Dummy—the Los Angeles-based band of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, Joe Trainor, and Lance Umble—release “N of 1,” the final single/video from their new album, do you love the color of the sky?, out Friday via Polyvinyl. “I liked the idea of taking glacial guitar drones and cutting ‘em up into a new context of the jungle inspired drums,” says Trainor of the new single. “To me, so much of the record is like the remixed versions of pop songs you’ll never hear.”
do you love the color of the sky? is Dummy’s most politically trenchant record, and yet their most inviting. Breakbeats and the captivating voice of keyboardist Emma belie a sleight hand—as the listener becomes enveloped by Dummy’s unshakable grooves, they’ve subconsciously accrued a vision of a new radical politic. Today’s “N of 1,” for example, discusses how we’ve been conditioned into accepting the surveillance state.
Maatman comments, “‘N of 1’ is a plea to both the proprietors and the more complacent subjects of the ever-encroaching surveillance state. Typically our videos aren’t so direct of a visual representation of the meaning of the song, but I had just gotten it into my head that the zooming action on Street View would go perfectly with the meter and energy of the song, and the rest sort of fell into place after that.”
If 2024’s Free Energy (and its subsequent remix album, Bubbelibrium DLC) evoked the spirit of Madchester and the optimism of the rave, then do you love the color of the sky? couches itself in a lyrical skepticism that recalls the best of post-rock and drone—think Seefeel, Windy and Carl, Laika, or Disco Inferno—while playfully adorned in jubilant pop hues of early Björk, The Sundays, and Madonna‘s Ray of Light.
Despite all the allusions to futurism, Dummy are a classic band. Not in the retrofetishist, nostalgia- trapping sense, but in their work ethic and commitment to the music. As Joe recalls of their time since the release of Free Energy, “We toured a lot, around 150 days, and played approximately 113 shows,” with numerous treks around the US and two trips to Europe, “…and on larger stages than ever before,” Alex adds. “Touring has had a huge impact on us and our music.” That is a staggering amount of touring and roadtripping, a feat that can only be achieved if you truly believe in your art and the power of music itself. It stands to reason, then, that their latest release has also completely shucked the idea of being recreated cleanly in the live setting.
“Making music shouldn’t be fun.” It’s a haughty claim, but when Dummy jokingly asserts this, it comes from a sentiment of earnestness and true love for the game. The blood, sweat, and tears of ‘putting in the work’ is what propels do you love the color of the sky? to a triumph—a byproduct of shedding skins through live performance. It’s not a vast departure from their discography, unmistakably them, and yet constitutes a creative leap forward which almost sounds effortless from the group. It’s a treat to witness a band this creatively in-tune with themselves, whose experiments and ideas always hit, who, when they describe a concept, actually stick the landing. Maybe the future of music comes with the type of deep self-actualization Dummy possesses.
Pre-order do you love the color of the sky?
Stream/Watch
“N of 1”
“April Limousine” & “Alluvial Fan”
“Full Spectrum Dominance”
Dummy Tour Dates:
(New Dates in Bold)
Thu. Oct. 15 – Sacramento, CA @ Café Colonial *
Fri. Oct. 16 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project *
Sat. Oct. 17 – Arcata, CA @ Miniplex w/ Dilies
Tue. Oct. 20 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
Thu. Oct. 22 – Vancouver, BC @ The Wise *
Fri. Oct. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
Sat. Oct. 24 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
Mon. Oct. 26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ International Bar *
Tue. Oct. 27 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive *
Wed. Nov. 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ Sid The Cat Ballroom
Thu. Jan. 21 – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
Fri. Jan. 22 – Leeds, UK @ The Attic
Sat. Jan. 23 – Dublin, Ireland @ Bello Bar
Mon. Jan. 25 – Edinburgh, Scotland @ Mash House
Tue. Jan. 26 – Manchester, UK @ YES Pink Room
Wed. Jan. 27 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds
Thu. Jan. 28 – London, UK @ Moth Club
Sat. Jan. 30 – Paris, France @ Le Chinois
Sun. Jan. 31 – Tourcoing, France @ Le Grand Mix
Mon. Feb. 1 – Bruges, Belgium @ Cactus
Wed. Feb. 3 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso Noord Tolhuistuin
Thu. Feb. 4 – Berlin, Germany @ Kantine am Berghain
* = w/ Golomb
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]
