Start Listening To: Dream Phone
Unraveling Dream Phone's energetic Glitch-Pop.
Dream Phone create a distinct sonic landscape with pitch-shifted, autotuned vocals, electronic drum beats, and synths. Simultaneously, their punk rock influences shine through in the brash guitar sound and the raw, immediate nature of their songs. Humor and pop culture references are integral to Dream Phone's artistic expression. Their DIY videos for singles like "Bad Girls" and "No" showcase their silly side and channel 90s nostalgia. By infusing humor and incorporating pop culture references, they create a lighthearted and refreshing approach to their music, offering a break from the seriousness that often engulfs the music scene.
Your debut self-titled EP has just been released. How would you describe the overall sound and style of Dream Phone?
At its heart our music is pop songs, performed with distorted guitar and hard-autotuned vocals. We're basically trying to write the catchiest tunes possible and case them inside something quite strange and digital sounding, while still nodding to our influences in indie-rock and punk music.
The press release mentions that your music is a blend of glitch-pop and punk rock. Can you tell us more about how you incorporate these genres into your sound?
The glitch pop element primarily comes from the overall sound of the pitch-shifted, autotuned vocals, as well as the synths and electronic drum beats. Punk comes into it in the guitar sound, as well as in the brashness, immediacy and length of some of our songs! we like to get straight to the point, and not drag things out more than necessary (which horrifies some promoters when they learn our set is no longer than 20 minutes)
The EP has been described as "an explosion of blistering, bonkers, brilliant off-kilter pop." What inspired you to create such an energetic and unique sound?
I think it comes from the freedom that we get with dream phone compared with other bands we've played in which are a little more bound by genre. Making electronic music is relatively new to both of us so we're enjoying figuring out what we can do with it and how we can merge that with what we already know about song-writing in rockier genres. Crucially, we’re not afraid to get weird with it, or for things to sound bad on their way to sounding good, which make the possibilities feel pretty limitless.
The songs on the EP cover a range of subjects, from social awkwardness to self-destructive attitudes. Can you share some insights into the themes and inspirations behind your lyrics?
We tend to write about what we know and our lived experiences, or if not that, then we take inspiration from the experiences of characters on our favourite TV shows.No discusses the feeling of taking on too much for other people and not leaving enough room for yourself, while strut talks about the difficulties of communicating effectively and directly. I don't want to talk to you (at the show) is exactly what it sounds like; that frustrating person who talks to you all the way through a band's set that you're trying to watch, and those times when you're feeling a bit socially awkward and want to just hide at the back. We like to write about quite mundane, (hopefully) relatable subject matter and then make it sound like it's being beamed down from a spaceship.
The DIY videos for your singles 'Bad Girls' and 'No' showcase your silly side and 90s nostalgia. How important is it for you to infuse humor and pop culture references into your music?
Pretty important! Dream Phone isn’t about taking ourselves too seriously - it was always going to be a bit of a silly break from our other bands and reality. Having said that, our songs started out MUCH sillier than the ones we recorded and play now! The pop culture references have just fallen into it organically, - we clearly watch too much TV and it's seeped its way into our music.
You mentioned that the EP was recorded at home fueled by Pepsi Max and Chinese food. How does the DIY approach contribute to the overall vibe of Dream Phone?
Everything we do is DIY and has been for all of our musical lives, so I don't think we'd have it any other way. It gives us the freedom to do whatever we want really (within our means!) which I hope comes through in the music. It definitely makes us less polished than a lot of pop music is, which I assume is very charming.
You've been compared to artists like 100 gecs, Le Tigre, and the B-52s. How do you feel about these comparisons, and who are your biggest musical influences?
We are absolutely delighted by these comparisons. 100 gecs and Le Tigre truly are big influences for this band, and 100 gecs in particular were part of the inspiration for switching to take the direction we have. Besides them, we listen to all sorts which are probably less conscious influences - we both spend a lot of time listening to Jeff Rosenstock and Martha.
Your live shows are known for being energetic whirlwinds. What can audiences expect from a Dream Phone performance, and how do you translate the energy of your recorded music to the stage?
A short review of one of our recent shows described it as "two young women jumping around on stage, who also play rock guitar", which I guess sums it up?! They can also expect absolutely no stage banter - we both suck at it so have replaced it with samples which do a better job, and remove the lulls between songs to keep the energy levels high.
You've shared the stage with various notable bands, including Illuminati Hotties and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. What have been some of the most memorable experiences from these live shows and festivals?
The bigger shows and festivals are definitely the ones where you get a more 'surprised' audience, which can go one of two ways and is pretty fun to witness! It's been great to play to different audiences that wouldn't necessarily make it to the little DIY shows in a pub basement though, and a real privilege to play with bands we really admire (like Illuminati Hotties). Last year we played Truck Festival and the atmosphere was honestly great. Our favourite moment was probably whipping out our warped Britney cover and the crowd gradually noticing what was it was and being very much up for it!
With the release of your EP, what are your future plans as a band? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations in the works?
We're currently working on EP 2, which you should be able to expect early next year. We also have some shows booked across the country throughout the year, including Sheffield Pop Weekender, which we are particularly excited about! We have also had one of our songs remixed by an artist that we deeply admire which is pretty exciting, so we will release that at some point too!
Your songs have received airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Oxford. How does it feel to have your music recognized and supported by such prominent platforms?
It honestly feels great to be taken seriously as a band and to be played alongside a lot of other music that we really like! As well BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Oxford, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the incredible support we've had from Dave Gilyeat and the BBC Introducing Oxford team, who have played our music numerous times and created the opportunities for us to play both Truck Festival and the Big Feastival last year.
You also recorded an interview and session for the 'What's In Your Shed?' podcast. Can you tell us a bit about your experience and what topics were discussed during the interview?
We both find being interviewed and talking about ourselves quite nerve-racking, much more so than performing - but Warren, the host of the podcast, is such a warm and easy person to chat to, he really put us at ease. We talked about the origins of our (relatively new) glitch-pop sound, how the voice modulation works, and where the name dream phone came from (which was the 90s board game where you would call up boys on a big pink phone to find out who has a crush on you).
Finally, what message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from your music, especially from your debut EP?
Without wanting to sound too cheesy, that you can make art that you believe in without taking yourself super seriously, and that just having fun and not stressing too much will often allow you to come out with your best stuff!
