Fresh off a sophomore album release Sweet Melancholy and a nationwide tour (Perth, regional WA, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide) which included an unofficial showcase at Bigsound 2023 (Brisbane), Dolce Blue are back with their snappy new alt pop-rock single Sugar Free.
Gritty, energetic, full of attitude, and with a twist of the blues, Sugar Free is a relatable tale for anyone who has a dream – and for Dolce Blue it’s a sweet dream of being full time musicians. Singer/ guitarist/ songwriter Veronica explains “I wrote this song when I was meant to be working because I was dreaming of being famous, instead of doing my job (fulfilling famous musicians’ rider requests). We really focused on getting our individual parts sounding slick, sexy, and punchy, for me musically it’s inspired by Måneskin, but with our own Dolce Blue spin.”
Starting out strong with a powerful distroted bass line that’s slapped into the band with a driving drum beat, swirls of guitars dance around a purposeful vocal line that soars into the track’s catchy chorus, gradually growing as waves of harmonies join with each iteration. Building to an angelic bridge that exclaims “Sing my heart out, I’ll sing my hardest, don’t you understand? It’s out of reach but I can see it, I’ll catch it if I can ” directly commenting on how the band are working their hardest to make it in music, even though it seems out of their grasp, they’re going to give it their best crack to get there.
With ongoing support from local WA institution RTRFM 92.1, national radio coverage from Triple J and Unearthed, and playing shows supporting the likes of Sly Withers, Shag Rock, Little Quirks, and Ghost Care, the band are endlessly grateful for the community they’re building for themselves as independent artists.
Moving in a slightly different sonic direction from the recent LP, but keeping the same sentiment of combining the sweet (dolce) with the melancholic (blue), Sugar Free is the first taste of the bands upcoming Sweet Melancholy Deluxe LP, due late June 2024. Featuring 4 brand new songs, and 3 alternative versions of songs, the full release is an impressive 20-track album that the band describe as something “we’re really proud to be releasing”. Continuing “some of these songs we’ve been working on for what feels like a good chunk of our lives, and to finally get them out into the world feels really good, they’re songs that we enjoy playing and listening too, and really timestamp our teenage years to early 20s”.
Recorded with Michael Strong at You’re Weird Mixing (Pat Chow, Odlaw, Dolce Blue, Veruca Moon), Dolce Blue take inspiration from a range of artists they look up to including; Arctic Monkeys, Mac DeMarco, The Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, Kali Uchis, and Joy Division, creating soundtracks that are equally enjoyed by the poolside, or on your daily commute.
Sugar Free is out now via Blue Grey Pink
