dream wife

DREAMWIFE

On the Importance of Connection, Quarantine Blues and Their New Album

Since arriving on the scene with their debut self-titled record in 2018, London punk-leaning trio Dream Wife—Bella Podpadec (bass), Rakel Mjöl (vox), and Alice Go (guitar)—haven’t slowed down a bit (much to the delight of us, fans). From the very beginning, the band have been praised for their similarity to classic riot grrrls of decades past, whether due to their spit-fire, brazen discography or their outspoken, dare-devilish nature. They have been lauded for their larger-than-life magnitude, their unbeatable energy, and ability to command a crowd after tearing down stages at brick-and-mortar venues and festivals such as Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, and Lollapalooza.

With the Coronavirus pandemic considered, however, the gals have put a halt on any tour plans they might’ve had in mind, rendering a large part of what they thrive off of—the live atmosphere—at a standstill for the time being. Despite this, the band have spent much of their time in quarantine gearing up for the release of their long-awaited sophomore record, So When You Gonna…, which came out on July 3 (via Lucky Number). As the record’s multi-genre singles revealed, the album reeks of empowerment, self-discovery, creative prowess, and ultimately, kinship between the three girls themselves. It’s clear that in the two years that have passed since their last major release, they’ve been hard at work, mastering their craft. It’s important to note, too, that upon its release, the record was the only top 20 chart inclusion to have been made and produced entirely by womxn and released without the backing of a major label!

With So When You Gonna…’s release and the current world climate in mind, we chatted with Dream Wife over email to discuss how they’ve been doing in quarantine, what their album creation process looked like, and what they look forward to most once quarantine ends.

To begin, how would you describe Dream Wife to anyone who doesn’t know you?

DW: We’re three good friends that love rocking out together. We love to play it heavy and hard, and we love to lean into softer, more emotive places, too.

We’re a rock band with a pop sensibility and understand rock’n’roll as an extreme sport.

Which quintessential Dream Wife tracks would you recommend to new fans?

DW: Off the first album, I would maybe say “Heartbreaker” or “FUU” are good places to start, but if you wanna dive into our

NEW MATERIAL, “After the

Rain” and “So When You

Gonna…” are probably the two extremes you’ll find on the album, but it’s a real kaleidoscope of emotions.

It depends on your mood and where your head is at, what will speak to you most.

Aside from the excitement you must feel noting the projects you guys have been working on, the music industry is obviously in a really weird place right now, and things feel very uncertain. For right now, how are you guys doing? How have you been keeping busy?

DW: Yes, 2020 sure isn’t working out how anyone planned it!!! As a band, we have largely created an identity around being a live band and, obviously, there are no shows!! But we’ve also spoken a lot about how this body of work, the new album, is a piece of work in it’s own right and there is something really beautiful about letting the recordings live a life before we tour them. It’s a new way of understanding what we do! We’re all keeping well, making music for fun, gardening, knitting, just rolling with the punches, one day at a time. 25

When I think of Dream Wife, I initially think of the very constant effort you guys have made to push a very feminist, strong-natured, empowering message through pretty much everything you do. Where does your drive in that department come from?

DW: It comes from having not been able to see the space we occupy within music. It’s interesting; I think we’re often read as more explicitly political than we actually are; we’re just three people with opinions trying to do the music industry thing our own way while also trying to open up space for others to engage in the power of rock’n’roll!

In relation to that same drive, I’m also a huge fan of the podcast series you guys have been doing and the intention behind it. For anyone who hasn’t been able to check it out, can you describe what sort of content they might find when they listen?

DW: So, the podcast started out with us thinking about all the amazing conversations we’ve been having with our friends, peers and people we admire. The thought behind the podcast was for it to operate as a sort of skills share; to get people from artistic communities and learn about how they got to be where they are and maybe encourage people to get into something that they’ve always wanted to.

You guys announced your upcoming record, So When You Gonna…, shortly before quarantine was really set into place (at least in the US) and I’m sure you didn’t plan to release it in the midst of a pandemic either. How has the current climate changed things in regard to the release process?

DW: The timing was wild!! We had spent the first couple of months of the year mentally preparing for the conveyor belt of shows and stuff, mentally preparing to be public facing and on tour away from home most of the time. We announced [the record] on the Tuesday, made one trip out of the house for album promotion to the

BBC, and two days later,

Rakel was on a plane to Iceland—because her family was appalled at how it was all being handled in the UK— and the UK went into lockdown a week later. It was when I saw that text from Rakel saying she was going home it was like, ‘Oh, okay, time to rethink what I think is going on.’ It was some serious mental gymnastics to sink into being at home!

What would you have wanted to/ had been planning to do differently?

I mean lots of shows, lots of tours, life on the road, life in the public eye, speaking to people that aren’t your best pals or family…

When going about writing this record, what was your vision holistically? (Or, how would you describe the general idea of the record in a few words?)

DW: I guess our vision was to be holistic! We didn’t really plan it out or have preconceived notions of what we wanted to make but rather tried to show up authentically and truthfully to the process. It all flowed out.

This record’s first single, “Sports!,” is incredibly high-energy and campy. What made you choose this track to introduce fans to the So When You Gonna… trait?

DW: It’s a slap in the face!

It’s high adrenaline! It’s silly!

It can be read on multiple levels! Glad you read it as campy, haha!

A lot of this record seems to touch on a variety of relationships—from platonic, to loving, to solely sexual (i.e. the overt, female sexual energy of “So When You Gonna…”). Since, during the pandemic, most kinds of relationships are so limited, I think this record could serve as a sort of ode to what once was. What were your motivations in touching on this aspect of life initially?

DW: I mean, we were on tour kinda for a solid two years and, during that time, it was really difficult to show up and be present for our friends and loved ones.

When we stopped touring at the start of last year, it was not only a time to write, but also a time to catch up on all the connections and relationships. When we stopped, it was like realising that we had changed and so had everything else and it was time to build new structures, let go of old ones, and carry it all with a great deal of gratitude.

“RH RN” seems to speak for itself, in discussing how it’s important to take risks and live in the here and now, without fear. For anyone who is struggling with this, and possibly psyching themselves out at the moment, do you have any words of encouragement?

DW: Lean in, remember to breathe, shining lights in dark places is good for you, try dancing

Aside from discussing the external, a lot of this record seems to touch on the concept of self, too. “Validation” speaks on something that I think a lot of people (and especially a lot of women) find themselves constantly thinking about. In regard to feeling “unspecial” and struggling with this, how would you recommend healing?

DW: I would say it’s a case of taking a hard look at where you recieve your validation.

We all need validation; it’s a human need. No one is an island but, like, is the validation you receive serving you? How can you move the power more into yourself?

Feeling the dirt beneath your feet can be a form of validation; the earth is holding you and recognising your weight.

Similarly, “After the Rain” (which is a really beautiful track) is a slight change in pace, taking an introspective look at the relationship we have with ourselves and our emotions. In discussing such vulnerable material, do you ever have hesitations about doing so in such a public way?

DW: We need more vulnerability; we need more honestly. These things need to be spoken about. I think it’s a testament to the trust between us that we were able to hold space for such complex, heavy emotional work.

Make sure to keep up with Dream Wife via their socials @dreamwifeband (on Instagram) and @DreamWifeMusic (on Twitter). Listen to their new record on any of your favorite streaming services now!