LOVELORN DOLLS – Deadtime Stories

By starrymag | April 17, 2024

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

Kristell: We do gothic rock & creepy cute sounds!

Bernard: For my part, I would say that our sound is pop music with heavy guitars and synths. We always make sure that the choruses are easy to remember.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

Bernard: Bands like The Birthday Massacre, Lacuna Coil and Theatre of Tragedy are the most obvious influences. But I’m also influenced by more modern metal bands like Spiritbox, Bring Me the Horizon and stuff like that.

Kristell: My influences are extremely diverse. I’m a fan of Billie Eilish, Alice Cooper, The Cure or Tears For Fears. It’s going in all directions!

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “A Heart Cries.”

 

Bernard: This is the first song that was composed for the new album. It all starts with a heavy synth line. It’s also the song that begins the album, after the intro. An excellent opener IMHO.

Kristell: I remember I asked Bernard to compose a melody in the style of the old Theatre of Tragedy. Then, the lyrics are quite hard for me because it talks about a day when I wanted to end my life…I had this very strong desire to take action. I was in total despair, without finding a way out. It was horrible. My heart was literally crying.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

Kristell: There is no magic recipe, I believe. I definitely stopped thinking about others, about listeners, to write the songs. I want us to like it first. If it then speaks to people, so much the better, but it’s not in our hands.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

Kristell: We recently created two videos: one for “Beautiful Chaos” and another to celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Happy Valentine.” In fact, the lyrics of a song often have several reading levels. So, for “Beautiful Chaos,” although the lyrics talk about a chaotic love story, we filmed another level of reading, which is that of the psychiatric asylum, and the chaos that one can have in one’s head.

“Happy Valentine” on the other hand is more faithful to the subject which is that of violence against women. The gun to the head is a pretty clear message.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

Bernard: We always start with music and in the same way. I compose an intro, a verse, a chorus and I submit this minute and a half of music to Kris to see if it inspires her. If so, I develop the piece. Then, Kris tries out a vocal melody and so on the piece builds. A bit like a sculpture: first the general appearance and the details at the end.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

Bernard: It depends. Sometimes 100%. Sometimes we call on an external producer like Max for the last album. It allows us to have a second view of our work and highlight certain elements more than others or sometimes even add certain things. The key is to have confidence in the person to whom we entrust our music.

 

Q) Your fourth album Deadtime Stories comes out in May. What are some themes you’ll be exploring on it?

 

Kristell: The theme is in the album title: stories about death. Death in all its forms: suicide, murder, the end of a love story, life after death, mourning… I wanted to talk about that, to navigate through the same theme and explore it in all its facets.

 

Q) You recently covered Lady Gaga’s song “Blood Mary.” What inspired you to make feature the song and how did you go about making it your own?

 

Kristell: I watched the series “Wednesday” last year and I have always been a fan of this character. Then, there is the passage of the dance where it is not Lady Gaga’s music that is playing, but it is the one that was used to create buzz on TikTok. The other day my daughter was dancing to this song again and I thought it would be fun to do a Lovelorn Dolls version of it. We added guitars, sounds and then I sing like I would sing a Lovelorn Dolls song, without trying to imitate Lady Gaga.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

Kristell: My favorite places to play are at festivals because it allows us to meet lots of other bands, see lots of people. There is always a great atmosphere. What’s also really cool is opening for a band you admire.

 

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

Kristell: As I said before, I really like Billie Eilish. She has a very dark side to her songs and visuals that I relate to and she has a beautiful voice. Moreover, she does not physically try to please, she dresses as she wants: baggy or femme fatale, depending on her mood. She doesn’t care about conventions, and I love that!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Social media is the only way an independent alternative band can connect with their fans. The mainstream media are paid to always show the same artists with huge amounts of money. So, the alternative circuit does what it can to get its head above water.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) I would like to tell you to continue to support us, to like us, to talk to us, to connect with us because it’s really not easy for alternative artists today. A small gesture can make the difference in our day, and even in our progress, or in our career. Thank you.