Who is Donna Blue? That secret has not been lifted but the air of mystery suits the musical output of the band. Hailing from the Netherlands, the sound they produce lives somewhere between the French Côte Azur and 60s retro movies. Bart van Dalen and Danique van Kesteren create music that comes a visual counterpart, songs that even make waiting by the red feel like you’re in a cinematic spy-film. From the first release in 2019 on, the band has been following a cohesive style and while the first EP was a more stripped back effort, the latest single release Dark Roses fully embraces the slightly off-kilter, soothingly unsettling David Lynch-vibe of their music.
The musicians also use inspiration from the world of the moving image in their music videos. The latest that they dropped is a 60s reminiscent homage. It accompanies Solitaire, a single sung in French over twangy guitars and reminds of the retro rock that bands like Cari Cari breathe new life into. About the music video the band say:
“For the video, we wanted to dive more into story telling. We envisioned a scene of apparent paradise, much like Godard’s ‘Pierrot Le Fou’, which we found in the mountains and coves of Mallorca. We wore only red, white and blue as an ode to the French lyric, added in a bit of magical realism, and a blue haired mermaid inspired by ‘Rusalochka’.”
Ahead of their upcoming debut album release Dark Roses in May, Donna Blue dropped the title track encompassing all of their lush dreamy quality and gloomy noir-sound in one track. Haunting chants accompany the spoken vocals reciting the story of a lost lover. The steady bassline and Doors-reminiscent organ, provide the backdrop for the single that evolves from a more stripped back effort to a psychedelic hazy dream. Dark Roses tells its story through the vocals and the intricately placed arrangement of the instruments.
“Once upon a time, there was a man
He carried, on his back, dark roses
He was looking, all his life, for his true love
He called her: the girl with the golden crown”
To fully immerse yourself in the Sepia-colored world Donna Blue paint, we updated our Introducing Playlist with the band’s most captivating efforts and other acts that fit the mood.
Every Monday the treasure hunt squad from the NBHAP staff is bringing an exciting new artist to your attention along with a 30-track-strong Introducing Playlist over on Spotify as we add ten strong songs by fresh acts on top of it. Feel invited to follow the playlist and give these talents a good spin.
This week’s picks include brand new music from artists like Cari Cari, Ghost Woman, and Anna Andreu. Come and hit the play button.