“Dark Thoughts About A Pretty Flower” is a soulful and unique track released by The Lovelines on March 3, 2022. The song was written by Todd Goings, the band’s instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. Tessa D, Goings’ sister and the other half of The Lovelines, provided the vocals. It is the band’s first release of the year and the first single off their LP that they will be releasing single-to-single over the course of 2022 and 2023.
I really enjoyed the song’s darker sound and the sharp notes that just worked with the whole vibe of the song. “Dark Thoughts About A Pretty Flower” is a song that has no “set” meaning. It’s a song open to interpretation and just catchy – I feel like it could make an interesting theme song for an urban fantasy series about vampires or something. It is really quite well produced.
Tessa D’s amazing vocals – that soulful and earthy sound – are what really make this song spectacular. It’s important to note that the band is a modern day jazz inspiration and I think “Dark Thoughts About A Pretty Flower” really hits that mark. It’s soulful like jazz should be, and has the right repetition and really grabs all the right notes.
Be on the lookout for more from this brother-sister duo as great things are coming still. You can keep up with The Lovelines by following their socials linked below. “Dark Thoughts About A Pretty Flower” is streaming now on Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music.
Q&A with The Lovelines
Q: We really like “Dark Thoughts About a Pretty Flower” and have to ask – what inspired it?
THE LOVELINES: Thank you!
The phrase Dark Thoughts About A Pretty Flower popped into my head. It was a random collection of words… from the ether (haha). It’s a strange form of magic, I think. Like all of our songs, a phrase will pop into my head and then it’s my job to write verses that justify singing that phrase. I like songs that are free to interpret. So, is it a song about love or is it a song about a literal flower? Is it a song about pessimism, or is it a song about perversion? There’s an art to not saying too much, I think.
Q: Can you walk us through your typical creative process?
THE LOVELINES: Since our debut sounded like a lounge band covering a jazz standard, and The Lovelines sounded like the name of the lounge act that would perform it, I imagine I’m writing for that fictional lounge band called The Lovelines with my sister acting as the Chanteuse. It’s a good writing tool. The idea of writing for a fictional band, like The Spiders from Mars or The Lonely Hearts Club Band is a a good songwriting project for me.
Q: Are there any artists you take inspiration from?
THE LOVELINES: Well, with Strange Kind of Love jazz standards were the inspiration. Since Strange Kind Of Love is the sound we’ll be following it’s important to note it’s origin, I guess. I like to listen to my local jazz radio station WUCF 89.9. On jazz radio, you hear bands performing rendition after rendition of what’s known as ‘standards.’ Classic compositions that bands cover, you know. I wanted to write a song that sounded like an old-fashioned jazz ‘standard’ my sister and I were covering. It’s not a cover, but it’s written with the intention of sounding like a cover. There’s no single artist to attribute influence from. It’s our faux jazz standard (haha). Our faux lounge act debut.
Q: You’re siblings, so we know how you met. But how did the band form?
THE LOVELINES: I wrote Strange Kind Of Love and was in need of a vocalist to sing the words. I was in an old fashioned rock and roll group and liked writing for/performing with a live outfit but didn’t like the role of the singer. My sister got that low, soulful voice, you know? I would’ve been a fool not to have had her sing it.
Q: If you could take any single album with you, what would it be and why?
THE LOVELINES: Getz/Gilberto. Antônio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, and Stan Getz are the kings of music, to me. I’m a hopeless romantic, what can I do?
Q: Do you have any parting words for your fans?
THE LOVELINES: Thank you for the support. We have a strange kind of love for you. P.S. We have a full The Lovelines LP written and recorded. We plan on releasing it single-to-single over the course of 2022-2023!
Reviewed & Interviewed by Dana L. Sullivan
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