“What does it mean to be a child that makes their Barbie dolls kiss each other?”
Following the success of their second Kickstarter campaign, Dreaming Soda are ready to finally release their highly anticipated new single “Kissing Stacey.”
This indie-pop earworm explores the playful tension between Barbie’s perfect plastic capitalism and the doll’s strangely liberating potential for self-expression.
“In 2022 I stumbled across one of the greatest YouTube videos of all time — Overanalyzing the Barbie Movies with Queer Marxist Theory by Alexander Avila. The video is about how Barbie can represent both the peak of consumerism and heteronormative values, yet still be a powerful tool for queer exploration for young people. I’ve re-watched it countless times, and it inspired me to write a tongue-in-cheek pop track that tries to capture this exact energy.”
Written in 2022 and performed across countless shows in Sydney and Melbourne, Kissing Stacey has already become a live crowd favourite. Its recording was brought to life thanks to the recently funded Kickstarter campaign. Produced at Hercules Studios in Sydney and mastered by Becki Whitton, the track is polished to perfection and ready to blast out of your 2004 novelty Bratz lips speaker.
Dreaming Soda cite St. Vincent, Superorganism, CHVRCHES, Phoenix, video game soundtracks, and the awkward joys of youth as their influences. Their debut EP Just Before The Internet launched in 2022 alongside a headline show at Melbourne’s beloved Leadbeater Hotel and a 16-page full-colour comic book — showcasing the duo’s commitment to world-building beyond music.
“Kissing Stacey was first written about a week before our EP release. I wondered if I had time to sneak it in, but it was clear this song needed its own spotlight.”
The single will be accompanied by a mixed-media animated lyric video, a professionally filmed music video, and a social media sketch series leading up to its release. Dreaming Soda also have two more fan-favourite tracks — Martian Boy and Lemmings — slated for later this year.
The band have performed across Sydney and Melbourne, opening for Cry Club, Buttercats, Montana Sharp, Yi-Lynn, Kirklandd, Clover Blue, Kitty Rae, Peak Park, Love Me Not, and Skypaint, with appearances at Northcote Social Club, Oxford Art Factory, The Leadbeater, King Street, and more.
