BC-based band, Bae Baracus released their three-track EP, Flow & Fire EP on October 23, 2020. The three tracks on the EP evoke a mixture of the B-52’s, Blondie, and early 90’s one-hit wonders Deee-Lite.
The more contemplative “Sunshine,” with its echoes of Portishead, lends some balance to the effort. The EP is a beacon of light in a night sky, the band’s music stands in stark contrast to the unprecedented times that 2020 has wrought.
“With all the chaos happening throughout the world, Dolly wanted to make a statement with these songs and wanted to make something that is distinctly ours,” Gar- diner says. “The lyrical content she brings to the table is deep, but it serves as a nice contrast to the cool kind of pop vibe we have going on.”
As for “Never Yours”, the track is anchored by an infectious bass line, the song takes a frank look at the unrest that has dominated the world for the bulk of 2020. Underpinned by the no-holds-barred refrain of “Take control and say goodbye to a world that was never yours,” Dolly issues a battle cry for humanity to see the challenges and changes of 2020 as an opportunity to eliminate entrenched systems of oppression and destruction we’ve lived with for so long and make the leap to a world that is a fairer, more sustainable place for all.
Check out “Never Yours” below, and find out more about Bae Baracus via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi, I’m Dolly, vocalist/lyricist for Bae Baracus, an indie dance trio made up of Sunshine Coast musicians Lin Gardiner, Clef Seeley, and myself. As an Irish woman who moved to Vancouver 3 years ago from Berlin, I’m definitely a rolling stone who’s been exposed to lots of music scenes around the world. Moving to Vancouver, though, has turned the best for me in terms of collaboration and growth as an artist, thanks to great artists like Lin and Clef.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
Bae Baracus was a very spontaneous project. Lin, Clef, and I just melded together in an incredible couple of days in the studio during the summer. And that’s the hallmark of my personal creative process – spontaneity and collaboration.
I have no formal training myself. And Lin and Clef are both the real deal. Still, it works between us. Perhaps I’ve soaked up so much music throughout my life, it’s equipped me with a kind of dumb instinct for lyrics and melody. I brought my influences from traditional Irish music and even Canadian folk music such as Joni and the McGarrigles, plus 70s punk and post-punk like Blondie and Siouxsie, and power women of the 90s and 00s like Tori Amos, Roisin Murphy, and Goldfrapp. Clef and Lin brought their fluency in synths and strings, music theory, and production. And it just worked!
How have you been keeping creative during the pandemic?
Bae Baracus was a product of the pandemic. During phase 3 I traveled to the Sunshine Coast to do some songwriting with Lin. Clef was also invited by Lin. In normal times there would have been more of us but because of social distancing restrictions, it was just the three of us, so that allowed us to collaborate closely. And Bae was born.
Other than Bae Baracus, I collaborated remotely with Lin on her project Julia Sound, which is coming out soon.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
“Never Yours” is our big energy indie dance song that rallies the listener to seize the opportunities in our new normal to make life better. I promise you’ll be humming it for days after!
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/artists?
A shout out to Clef’s solo project, and artists Jo Megasonic and Keeley Halward who are also part of the Julia Sound project. Plus local Vancouver bands Sore Points, Chain Whip, Girlfriends and Boyfriends, and the Intelligence Service – All bands that I saw live many times before the pandemic and hope to see again when much-missed concerts are a thing again.