DEAR ROUGE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM “SPIRIT” DUE APRIL 22
Photo credit: Lindsey Blane
NEW TRACK “SMALL TALK” OUT NOW
(Toronto, ON – January 28, 2022) – Vancouver alt-rock duo Dear Rouge have unveiled the details of Spirit, their third full-length album due out April 22, 2022 via Pheromone Recordings, and available for pre-order and pre- saves today. The band stated “Spirit is the most vulnerable and raw side of Danielle’s inner thoughts, and the line being thrown from these questions and deep reckonings within oneself, urging you to grab hold and hang on for dear life.” The duo of Danielle and Drew McTaggart have been making waves with the first two tracks from the upcoming new record– the delicate and understated “Life Goes By And I Can’t Keep Up” and the radio chart burner “Fake Fame”, which hit #1 this week on the Alternative Chart (Mediabase).
Along with revealing the album’s name and artwork, the band is sharing another new track – the infectious earworm “Small Talk”, out today on all DSPs. On the track the band said, “’Small Talk’” asserts how the reality of the world right now has changed our needs, as we are all aching for authentic connection. We don’t have the time or space for “cheap love””.
Spirit – Track Listing:
- Facedown
- Small Talk
- Dream Dreamer
- Gimme Spirit
- Fake Fame
- Way Down
- Relationship Problems
- Heavy Hearts
- Life Goes By And I Can’t Keep Up
- You Rattle Me
- Meet Me At The Rio
- That’s It, That’s All (feat. Lights)
The band recorded Spirit secluded away from busy cityscapes. Drew and Danielle took up residence in a lakeside cabin shortly after the release of PHASES, their sophomore record. The duo found themselves spending their days alone together, and Spirit began to take form over the winter months. “I had this epiphany,” Danielle shared, “that we needed to come back to ourselves and the joy and comfort we found in each other when we began writing music together”. Her epiphany meant a return to vulnerability, honesty, the enjoyment of their own art and an authenticity in working with what’s true for you. Instead of seeking out high brow co-writers and listening to too many outside voices, Danielle felt compelled to hear those already closest to her. On Spirit the band enlisted Thomas D’arcy (Neko Case, July Talk, The Sheepdogs), their long-time collaborator Ryan Worsley (GUS, Mathew V), Broken Social Scene founder Brendan Canning, close friend and drummer Daniel Klenner (Peach Pit, We Are The City), pop-star and former tour-mate Lights, as well as singer-songwriter Jordan Klassen, and producers Derek Hoffman, Frederik Thaae and Herag Sanbalian.
Spirit is a different avenue of sound for Dear Rouge. Along with raw individual reflections, the duo strove for a more grassroots approach to the instrumentation. Acoustic guitars from the tracks’ demo stages remain audible. Songs written on piano are kept to their instrument of origin, instead of being replaced by synthesizers. Rather than opening a computer, Dear Rouge and Thomas D’arcy utilized Hammond organs, strings, and glockenspiels to create atmospheric elements. It’s all still distinctly Dear Rouge, but more personal, more vulnerable, and more intimate. Spirit is an inspiration to its listeners to be bold and brave; to foster, to create, to encourage and to celebrate ourselves and others.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
May 27 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*
June 9 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage*
*with Vance Joy
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