Music

Track Of The Week: "I Heard I Had" by Dear Rouge

by Chris Budd

It’s Canadian Music Week here in Toronto, so yesterday I took a trip over to the offices of Music Supervision Company Instinct Entertainment, who have been having bands perform acoustic sets in their office all week. Yesterday, Vancouver’s Dear Rouge stopped by to play some songs and get to know the crowd that came to see them play.

The band is led by husband and wife duo Drew and Danielle McTaggart, who between the two of them, have carried years of touring and recording with multiple bands and different musical ventures. Drew and Danielle met in these days of initial musical exploration and found common ground for a passion to create energetic music with a creative backbone.

Their second EP, Kids Wanna Know, helped hone their alternative dance-rock sound and led to the duo winning the Peak Performance Project that year, the largest artist development project in Canada. With a budget to work with, the band got straight to work on their first full-length record, which will be out later this year.

Below is the record’s lead single, “I Heard I Had,” a driving synth-rock jam which has done incredibly well on radio in Canada, steadily climbing the alternative and rock charts to the Top 10. With no label or album backing it, this is a bit of a rarity.

We’re to expect more punchy guitar hooks, uplifting synth layers, and the sweet vocal delivery of Danielle on this upcoming full length. It was produced by Drew and producer/engineer Ryan Worsley, whilst working alongside the input of some of Canada’s top producers; Howard Redekopp (Tegan and Sara, Mother Mother) and Gavin Brown (Metric, Billy Talent).

Take a listen to “I Heard I Had.”