This year, it’s 10 years ago Drew and Danielle McTaggart formed Dear Rouge. After winning some nice prizes early in their career, they were named Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2016 Juno Awards. Only two years later, the duo received a West Canadian Music Award as Pop Artist of the Year.

Dear Rouge has yet to break out of their home country, and their new single sounds like a great opportunity. Small Talk is a modern pop song with plenty catchy la la la’s in the pre-chorus. It was originally written by American band Shaed, who eventually didn’t use it themselves. The song was passed on to the McTaggarts, who made it a tune of their own. Small Talk asserts how the reality of the world right now has changed our needs. We are all aching for authentic connection and don’t have the time or space for ‘cheap love’.

The band explain: “This song was inspired by the feeling of being at a celebration where everyone around you seems to be having a fantastic, life changing time. Yet, you’re feeling like the last place you would want to be is at that party. It’s a strange sensation because you long for that connection with people who truly ‘see’ you, but often those party type settings can be empty. And the cherry on top of it all is all the small talk. When you’re going through a lot, small talk seems meaningless.”

Small Talk follows Life Goes By And I Can’t Keep Up and Fake Fame. It’s the third single off Dear Rouge’s upcoming album Spirit, to be released on 22 April.

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Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.