Deary break onto the scene with the euphoric new single ‘Fairground’
Last year, Deary celebrated the 18th birthday of Sonic Cathedral – the label that bought us BDRMM, Molly, and Lorelle Meets the Obsolete – with a show at The Social, London. Remarkably, that was just their second live performance, having come together amid the grim lockdown of winter 2021. Now, they’ve released their debut single, a wave of pastel tones and concrete breakbeats titled ‘Fairground’.
It’s not often I’m knocked back quite so profoundly by a debut single. Vibrant and forward-thinking, ‘Fairground’ conjures (but never gives in to) a fog of nostalgia through a combination of rusted synths, cathedral-esque vocals and super-compressed beats. Think William Byrd meets Bowery Electric, and you’re nearing the mark.
As thrilling as it is dizzying, this refreshing new single spins and dips like a waltzing teacup at some bulb-lit funfair. An evocation of the sensory overload any Londoner will be all-too familiar with, it began life as a letter to a loved one from singer and guitarist Dottie. “As a kid, I found fairgrounds incredibly overwhelming, an entanglement of anxiety and perplexity,” she explains. “This is how London feels to me now. The excitement of the lights and the noise can sometimes leave you pondering the meaning of it all”.
“I am constantly astounded by the vibrancy, community and creativity that surrounds me every day,” she adds. “At the same time, the corruption in our society is inescapable. The letter now is a reminder to be cautious of going too fast and missing the important things.”
Dottie and multi-instrumentalist Ben came together at a point when collaborative projects were rather hard to organise. They ended up bonding over a mutual love of Cocteau Twins’ vocalist Elizabeth Fraser: “We started off by sharing ideas and influences over WhatsApp,” explains Ben. “That led to us writing together and we eventually met up a few months later. We have been working ever since, building up a beautiful friendship in the process.”
Deary will be supporting their Sonic Cathedral label-mates MOLLY for a string of UK dates this February, beginning with a performance at London’s The Waiting Room on February 2nd. If this new track is anything to go by, it’s one show you’d be a fool to miss out on. See you there, deary.
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