Up-and-coming duo, Dolores Forever, are stealing the hearts of many music lovers, with their magical melodies and catchy tunes. Having already wowed crowds at the likes of Glastonbury and Leeds Festival last summer, one thing is clear – Dolores Forever have come to stay and they’re only just getting started.
We recently spoke with the enthralling pair about their experiences playing live shows, their authentic songwriting process and what more there is to come for the rising stars.
What is your songwriting process like, and does it vary from track to track?
Our songwriting process generally starts off with one of us having an idea of some kind, like a title, part of a melody, a theme, something, and then we develop that together by bouncing off each other until it turns into a song. Sometimes it goes insanely fast, other times the idea fragments end up in a folder forever until it gets finished, there aren’t really any rules except we have to love it.
Is there a specific space you find yourself in or a timeframe where you write the most?
Whenever we do an intense block of writing, we tend to come out with something we’re very excited about. But honestly, it’s hard to say, other songs have gone through a real journey by the time they’ve come out, and there’s something rewarding about that too.
What’s been the most rewarding thing about writing your own music?
Writing your own music is a very cathartic experience, basically, you pour parts of yourself into a song, you put it out there for people to connect with. It’s alchemy, in a way.
In regards to your songwriting, have there ever been any lyrics that you almost didn’t release because they’ve felt too personal to you?
Our lyrics are very personal, I don’t think that would hold us back from releasing a song. If anything, we’re always digging to find what makes the song even more personal and true to ourselves.
Is there a song that isn’t one of yours that you would say sums the two of you up best?
Maybe Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac is our spirit animal song or Breathless by The Corrs, but the Caroline Polachek version!
This has been an exciting period of growth for you both, with recognition from the likes of BBC Introducing and Radio One – is there a main lesson that you’ve taken away from this quick transition?
Honestly, we’re so grateful for the reaction we’ve gotten so far. Have fun, keep focused on the music, and don’t get too caught up in what everyone else is doing on TikTok.
Do you have any advice you’d give to your younger selves, say to your 16-year-old self?
We wrote our song Baby Teeth about literally this! So, the lyrics to that song, that’s what we’d say to our younger selves!
I saw that you’ve played the likes of Glastonbury and Leeds, which must be an insane feeling to know you’ve achieved this at this stage of your career. What’s your favourite thing about being on stage?
Being on stage is the culmination of everything – writing the songs, recording them, putting them out, travelling, rehearsing, sound check, all that goes into the moments of being onstage, so it’s about really being in those moments and giving it your all. It’s where you get to connect with people, like maybe they’ve connected with the songs personally on their own, but performing is the mutual connection, that’s the magic of it. It’s also bloody nerve-wracking and the highs and lows of it are extreme and intense.
Is there a colour that you think represents that feeling of being on the stage?
Glitter colour?
Also, you recently played your first headline show in London, what was it like?
We played the Omeara, which is such a cool venue, and it was sold out! And right off the back of our tour with Spacey Jane, so we were just having a blast on stage. Looking forward to the next one!
It might be a bit premature to ask, but do you perhaps have any future tour vision of how you’d like your own headline tour to look?
This is a dangerous question to ask us as we’re always making jokes about arena tours and probably end up sounding arrogant when we think we’re being hilarious – but honestly, we think the feeling of festivals is the best, so a dream headline tour would have that feeling. We have a lot of visual ideas we would love to explore on a headline tour too!
Excitingly, you recently released your new song ‘When I Say So’. What’s the meaning behind this one for you?
‘When I Say So’ is about going against expectations, how it’s ok to not want the same things, and it’s also ok to not know what you want.
What was the most prominent thing you learnt about yourself throughout the writing process of it?
Not really sure it’s quite as linear as that, but we love how it ends in a cacophony of defiance!
And leading on from that, is there a message you’d like your fans to take away from their listening experience of this release?
All we can hope for as songwriters is that a song makes you feel something – if that feeling is acceptance, understanding, wanting to dance, or even intense dislike, then we’ve succeeded. Take from it what you want!
This may be a tough question, but would you rather only write music but never perform again or not make new music and just be able to perform/tour?
We both come from a songwriting background, so I think if we had to choose we’d probably choose that, as we really love the process of being in the studio. Also, if we pick only performing, would we be stuck with the same songs forever? That doesn’t sound so fun!
Finally, what’s on your bucket list? Where would you like to be in five years’ time?
Well, we’re working on our debut album, so that’s a big bucket list goal right there. Hopefully, in five years we’ll have a lot of good touring stories, maybe a musical, maybe we’ll be avatars or something!
Written by Issy Todd
GEM Magazine 