It takes skilled musicians and writers to make music that feels like it encompasses the broad spectrum of the human experience. Part of that involves homework; listening and incorporating sounds from eras past to create a soundtrack for the future. On their newest single, “Pure Love,” LOVECOLOR have taken inspiration from the past fifty years of music and made a perfectly haunting pop song.

Vanessa Silberman and Ryan Carnes are no lightweights in the entertainment world. Silberman is a talented engineer, working with producers like Tony Visconti and Kimbra. Working as the in-house assistant engineer for Studio 606 (home of the Foo Fighters), Silberman has a toolbox full of tricks that are audible in LOVECOLOR’s music. Carnes is an actor and musician who has appeared in Desperate Housewives and Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima. These two heavy-hitters joined forces in 2019, and officially launched LOVECOLOR in late 2022.

From the first few moments of “Pure Love, it’s clear that LOVECOLOR knows how to write synth-driven pop music. Catchy melodies and thick, swirling pads bring the flora and fauna of the 80s back into focus. With each listen, though, it’s clear that LOVECOLOR is painting with a wide palette. Elements of post-punk and shoegaze work their way into the mix. Silberman’s vocal delivery is urgent as she asks “Can you feel? Can you see? Can you touch my pure love?” One moment, the song sounds like the title theme to an 80s blockbuster. In the chorus, Silberman and Carnes sound as if they’re trying to recreate a long-lost session where The Cocteau Twins and Joy Division teamed up for a single. But connecting all these disparate musical moments is a clear creative vision from these two talented individuals.

“Pure Love” is the result of three years of hard work and collaboration between Silberman and Carnes. Their dedication to writing, performance and production has yielded an incredible dark-pop single that will fit perfectly into your summer soundtrack. LOVECOLOR will be playing a number of East Coast dates this June. You won’t want to miss hearing this song and the rest of this duo’s repertoire live.

SOURCE: Official Bio

Vanessa and Ryan, may you tell us how you met and how that led to you both forming LOVECOLOR?

We were originally introduced as artist and producer by a mutual friend at an entertainment industry holiday party in 2015. Ryan was looking for a producer to work with to help him take some of his beats and song ideas and bring them to life. Our mutual friend knew that and because she knew Vanessa as not only an artist, but also a producer, she introduced us. We didn’t end up working together in that capacity at that time, but we remained friends and Ryan started sitting in on sets here and there when Vanessa would tour through LA.

Vanessa: Then, in 2019, I hit up Ryan last-minute to play an LA show that was the next to last stop on my tour. We played a full set together at the Satellite in LA (RIP) with no rehearsal. It went so well that we decided to start playing together full time.

Ryan: Between 2020 and 2022, we started exploring some new sounds together. Vanessa started writing some material that was a departure from what she had previously put out. I was really digging the demos she was sending me and was excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work. We were having a great time working in this new direction and decided to keep going and see where it took us.

Vanessa: From time to time, we talked about someday forming a side project that would be “our” project. In November of 2022, the idea of that someday-side-project crystallized into our main project, LOVECOLOR. It just made sense and felt like the right time to embark on a new musical chapter.

Do you both find that there’s any crossover between music and acting – the craft, work ethic, etc.?

Vanessa: As a performer, whether it’s tracking vocals or performing live, I’m always pulling from different emotions and finding the connection between myself and the music, so that the listener can also feel that. I would definitely say that it’s much like acting, in that it’s pulling from, and connecting with, authentic, personal emotions.

Ryan: I definitely think there’s a high degree of crossover between music and acting. I think that’s evidenced in the fact that there are so many performers who do (or can do) both well. Performing in both mediums, if done with great commitment, requires a high degree of vulnerability and honesty. From my point of view, the goal of both is to tell as much truth as possible, as it relates to a particular experience or set of experiences and human emotions. The hope is that the listener or viewer will be able to connect on a deep level to what’s being shared and have their own experience that’s both connected to the shared human condition, as well as their own uniquely personal emotional ecosystem.

As far as work ethic goes, they both take a tremendous amount of dedication — and a stubborn refusal to let rejection or disappoint devolve into doubt and cynicism, or lead to just completely saying “fuck it” and quitting. At the same time, I’m grateful to get to do things that don’t really feel like what I imagined as a child “work” would feel like. When work is play and play is work, that’s a pretty great situation. I love what I do, so I’m happy to log long hours and navigate the inconsistencies that sometimes come with the territory.

With your new single “Pure Love”, what inspired you to take something like heavy 90s-inspired drop D alternative tuned guitar sounds and translate it to dark new wave alternative synth-driven samples?

We wanted to try to experiment with a number of different inspirations and influences and make a big fat sonic sandwich out of it. We both love rock, as well as pop and darker dance synth-driven music, like M83 and Depeche Mode. ‘Pure Love’ is our homage to all of those different sounds.

What do you want listeners to take away from “Pure Love”?

Joie de vivre

What are LOVECOLOR’s plans for the rest of 2023?

We plan to continue releasing singles for the rest of the year, as well as get back out on the road for more shows.

LINKS:
https://lovecolorband.com
https://instagram.com/lovecolorband
https://youtube.com/@lovecolorband
https://facebook.com/lovecolorband