Brooklyn-based artist Deidre Muro has brought a keen eye and ear to her project Deidre & the Dark since its inception. Blending classic elements of 50s and 60s noir, pop, soul and romance through a more modern prism, her music and overall aesthetic is as refined as it is infectious.
Today, Deidre & the Dark are announcing a new full-length, Variety Hour, with Impose Magazine happy to be bringing you the exclusive premiere of its latest single, “Bad Day.” To celebrate, we had Deidre share with us five things that inspired the album.
Check it all out below and be sure to add “Bad Day” wherever you may prefer here.
Variety Shows
After I started Deidre & the Dark, I realized that the vintage variety TV show was the format equivalent of how I create songs – each one being its own vignette and character, usually performed by the same host, sometimes with a special guest. The Judy Garland Show, The Dean Martin Show…I love the costume changes, the set designs, the flow of the whole production from big choreographed dance numbers to the quiet intimate solo performance with a moody spotlight. For this record, I put myself in the role of variety show host, stepping into a different character for each song, and imagining what behind-the-scenes must have been like for everyone involved.
“Collage” DJs
“DJ” can mean a lot of things right now, so I like to nickname what I love as “collage” DJs – seamlessly mixing old and current, obscure and familiar, making a really fresh new vibe. RJD2, Cut Chemist, Monster Rally, late 90s Beck and Fatboy Slim, Bonobo…I’m so inspired by this approach and I love approaching producing and arranging this way.
Fosse
There’s something about the movements and poses he put together that was so awkwardly lovely. I find it completely charming and ridiculous. I love imagining Fosse-esque choreography to any beat I come up with.
Mid Century Everything
The resurgence of mid century architecture, furniture and design makes so much sense to me. I think there’s a classic, lasting quality to most things from that time – from the music to fashion to design, art, architecture…It’s a golden age to me, and it influences most things I make. I’ll still love it when it falls out of fashion, and I’ll still be loving it when it comes around again.
Backup Singers
Besides sounding awesome, I love the idea of classic girl group back-up vocals because it feels like an instant support group, like a girl gang has got your back. I also love in groups like The Delfonics what sounds like a “balcony man” – as if one backup singer was told to go sing from the balcony to sound distant and add extra vibe. I couldn’t help but inject a heavy dose of backup vocals on the album. In our live band, Christine Bilich and Eric Mendelsohn (of Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue) handle all backup vocals and they really kill it.
