An atmosphere of stealth sounds gets "Life is a Gamble" underway was you press play on Dreadward Bernays latest track. The synthesized vocals give a celestial air to the song as the funky bass grooves the track along, and the variety of sounds produced by multiple stylings of the guitar is a buzzing array of acoustics. Dreadward Bernays' uses its music as a creative outlet to experiment with different sounds providing an eclectic mixture of electronic and analog instruments.
"Life is a Gamble" is a carefree, smooth listening experience that unfolds the now-classic story of 2020 lockdown. The lyrics give an honest and "Ground Hog" day account of the lives we are all currently living. Lyrics such as; "Wake up again and its 2 pm, there's nothing to do, we're vegging again", and "grocery store, six feet maintain" are sentiments we can all relate to. Dreadward Bernay's eclectic style is on full display on "Life is a Gamble." From the twang tinged guitar, synthesized vocals, and electro house beats, the group creates a diverse soundscape that works together to form a cohesive blend of sound. We vibed along with "Life is a Gamble," and we think you will too.
Discover "Life is a Gamble" here.
Hello Dreadward Bernay and welcome to BuzzMusic. We loved your groovy and uncanny take on COVID 19, can you explain how you wanted the song to resonate with listeners?
Thank you. I wanted to express my feelings of isolation, monotony and general confusion. When I wrote the song, it was just over 40 days into quarantining, and I felt like time had become amorphous. The absence of goals and a routine started getting to me, and I wanted to exorcise those demons constructively. "Life is a Gamble" incorporates so many familiar sounds from various genres. What is the largest factor that influences your sound?
As a fan of music, I’ve finally reached a place where I no longer have a musical hierarchy. I started making Hip-Hop very early, played in the Jazz and marching bands in middle and high school, went deep into anarcho/street punk, swapped that for glam and classic/ psych-rock. During my teenage years and early twenties, I had a dogmatic approach to whichever genre I favoured. Only placing Jazz above all other music because my earliest musical memories were going to my late grandfather, Preston Love’s (woodwind player) gigs. But, today I can appreciate every genre and era of music, and I try to throw nods to disparate influences into each song. As you are new to BuzzMusic can tell us a bit about your history as a band and how long you've been creating music together?
The name of this project was lifted from the infamous father of Public Relations, Edward Bernays. I read some of his handy work, and got some context on his influence on our modern world and thought it would be a fun experiment to try and incorporate his tactics into music. But, to use his Propaganda tactics positively. My sister, a PR major, had to read about him in college and she liked the idea. So, I got to work creating this alter-ego. Blending sounds we all have enjoyed separately into one. Using these familiar sounds to unite listeners around common experiences. What has your creative experience been throughout social lockdown? You were certainly able to capture the mood that goes along with COVID 19 isolation, has this experience changed any other aspects of your creative process?
This isolation has forced my hand at being a solo artist. I played in bands before, and even though I’d tend to write the songs, they were geared towards the live show. Quarantining forced me to make the best of my individual talents. Writing, recording, mixing, and even editing the music video for Life is a Gamble. I had Olaf Selland play pedal steel on the song remotely, and my wife Ayako was the subject of the video. Resourcefulness is the key to being creative right now.
What can fans anticipate next from you, Dreadward Bernays?
I want this project to be fresh and exciting. There are two songs in the works now. They’re both similar and vastly different from Life is a Gamble. I want to keep using familiar sounds as a palette to break new ground.