Frenchy and the Punk - Like In A Dream
NYC post-punk duo Frenchy and the Punk presents 'Like In A Dream', a single that pierces the gloom with flickers of light, their sound steeped in melancholic grace. This is the second offering from their 'Midnight Garden' album, forthcoming via NYC indie imprint EA Recordings.
Torchbearers of a new era in post-punk, the duo earlier released the lead track - the dance floor frenzy 'Hypnotized', one year since releasing their critically-acclaimed 'Zen Ghost' album.
Formed in 2005, Frenchy and the Punk is vocalist, percussionist and lyricist Samantha Stephenson and guitarist-composer Scott Helland, co-founder of Deep Wound (with Dinosaur Jr. icons J Mascis and Lou Barlow) and Outpatients. Named one of the Top 25 duos in the US by Yahoo! Music, they profess a vivid blend of post-punk, dark folk, new wave, goth and punk cabaret. Helland is also known for his exceptional solo music project Guitarmy of One.
“’Like In A Dream’ was one of the songs we came up with in Paris. I often write lyrics in a stream of consciousness way as if the lyrics were attached to the guitar riff that Scott is playing. It can be that old, ‘which comes first?’, question. Do the riffs present themselves because the lyrics exist or are the lyrics born out of the guitar riffs. Or are Scott and my subconsciouses so connected that they both exist and emerge together? This song is about perspective, the cycle of life, and the ever beautiful embrace of love,” says Samantha Stephenson.
Scott Helland adds, “On ‘Like in a Dream’, in the majority of the song, I play heavily reverbed single note guitar lines. It was a real treat to record, in what I like to call “the Gilmour type of feel”. I wanted those notes to ring and just be felt in an emotive way and to keep within that dreamy floaty-ness that Samantha conjures vocally and lyrically. The single note lines differ from the wall of acoustic and semi electric tones and chords that usually make up our songs, though that wall of sound does come in as the lead up to the end of this track.”
On 'Midnight Garden', Stephenson hits her stride - lyrically, vocally and with the synth sounds peppering the album. Helland shows his knack for infectious, and often euphoric, guitar melodies, propelling these tracks and perfectly complementing Frenchy's vocals.
This collection bursts with dance grooves, guitar-driven upbeat melodies and soaring vocals. Written in France and the USA, this post-punk, new wave and dark alternative-drenched cauldron of songs address themes ranging from the gothic reimagining of the garden of eden, rising from the ashes and starting over, to socio-political commentary,
“We filmed the majority of the footage for ‘Like In A Dream’ at Art OMI and sculpture park in Ghent, NY, mostly utilizing the piece by LevenBetts called ‘Zoid’. The minimalist nature of the design and how it captures light with its repetitive geometric shapes seemed like a perfect structure to play within," says Stephenson.
"The stark architecture placed in an expansive landscape mirrors and complements the minimalist and dreamy feel of the song. Another portion of the dance footage was filmed during the recent eclipse in April. It felt like an interesting time to capture movement. In a moment of time when so many came together to witness a beautiful natural phenomenon, it felt like an escape from the mundane which also felt in harmony with the song.”
The duo has forged their own distinct path, touring across the US and Europe with their artful two-person powerhouse of sound. To date, they've performed with Dead Can Dance's Peter Ulrich and Dresden Dolls' Brian Viglione, Thomas Dolby, Dinosaur Jr., The World Inferno Friendship Society, Rasputina, Cruxshadows, Aurelio Voltaire and Faun.
As of May 28, 'Lost In A Dream' is out everywhere online, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. The 'Midnight Garden' album, which is now available for pre-order, will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally on June 28. The band has just kicked off their UK tour, alongside Miranda Sex Garden. American tour dates follow in late June.
TOUR DATES
MAY 21 Bristol, UK - The Exchange (with Miranda Sex Garden)
MAY 23 Brighton, UK - Brighton Spiegeltent
JUN 1 Wareham UK - Alice’s Wicked Tea Party
JUN 7 Morecambe, UK - A Splendid Day Out Festival
JUN 8 Newcastle, UK - Little Buildings
JUN 9 Edinburgh, UK - Banshee Labyrinth
JUN 11 Glasgow, UK - The Record Factory
JUN 14 Leicester, UK - Firebug
JUN 15 London, UK - Dublin Castle
JUN 17 Oxford, UK - Botley Taproom
JUN 22 Salem, MA - Darq Salem
JUL 11 Pomeroy, OH - Starwood Festival
JUL 13 Pittsburgh, PA - TBA
JUL 14 Columbus, OH - Dirty Dungarees Alt Music Space
JUL 17 Cincinnati, OH - The Comet
JUL 18 Detroit, MI - Corktown Tavern
JUL 19 Akron, OH - Buzzbin
JUL 20 Maple Heights, OH - Maple Grove Tavern
JUL 21 Dayton, OH - Blind Bob’s
JUL 23 St Louis, MO - Crack Fox
JUL 25 Cleveland, OH - Wizbang Theater
JUL 26 Sherman, NY - Sirius Rising Festival
SEPT 6 Pittsburgh, PA - Pitts Art Fest
SEPT 22 York, PA - Enchanted Festival
SEPT 26 Dark Castle Festival, Louisville, KY
OCT 5/6 Attleboro, MA - Jewelry City Festival
OCT 12 Upper Lake, CA - Hexenfest
OCT 25 Shepherdstown, WV - TBA
NOV 16 Baltimore, MD - Fairy Scary Ball
