Musicians, singer-songwriters, and husband and wife Rachael and Luke Price are bringing back the feel-good vibes of classic Americana. On Love, DEAN’s self-titled debut, they’ve handcrafted a musical mosaic from vintage soul, Motown, old-time music, gospel, folk, and neo-soul. The self-titled album is themed around love and community, and coming of age milestones. It’s vibrant, personal, and it’s for everyone.
“This album is a love letter from us to anyone who listens. We’re hoping the listener feels let into our lives; that they can see value in music; value in people; and that they feel inspired to grow in their own lives and relationships. We leave space for grief, hardship and honesty but our target is encouragement and positivity in the midst of struggles,” Rachael says.
Rachael and Luke first met as Berklee College of Music students on the very first day of school. Rachael’s artistic perspective encompasses soul, gospel, and Americana. Luke is an accomplished fiddler steeped in old-time music, bluegrass, swing, and honky-tonk. From these varied backgrounds, the twosome nurtured a soul-pop aesthetic. “We want to connect with people, but we also like to keep things musically interesting. For example, there may be a section in 7, or a strange horn line or a complex drum fill or passage, but we never like these touches to take away from the song” Luke says. “We strive for something that feels familiar but has unexpected twists.”
The band began simply as DEAN! while Luke and Rachael were in college. They felt keen on the trusty and traditional overtones of the name. The couple also each had a beloved family member named Dean, and when they rebooted the project in Portland, Oregon, they modified the handle to Love, DEAN. A perfect addition that showcases the warmth within the group.
Love, DEAN is part of a creative community of musicians who drift in and out of each other’s projects and also come together to teach at music camps. “Our music comes from our experience and from the influence of our musical community which stretches across the country, from Boston, New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Portland,” Rachael says.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the group’s warmly inviting single, “Put A Record On,” and its accompanying video. Groovy and soulful, the song captures the musical dynamic between the couple as Rachael lays down slow-burn vocals and Luke complements them with his classic R&B-style guitar. Dreamy organ playing, trippy atmospherics, subtle but moving background harmonies, and lush strings bring it all together to make for a piece of music that oozes sentiment and emotional power. Lyrically, the song is an ode to the way music can wash over you and provide an escape from the onslaught of day-to-day living and darkness of the world. In a stroke of meta, the song itself is exactly the kind of music you would want to throw on the record player and listen to while sipping a whiskey or perhaps cuddling with your significant other.
Rachael Price describes the inspiration behind the song and the process behind the video:
“Crafting this song took time. And we really love where it landed. For a while it was purely about escaping the busyness with analogue music. The calm it brings to physically hold music in your hands and drop the needle. I was working full time for a corporation and coming home totally burnt out. The initial draft came to me I think from that place. But over time editing and crafting with Luke and our producer we moved to a place of community and zoomed in on how it feels being with people you love at the end of the day, experiencing music together face to face, in real time. When I listen to this song and hear all of the real instruments and think about the people and the records I love, it moves me. I hope it will move others to value quality music and spend intentional time with the people they care about.” The instrumentation reflects that sentiment, with contributions from so many amazing musicians- it melds into this beautiful sauce… something greater than the sum of its parts.
This video concept came up in the brainstorming process with a director we were about to work with. We loved the idea of the record coming to life when we put a record on. It’s all about the immeasurable value music adds to our lives. We decided to call this life size friend “Frecord”. It is doing things for us behind the scenes, making things better, creating ambiance and being the heartbeat of the party. Frecord is a magical friend you need in your life! We filmed it at a friend’s house in Portland, OR and decided to use a record console Luke made as the visual centerpiece for the video. We finished the record costume very late the night before the video shoot. That was a nail biter! We’re really thankful for everyone who helped us make it happen!”
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