Little Bark - New York and The Dead

I profiled Little Bark's "Party" from the 2010 album "Hope Is Rubbery" album yesterday. Today we have Sophie Burbery's latest single, "New York and The Dead", a more intense offering with house/disco roots, and a bloodline that goes back to acts such as the Pet Shop Boys and Giorgio Moroder.  The song is another example of Sophie Burbery's strong songwriting abilities, this recording being very well put together with great dynamics, nicely-balanced arrangements...and a healthy dose of drama. I love that chorus with the “Gregorian monks” on backing vocals!  I could easily imagine the song as a Top 40 hit internationally, but for me, what is interesting is that might also be in the hands of another act. Such is the beauty of Sophie's songs, which I think are eminently "saleable" to a range of artists. For example, (and hopefully not treading on too many toes), I can easily imagine someone like Rihanna using "New York and the Dead".  So where did "Little Bark" come from? Sophie Burbery started recording with Conrad Wedde (ex-The Phoenix Foundation) about seven years ago, the result being the very well-received video "I Need A Shot" (at link below). As a result of the search for a pseudonym, the partnership came to be named after their cat, "Little Bark". Sophie has material that fits less easily under the synth-poppy Little Bark moniker, so she presents those songs under the "Sophie Burbery" tag.  She describes these songs as being more "indie" and they do tend to have a darker, more contemplative feel, although synths remain. The "New York and The Dead" single was a collaboration with Stef Animal (Mestar, Golden Awesome) and took over a year to put together. The video, which Wellington writer Martyn Pepperell appropriately pegged as “possessing an inverse scale to the huge disco/house informed synth rock sound”, was directed by Mike Heynes, assisted by (Little Bark guitarist) Menno Huibers. It was shot at Sophie's parents' bach  (NZ term for a vacation home) at Waitarere (near Wellington), with costume supplied by her mother's wedding dress! The new album, being done in collaboration with Stef Animal, is called "USB". Sophie described it as a combination of "Sophie Burbery" and "Little Bark". You will be able to buy it at the Bandcamp link below. In the interim, you can download “New York and The Dead” for free at the link.

http://littlebark.bandcamp.com/

The "I Need A Shot" video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVCvjubacVk

Little Bark - New York and The Dead