British band Dream Wife have captivated fans left and right with their fantastic take on pop-punk, standing up for female rights and empowerment in songs like “Somebody,” singing about love in “Kids,” telling someone to go to hell in the massive “FUU,” as well as being symbols of girl power themselves. There is something remarkably fresh about their music – it explodes in your ears and so does the message behind each song. After you think you’ve heard it all, they surprise you with their originality, energy, and their strong female voice in a male-dominated industry. They are fun, smart, colourful, and more relevant than ever. Rakel Mjöll, Alice Go, and Bella Popdadec, have spent most of the year touring – including an intense run at SXSW and a very busy festival season this summer – but this did not stop them from releasing new music, and latest single “Fire” (released 08/15 via Cannibal Hymns/Lucky Number) comes as the lead single of their next EP, also titled Fire, set for release on September 29th.
Listen: “Fire” – Dream Wife
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/337807892″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”175″ iframe=”true” /]“Fire” starts with Go’s guitar, which sucks you into the song from the start, Go’s guitar skills are enviable and jaw-dropping. Dream Wife’s guitar riffs are practically symbolic of the band, and there’s no better way to announce a new EP than with their signature move. Then, Mjöll’s unique voice comes in and you feel completely at home again in Dream Wife’s world.
I wasn’t always your future
I wasn’t always your man
You have a lot to say
Your accent is changing
Your words rearranging
and you don’t sound the same
Mjöll starts the song saying she was something unexpected in the life of the person she’s singing to. Though it’s subtle, saying she “wasn’t always [his/her] man” shows one way Dream Wife subvert gender rules and empower themselves. She doesn’t refer to herself as a woman as would be expected, but instead flips the narrative to reclaim power in the narrative. Then, Mjöll refers to the person’s words and voice, a recurring theme in the song. She can’t recognize the person she’s talking to, their “accent is changing”, “words rearranging” and they “don’t sound the same”.
Do you remember last night there was a fire?
We danced and we screamed and
we held each other tight.
Do you remember,
do you remember last night?
The chorus is explosive, another one of Dream Wife’s favorite moves. Mjöll questions the person she’s talking to, referring to a “fire” that could either be literal or a metaphor for their relationship. She treasures and reminds the person she’s talking about their moments, “we danced and we screamed and we held each other tight”, and then questions the person again, trying to make sure he or she knows they shared memories. Backing vocals support Mjöll on her questions, making the sound fuller while Go continues to shine with her guitar.
I’ve only just met you under the table
You have a lot to say
Your lips are moving the way
that I move mine
I wonder if you’ll stay
The theme of the person’s voice and mouth returns on the second verse, where she emphasizes that the person “[has] a lot to say”, but this time, instead of struggling to recognize the person, she connects both of them by saying “Your lips are moving the way that I move mine”. Also, the fact she met this person “under the table” points towards this being a secret encounter, probably another one of the moments they’ll treasure in the future because it’s just theirs and they’ve found something which will bring them together. The chorus then returns, stronger than ever, with Mjöll repeating “There was a fire”, with a mix of nostalgia and longing, until the song fades away and comes full circle, with Go’s guitar being the last and the first sound we heard on the song.
“Fire” celebrates people and moments, as well as floating in between elusiveness and metaphor and direct lyrics. It is very appropriately titled, since the song is as powerful and exciting as fire itself. Dream Wife are most definitely one of the most exciting bands today. With only a handful of released songs and a powerful message behind the band, they’ve claimed their position as the ones to watch and celebrate. Though they’ve yet to release their debut album, they’ve been on the road for a long time, gaining notoriety and fans everywhere they go. Dream Wife is about to embark on their biggest UK tour to date, and with the new EP coming out soon, we cannot wait to hear more from Go, Popdadec, and Mjöll.
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:: pre-order Fire EP here ::
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photo © Hollie Fernando
