Photo by Ste Murray
By Clare Martin
Out of the ashes of Little Green Cars, characterised by that folk-inflected indie sound that was so popular in the mid-2010s, comes Soda Blonde. Faye O’Rourke (lead vocals), Adam O’Regan (guitar), Dylan Lynch (drums), and Donagh Seaver-O’Leary (bass) have grown up since then both personally and sonically, and their debut album Small Talk reflects their coming-of-age.
“To put it simply, Small Talk is about life in our 20s. Every part of us is in here, both subliminally and literally. Lyrically, this record is like a collection of my flaws and insecurities. They’re lingering awkwardly by the bar at a crowded social gathering, waiting to integrate with the wider world,” O’Rourke explains.
The record is due out on July 9th via Velveteen Records, and today the Dublin outfit has released the title track to give us a taste of what to expect. “Small Talk” throbs with ‘80s-esque synths, reminiscent of other retro-inspired acts such as Tennis. O’Rourke’s voice is the real show-stopper here, though, beautifully conveying yearning and evoking the likes of Caroline Polachek. The track itself is about “rejection in its many forms,” O’Rourke explains.
“The song begins by leading the listener to believe it’s about a failed or failing relationship when in fact, it details the self-destructive dialogue inside someone’s own head. ‘Small Talk’ is also used to reference the wearisome and prosaic dialogue we encounter on a daily basis, whether that be actual ‘small talk’ or topics of a more serious nature, there’s no escaping the fact that in today’s western world, we all seem to speak from one or two scripts,” she goes on to say.
“In a broader sense, I am addressing the idea of optical virtue over the reality of how we treat those around us,” O’Rourke continues. “We’re seeing this concept more and more today by the application of social media to achieve fast-food activism.”
We can expect Soda Blonde to cut through any vapid chit-chat on Small Talk, which you can pre-save and pre-order here. O’Rourke uses the album to reckon with her own past heartbreaks and her position as an Irish woman, “with feminism on one shoulder and trans-generational Catholic guilt on the other.”
Listen to “Small Talk” below and check out Soda Blonde’s tour dates here.
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