Dear Life, is an alt-ambient melancholy indie band based in West London. Formed at the end of 2013 Sophie and Bishi started writing and recording together when Sophie auditioned for a trip-hop project Bishi was working on at the time.
Soon Dear Life, was born followed by six months of writing and recording. Then they were joined by Rex and John and work ensued. The first 18 months were spent gigging constantly, on average one show every ten days, including 3 small tours in the EU. In June 2015 they self released their debut 8 track EP I love you long time. Their song Girl from this EP was a top ten finalist in the 2016 Record Store Day Berwick Street Calling competition. Go Our Separate Ways and Out of Place from the EP have been received well and have had a number of radio plays.
Recording for their debut album started in August 2016 and took 8 months to complete. The band selected 10 new tracks for this album, which features their signature melancholy and atmospheric sounds with dynamic arrangements. The album is called Hello Frankenstein! and Dear Life, is self-releasing on 11th June 2018. For now check out The Dark Side of Grace, below!
We managed to catch up with Dear Life, as they talked about their upcoming release and more!
So how pumped are you for the release of Hello Frankenstein?
Super pumped! Our last release, which was our EP ‘i love you long time’ was in June 2015. We’ve had a few chops and changes, band and personal ups and downs since, and we felt that we were a bit behind schedule with this release. But it’s here! And we’re so excited to get on with it, and share it with everyone!
Can you tell something about the album no one else knows?
If we tell you then it’s not a secret anymore. Also, forgetfulness is a terrible sidekick to secrets. We always forget what’s a secret and whether we’ve told anyone. But here is a fun anecdote anyway – one time we shot 5 music videos in one night. We prepped each room in advance, and in one room in particular by putting up layers of green screen, black backdrop, and white backdrop in the order of the shoot. We moved from room to room, and then ripping off each backdrop as we got to the shots. It was a long night.
What is your favourite track from the album?
Our favourite track is always the one that we’re currently working on. By the time it gets to a release, we’ve played it, arranged it, mixed it, rehearsed it – to death. By that stage, [whispers] – we hate them all. #Sorrynotsorry
Okay, and then there’s a bit of reconciliation and we love them all. Sort of.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
Could that band consist of Radiohead, Sia, Arcade Fire, The Cardigans, Flaming Lips, Nick Cave, Beethoven, PJ Harvey, Freddie Mercury, Leonard Cohen, Kate Bush, Shigeru Umebayashi, plus a horde of Icelandic and Swedish post rock and experimental bands? Yes, please.
What venue are you most looking forward to playing in June?
In the UK, we mostly gig within Greater London and Reading, so we’re excited about all the cities and venues we’re visiting in June. Hope the weather is nice. We do try to visit France each year, and sometimes Belgium and The Netherlands, and we have a few dates in France again in June, so definitely looking forward to going back. (Nothing to do with the food of course…hmm, viva la cassoulet)
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
We try to be sporty. We all just like one thing each, because that’s the extent of our sportiness. We like, climbing, badminton, hiking, and skiing. One of us got injured this season for not being ninja enough – spot the crutches. Which loser has to play sitting down?
What was the first ever gig you went to?
As a band – probably Archive. Or Blonde Redhead. The brain cache is cleared regularly.
What’s the alternative scene like in London at the moment?
London is very diverse and dynamic, and you can’t spit without it hitting half a dozen of musicians along the way. Don’t try that on the streets. The competition is fierce, and perhaps punters are a little desensitised by the availability and standard of live music. It’s a double edged sword for musicians – we push that bar up for ourselves and each other all the time. But the alternative scene itself is alive and kicking, fighting on in spite of the steady decline in grassroots music venues. Don’t they know that musicians are psychopaths? We will not lose to encroaching clubs amassing bankers in trousers two sizes too small.