Alt-rock married couple
Dragon and Berr have released their third official album,
“Existential.” The LP features their popular single track, “Just
a Hot Mess,” which dropped March 28. Both have been proudly
published as independent releases without the involvement of the
corporate music industry on the Loose Bolt Records record label.
Eclectic, passionate, and bone-deep in its genuine rock roots,
“Existential” proves Dragon and Berr to be a cornucopia of
original sounds sure to capture the attention of music fans
everywhere.
Dragon and Berr, whose
sophomore LP “Pocket Full of Switchblades and Promises” appeared
about one year ago at time of writing, have cited as main influences
a broad variety of influences. These include Hall & Oates, Styx,
Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Wicked Wisdom, Prince, Aretha
Franklin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, the CoatHangers, the Ron Keel
Band, the Beatles, and Halestorm.
But wait, Hall & Oates
beside Panic at the Disco? Aretha Franklin in the same paragraph as
Styx? Prince beside Halestorm? This seeming disparity reflects the
heart of Dragon and Berr, in fact, who make music they love, not
music that plops squarely into a box. This was also apparent on their
highly experimental debut record, 2018's “Psychotic Break.”
Asked to describe the
overall meaning of “Existential,” Dragon and Berr say it's a
record about relationships. To hear them tell it, though, it's a good
sight more than just that.
“The title of the
album, 'Existential,' is concerned with existence,” they write,
“especially human existence. What is more part of being human than
relationships?”
This idea is a consistent
thread throughout their new LP. They write of it in allusions to
tracks on the album:
“Every song has
some form of relationship theme, be that going out for the first time
when you are young and just 'Livin your Lives,' Or going out with
your wife for a night of 'Karaoke.' Sometimes you may be trying to
reconnect with a love that you never even told them how you feel. In
the album's case, it happens to be at a high school reunion dance
that we hope love blooms. With the song 'Let Me Turn You On To a New
Thing,' it's trying to inject something new in an old
relationship.”
And of course, D and B hit all kinds of places on the stylistic spectrum.
And of course, D and B hit all kinds of places on the stylistic spectrum.
“We pay tribute to
some of the '60s songs we grew up with,” say Dragon and Berr. “We
even have a break-up song and sneak a little soul/R&B into our
rock with 'Not My Lady Anymore.' And not to worry, we do fly our
off-beat pop-punk style with a liberal influence of jazz here and
there … And if you blink you can miss the big band swing snuck in.”
Ultimately, “Existential”
is an album about emotional complexity.
“Relationships are
all about feelings,” they write. “Sometimes we only think of the
basic stuff when we think of a relationship. We don't always think of
maybe not being happy all the time or anxiety or vulnerability,
feelings of jealousy, emotional intimacy, outright love and bliss and
joy and so many other feelings we should embrace because that is
being human. We touch on lots of different palettes of feelings in
relationships in this album.”
“Existential” by
Dragon and Berr on the Loose Bolt Records label is available from
quality digital music stores online worldwide now. Get in early,
alt-rock fans.
-S. McCauley
Lead Press Release Writer
“Existential”
by Dragon and Berr –
Official Website –
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