JUNO Award-Winning Canadian Alternative-Rock Duo Dear Rouge Return with New Single “Goon”
JUNO Award-winning Canadian alternative-rock duo Dear Rouge released their roaring new single “Goon” on March 8th via Pheromone Recordings / Cadence Music Group and all streaming platforms.
Produced by Gus van Go (The Beaches, Metric, Sam Roberts Band), “Goon”, stroppy and energetic, comes crashing into listeners’ ears and vividly captures the frustration of dealing with unwanted individuals that keep resurfacing in your life. Whether they’re an old business partner or an ex that did you wrong, this is the song you’ll want to play when you’re dealing with the annoyance of toxic encounters.
“This is a song about the people in our lives that we’d like to forget. But somehow, and for some reason or another, they just keep turning up. And often in the most uncomfortable ways,” said Danielle McTaggart of Dear Rouge. “This goes out to everyone who has a “Goon” person in their life who just won’t leave you alone. It’s time to go away!”
First off, care to introduce Dear Rouge to our readers?
Hello everyone! Dear Rouge is a Vancouver-based alt-rock project, made up of myself (Danielle McTaggart) and my talented husband Drew McTaggart. We formed the band 12 years ago in 2012 and have been going strong ever since. We just released our brand new single GOON, our first new music in 2 years!
Congratulations on the release of “Goon”! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song and what it means to you personally?
Thank you! The inspiration for the song came from a trip I went on to Europe with a friend of mine. We were cruising around the streets of Paris in the wee hours of the morning, and we landed in this pub somewhere near Notre Dame. These two guys would not leave us alone, to the point where we felt extremely uncomfortable. I ended up turning around and saying sternly, “GO AWAY!” As soon as I said it, a creative light bulb turned on, and I knew this experience needed to be put into a song. It got me thinking about how many times someone, or something, keeps popping up uninvited and unannounced. From there, I went on a writing retreat to Keats Island finished the general idea, and then brought it to Drew to finish the demo off. The song is energetic and edgy; the grit and gloss we so often describe our music as.
“Goon” captures the frustration of dealing with unwanted individuals in our lives. How do you channel these emotions into your music, and what do you hope listeners take away from the song?
Well, I think we all deal with awkward frustrating relationships. We as individuals can act like Goons sometimes as well. I like to think of these moments around me and within myself to create art. It makes the unwanted moments useful. The music is a way to process, and I hope people can dance off those uncomfortable feelings. We’re in this strange thing of being a human, together.
Working with producer Gus van Go, known for his work with top artists, must have been an exciting experience. How did his collaboration influence the sound and direction of “Goon”?
Gus is an incredible artist and producer, but more than that he’s an incredible person. The whole process was very nurturing and wonderful. He brought out the best in us. And that’s why I think he’s been so successful. He thinks about the person first. It was a wonderful season working with him on this upcoming record. Soundwise, he brought us more into a fresh sound by thinking back to old bands like the B-52’s and Sonic Youth. I think those vibes are really making a comeback in a cool way.
Dear Rouge has been making waves in the music scene since 2012. How has your sound evolved over the years, and what can fans expect from your upcoming music releases?
We’ve always straddled the line between pop and rock. I think that’s made it fun to play with our sound, making albums that lean more toward a certain soundscape. And we always try to grow and bring newness to our vibe, never letting ourselves get lazy with what we bring to our music and live shows. This record is leaning more towards throwback alternative vibes. We’ve also grown lyrically, in that we’re learning to be more and more vulnerable with our personal stories. It’s hard to do, but we’ve realized through the years that we can’t make great art without being open to the world.
The music industry has seen significant shifts, particularly in recent years with the rise of streaming platforms and social media. How do you navigate these changes as independent artists, and what strategies do you find most effective for reaching and engaging with your audience?
I think with all change, it’s important to be thankful for where you came from, but look to where you’re going. It’s been challenging in lots of ways to accept how the world works these days. And yet, it’s never been easier to reach our fans and try to connect to the good out there. We’re working on being our authentic selves and seeing the music industry through new, fresh lenses. With this record, we’re moving forward, stronger than ever.
Connect with Dear Rouge:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok