When singer-songwriter and producer Vanessa Silberman and musician-actor Ryan Carnes first launched Lovecolor in November of last year – having first gotten together way back in 2019 – they wanted it to be a vehicle for an exploration of moody and euphoric pop music, the kind that leaves you sweating at 3am on the dancefloor while also strumming the lengths of your heartstrings. Separately, they have been making music for years, crafting melodies that cling to your subconscious for days and detailing the devastations and joys of their own lives. Recalling the buoyant dance-pop of M83, the lyrical self-awareness of The 1975, and the smoky vocal caresses of Lana Del Ray, their collective creativities seemed to be a natural fit, showcasing countless shared musical adorations and inspirations.
Prior to forming Lovecolor, Silberman was well-known among numerous DIY musical communities for booking and playing over 800 shows between 2015 and 2020 and for working as an engineer for Tony Visconti, Kimbra, and Jello Biafra — she was also the in-house assistant engineer for the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. She owns and operates A Diamond Heart Production, a label which has released over 60 releases since 2014. Credentials aside, her idea of music as emotional conveyance allows her to effortlessly plug into the rhythms of your heart while spinning stories of love, regret, and the consequences of affection.
Carnes has found success as an actor on tv shows like General Hospital and Desperate Housewives, as well as on films like the Clint Eastwood-directed Sands of Iwo Jima and La Boda De Valentina, the latter of which is one of the top 10 grossing movies in Mexican cinema history. Last year, he stared in the Hulu holiday movie Cupid for Christmas, which was named by People Magazine as one of the best Christmas movies available to stream on the service. But when he met Silberman, his trajectory began to shift, maintaining a focus on acting while also providing an outlet for his musical impulses.
For our first glimpse into the world of Lovecolor, Silberman and Carnes have shared “Dangerous”, a neon-streaked electronic eruption that folds Silberman’s gauzy vocals into waves of stadium-sized synths and Carnes’ malleable percussive thumps. Serpentine guitar riffs ripple and cascade as the song drags us further into its hazy nocturnal atmospheres. It’s a perfect encapsulation of their dancefloor-ready pop machinations, a dense rhythmic blast of labyrinthine melodies and heart-stopping catharsis centered around the consequence of love and how it dismantles the walls we build around our hearts.
“‘Dangerous’ is about a few things,” explains Silberman, “one being attraction and being so completely drawn to someone that it’s almost dangerous, in a way. On the other hand, its message is really about exposing your entire self and being completely fearless and vulnerable, by embracing every aspect of who you are.“
She goes on: “It’s about being free and open with your sensuality — not suppressing any aspect of yourself, your desire or your sexuality. Growing up I think parts of me felt unable to be open and almost sexually suppressed, so I want to empower people (especially women), to fully embrace their whole true selves. I think that’s the most powerful and dangerous thing you can do.”
Carnes adds: “To me, ‘Dangerous’ speaks to the idea of being fully awake, aware, alive and sharp in a world where parts of society and culture wish us to remain dull and asleep.“
The accompanying video was directed by Cosmos Kiindarius and finds the band bathed in hues of florescent pink, purple and blue while performing in a club that wouldn’t feel out of place in Ridley Scott’s 1983 sci-fi opus Blade Runner. It’s very impressionistic, and the narrative leaves room for personal interpretation, providing just enough detail for us to cypher out some byzantine storyline in our heads.
“For our video, we collaborated with film director Cosmos Kiindarius (STAND, BLUSH),” Silberman says. “He was extremely instrumental in making the music come to life visually. We sent him the song, and he came back to us with a pitch that was very reminiscent in tone and in the spirit of the original Blade Runner film, of which we’re both fans. It’s a groundbreaking piece of cinema that has become beloved by so many over the years. We instantly connected with his take, and we thought it fit very well with some of the nascent ideas we had for the piece.”
Watch the video below.
“Dangerous” is officially out tomorrow (pre-save). Follow the band on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Tour Dates:
02.04 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
02.05 – Jersey City, NJ @ PS Wine Bar
02.06 – Portsmouth, NH @ The Press Room
02.07 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East
