Following the funding of a second successful Kickstarter campaign, Dreaming Soda are ready to finally release their highly anticipated single Kissing Stacey. The indie-pop release is an instant ear worm that explores interplay of a toy doll’s many angles – perfect plastic capitalist, and curiously self-expressive.
“In 2022 I stumbled across one of the greatest youtube videos of all time,
Dreaming Soda
Overanalyzing the Barbie Movies with Queer Marxist Theory by Alexander
Avila. Alexander’s video essay is about how this iconic plastic doll could
both represent the peak of consumerism and heterosexual values, but still
exist as a tool for queer exploration for young people, and has been a video
I have frequently re-visited. It inspired me to write a tongue in cheek pop
track that tries to capture this essence.“
Written back in 2022 and performed at countless shows across Sydney and Melbourne, the new track has become a crowd favourite, confirmed by the recent funding of the Kickstarter campaign to get it over the line. Produced at Hercules studios in Sydney, and mastered by Becki Whitton, the eclectic track is polished to perfection and ready to blast out of your 2004 novelty Bratz lips speaker.
The band is influenced by the likes of St Vincent, SUPERORGANISM, CHVRCHES, Phoenix, video game soundtracks, and the experiences of youth, and armed with community support through two successful Kickstarter campaigns. In 2022 the group launched their debut EP Just Before The Internet with a headline show at Melbourne’s beloved The Leadbeater Hotel, as well as a 16-page full colour comic book, complete with Dreaming Soda themed cocktails, showcasing the duo’s commitment to building worlds beyond the music.
Following up from the success of their first EP and Comic Book, the new single Kissing Stacey continues the playful legacy of the band, and opens up the new chapter of their glittery musical journey.
“Kissing Stacey was first written in 2022 in Melbourne, about a week out from our EP being released. I had a moment of wondering if I had time to try and add this new exciting song to our already jam packed EP, but ultimately decided it needed its own spotlight”
dreaming soda
The single will be accompanied by a mixed media animated lyric video, a professionally filmed music video, and a social media sketch series leading up to the release. Following this release are two more beloved fan favourite tracks, Martian Boy and Lemmings, planned for release later this year.
Dreaming Soda have performed all over Sydney and Melbourne, opening for Cry Club, Buttercats, Montana Sharp, Yi-Lynn, Kirklandd, Clover Blue, Kitty Rae, Peak Park, Love Me Not, and Skyepaint, playing at Northcote Social Club, Oxford.
A conversation with Ella Sterland from Dreaming Soda below.
Tell me a bit about your journey with starting a band ?
“I have been a performing songwriter for many years; singer-songwriter girl with guitar type, singing emotional ballads about love lost. I love writing, and I wanted to have a platform to challenge my writing skills and have a bit more fun on stage. Dreaming Soda was born from this desire; the songs are playful and clever, and the bass lines are a lot of fun to play to a live audience! My collaborator Renee is a long time friend from college, and all the sick guitar lines are her brain child. It makes a world of difference to share the passion and creativity with another person; two creative brains are better than one! I feel really lucky to have her support on this project. I love being in a band, the energy on stage is absolutely intoxicating, and having people better than you help you with drum parts and guitar parts is just so helpful when it comes to making something the best it can be!”
How did the kickstarter come about?
“I feel so privileged to have such a wonderfully supportive community around me with my music. In the past I have found it really hard to ask for help. I felt like everything had to come from my brain and my wallet, because I didn’t value my art enough to think anyone else would want to help me. The Kickstarter was an idea from a friend of mine, why not just give it a go! It’s no huge loss if it doesn’t succeed, everyone gets their money back, but it’s a chance to let people support what I do. I was blown away by the support of my community, it is honestly the only reason I was able to get Kissing Stacey out in the world at this high standard!”
Have you any advice for people wanting to get into writing music?
“I do! Firstly, I genuinely believe that anyone has the capacity to be creative and make music, and I think everyone should give it a go! Never doubt what you haven’t tried, you might surprise yourself. Secondly, try and write all your ideas down, even the bad ones! If you don’t write your bad ideas down, they will swirl around in your head, getting in the way of your gems. If you write them down, if you get them out of your system, you can look ahead to the next idea without it getting in the way. Thirdly, don’t be afraid to get some help, whether that’s a writing friend, or a helpful article. Something that can help people get started is to take the format of a song they like, and change it around a bit. Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Steal the chord progression! Steal the melody, steal the lyrics, get yourself into the zone, and then change it to suit what you want to say. You will end up replacing almost every element of the original inspiration, and you’ll have something totally your own. Once you get into that rhythm of writing, you will be able to rely more and more on your own ideas as a starting point.
Don’t go into writing with self judgement, be yourself and have fun making something, and the ideas will come to you! It’s a muscle like anything else, the more you flex it, the more it will strengthen.”
NEW SINGLE LINK COMING SOON…
Check out their other tunes here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1uXFipsE5G5rXDPxxmjNK9?si=fVVw82WQTnGzMqP3AmRE_A&nd=1&dlsi=fd16f8cc6f834e76
