Things have happened fast for Vancouver based husband and wife duo Dear Rouge aka Danielle and Drew McTaggart.
Their debut CD “Black To Gold” immediately garnered major label interest after wining the Peak Performance Project in 2012.
They begin an extensive tour in Lethbridge with an all ages gig at the Gate, June 9 with local pop band Stars from Streetlights.
The duo come from different musical backgrounds.
“Danielle is from Red Deer and was playing more singer songwriter music while I was in a shoegaze band,” said Drew McTaggart, adding they connected and decided to play music together, starting work on the album back in 2012. Danielle McTaggart’s grandparents live in Lethbridge.
The had previously released two EPs “ Heads Up Watch Out” and “Kids Wanna Know.”
“The great thing is we already had written and recorded the album before we even had a team behind us. We only had a booking agent,” he said.
Universal Records picked up the CD which, since being released March 31, has since spawned four hit singles “I Heard I Had” and “Best Look Lately,” the title track and number one added single at Alternative Rock Radio, “Black To Gold.”
“ We’re very grateful people like it. It does lift us up, ” Drew McTaggart said.
He likes the new synth pop sound of the band.
“ It takes a lot of work to make it sound like it does,” he continued.
While the band co-produced the CD with Howard Redekopp who has produced bands like fellow Vancouverites Mother Mother and Gavin Brown who has produced Hey Ocean, Drew noted they didn’t draw a lot of inspiration for those bands, who typify today‘s synth rock sound coming out of Vancouver.
“ When we started, there was a lot of singer songwriter music coming out of Vancouver, so we were more inspired by Toronto bands,” he said.
Now they have an extensive tour to look forward to.
“ This is the longest tour yet. We’re playing Canadian and American dates,” Danielle McTaggart said.
“We’re going to meet some of the band members in Toronto for the tour,” she said.
They are excited to play a rare all ages gig in Lethbridge.
“We rarely get to play all ages gigs. I love it. We love helping people discover new music,” she said.
“ We love giving people a really fun show,” Drew McTaggart added.
Dear Rouge and local band Stars From Streetlights play an all ages gig at the Gate, June 9. Admission is $15. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the first band begins at 7 p.m. Dear Rouge is on at 8 p.m.
