfe, Daniel Bonneville, Flynn Graham, Eric Montpool, and Ethan Ryan all helped contribute to the sound of the album.
“To be honest, most of the collaborators are friends of mine”, Loch Nisse Monster admitted. “In music school and on the scene, you find yourself acquainted with a lot of talented artists.”
With each new person behind the board, recording sessions bounced between various home studios and warehouse rehearsal rooms. The engineers and producers responsible for the sonic tonality are Flynn Graham, Kieran Fleming, Tev Bourque, and Brendan Vandepol.
“You learn as you go; my mentor Kalle Mattson likes to call it an ‘expensive skill’ to acquire”, recalled Loch Nisse Monster. “It was a great time, and eye-opening, finding my sound while doing the recording.”
On June 12th, 2025, Loch Nisse Monster celebrated their release at the 27 Club in Ottawa with special guests Hannah Vig and Annie Martel. The full form of the band was there to immerse the audience as they played all thirteen songs in order, start to finish.
Forensis feels like a documented case file. Each track offers a small clue, each lyric a quiet piece of evidence, each arrangement an echo of the emotional crime scene left behind by heartbreak. Rather than reaching a final verdict, Loch Nisse Monster leaves us with an open file that invites us to reflect and find our own meaning in the aftermath.
“Music is one of those rare things that has the ability to take you on a transcendent journey, and Forensis has been mine. I hope it can become yours in the one you’re currently living, letting you dig deeper into things that made you feel a certain way, or lift you out of them, dancing. I’m so proud and happy to present to you my debut album, the culmination of much of my craft for the past couple of years.” – Loch Nisse Monster