Dream Wife Interview From Lollapalooza
Interview by Kayla Molander – Photo by Dennis M. Kelly
Just listening to Dream Wife makes me feel a little bit cooler. They have this artsy, ahead-of-their time vibe that manages to feel fresh and new in an era where everything feels a bit recycled.
Dream Wife hails from the UK, and is made up of vocalist Rakel Mjöll, guitarist Alice Go, bassist Bella Podpadec. Their pop punk jams are filled with youthful exuberance, but also wisdom beyond their years.
Their lyrics address consent, age discrimination, and loving yourself. Their anthem “Somebody” consists of Mjöll emphatically and repeatedly affirming “I am not my body. I am somebody.”
Before that song Mjöll stated, “Gender is a construct. Make your own rules,” before dedicating the song to the badass women in the audience. However, people of all gender and nationalities sang along.
“You should take whatever sort of bracket people are trying to put you under, and it shouldn’t be that way because you are a human being,” Podpadec explains after the show. Whether its men wanting to break out of society’s expectations of their masculinity, or people with disabilities wanting to be seen as whole and complete members of society, or anyone in between, Dream Wife carries a message of progressive values and human rights for everyone.
While these talented young people make catchy music, they realize the responsibility that comes with being public figures. They care deeply about more than just their music and take their new-found platform seriously.
Last month they put out a call for opening acts for their upcoming tour. They decided to ask for bands that had at least one member who identified as either female or non-binary. This was not to put a certain group of people on a pedestal, but to both give back to a community who supported them and to give opportunities to people who may otherwise be overlooked. The response was overwhelming. In one week, they received 433 submissions.
But Dream Wife never set out to be a political band. “We never sat down and discussed what we stand for as a band,” says Mjöll. “We’re just writing what we know. These are the conversations we’re having with each other,” adds Go.
While they may not intentionally have created a message, they did nonetheless. But it’s just who these young women are. They care about the state of the world and about their fans feeling like worthy, beautiful human beings who are good enough for this world. To write about anything else who be to deny themselves, and I’m not sure they are capable of being anything other than who they truly are.
Even in their band name, they challenge impractical societal expectations.
“I think the concept of a Dream Wife is something that no one should be able to live up to. Because it makes the idea of the fifties of having a dream car, a dream house, this kind of American family. It was sort of looking at that and being like why is the dream wife in kind of this collection of objects? How is the human being sort of dehumanized and sort of become the object of a man’s idea of the perfect life? So we play around with that as well. Like, there’s no such thing,” says Mjöll.
One expectation that Dream Wife can easily live up to is delivering feel-good pop punk with a dancey, high-energy performance that is guaranteed to make you feel better about yourself. Keep an eye on their upcoming tour dates. This is one band you don’t want to miss.
Biography: This ain’t your average house party. Dream Wife invite you to jump into the mosh pit. London based musicians Alice, Bella and Icelandic singer Rakel formed at art school in Brighton where the project began as a performance art piece. Dream Wife make music embracing their love for edgy pop. Oozing girl power the music juxtaposes simple pop hooks, cutting riffs and screamy dreamy vocals.
The world of Dream Wife is brought to life with; roaring live shows, an empowering attitude embracing the strength of femininity, and collaborations with vibrant creatives of the London scene.
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Links:
Official: http://dreamwife.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamwifedream/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DreamWifeMusic
Lollapalooza:
Official: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lollapalooza
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lollapalooza
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lollapalooza/