Dirty White Shoes creates a dreamy pop scene on their new single, "Pretty Face and Tattoos." The ambient tone will have you relaxing and vibing, and the pulsating beat will get your head grooving along. Coming to us from Portland, OR, Dirty White Shoes is taking on the world of pop music. Led by lead singer Angel Ascencio, Angels has been creating and playing music ever since he can remember. "Pretty Face and Tattoos" takes us down a tale of deceit and deception, reminding us to never judge a book by its cover, no matter how "pretty" it looks.
Angel's harmonic voice sings about a relationship broken by the disbelief in another. The heartbreaking lyrics tell the story of how one person's actions destroyed their partner. Lyrics like "Pretty face and tattoos helped you get by," "I think it's pathetic how I gave you my time, I kind of regret it but I'm going to be just fine," "Pretty face and tattoos helped you get by," and "Clearly you can't visualize how you f*cked up my life," clearly depict the destruction this person unleashed on their victim. The cohesive blend of instrumentals in the background of "Pretty Face and Tattoos" create a wall of sound that encircles Angel's voice in a worldwide of harmonies. Dirty White Shoes' ability to deliver stirring subject matter while setting their lyrics to hip and vibing soundscapes make "Pretty Face and Tattoos" a track you do not want to miss.
Discover "Pretty Face and Tattoos" here.
Hello Dirty White Shoes and welcome to BuzzMusic. We loved your latest release "Pretty Face and Tattoos." The song speaks about someone that has been cut deep by another. What message did you want to convey on this track?
So often we put off our own happiness to satisfy and fulfill our significant other even when they try to fix us, so we portray an image that makes them happy. It becomes exhausting, especially when you get nothing in return. I really wanted to convey a message of confidence. That you aren’t stuck. That you can let go even if it hurts, or even if you’ve been hurt. There’s so much more for you than just to settle for something that strips you of your happiness.
Dirty White Shoes has a plethora of sounds going on in the background that creates a wall of pop sounds that encompasses the listener. Can you tell us a bit about your creative process and how an idea for a project comes about?
It depends, but on this song, I started with the lyric, “pretty face and tattoos”. It was a phrase that came to mind as I was looking back on my relationship. The song was easy to build off of that. Once I’ve structured the lyrics, and I’ve established a chord progression on the piano, the rest just happens and it’s hard to explain it. If I could, I would explain it as, “ear candy”. I love adding small details in my music that connects the listener to the song.
"Pretty Face and Tattoos" touches on emotional and personal sentiments. We think everyone has been in a position of rejection and feeling as though others are not accepting of their true self. Do you always tend to write from a place of vulnerability?
I couldn’t say it better, but I’d rather be rejected than be a project for someone else.
To be honest, not all of the time. This song was hard to write because I had to really be honest with myself, and truly express what I felt during the relationship. Vulnerability is hard especially when everyone has access to your feelings and emotions through your music. I know people can relate, and that’s why I had the courage to write it and put it out there.
Is there any particular genre of music you believe influences Dirty White Shoes sound the most?
As a whole, I would say Indie or Alternative pop has a major influence on our sound. For this particular song, I would call it emo-pop, with a little R&B lol. I grew up listening to a lot of hardcore bands, but as I got older, my heart was more drawn to Indie pop music. Even though I’ve changed my genre, I still like to use inspiration from the hardcore bands I used to listen to. That genre will always have my heart.