Inside all of us are two wolves – one that can light up any room we walk into, and one that prefers to watch from the sidelines as someone else grabs the attention, our pulse quickening and heart racing. In that sense, “Dance Angelina Dance,” the new single and video from Little Billy Lost, acts a bit like a choose your own adventure endeavor. Are you Angelina, or do you prefer to watch?
Both sides are invited to engage in the latter, as the gritty Boston rock and roll dynamo unleashes the official music for “Dance Angelina Dance” on Thursday, September 7, debuting on YouTube at high noon (EST). It arrives three weeks before Little Billy Lost head north to play Geno’s Rock Club in Portland on September 28.
“The song is a simple lyrical celebration of the experience we’ve all had of sitting in a bar, at a wedding reception, or some other gathering place and seeing someone walk into the room who immediately captivates us,” says Little Billy Lost guitarist and vocalist Fred Pineau. “It’s a simple exploration of one’s imagination projecting an image of a relationship forming in realistic and fantastical ways.”
Premiering a colorful and captivating visual for the track – appropriate for the song’s playful voyeurism – continues its sparking summer, as the Code 213 Records release has burned up indie radio charts since it hit the streams a few weeks back, earning significant airplay on SiriusXM’s Underground Garage (in particular Bill Kelly’s Blackhole Bandstand and The Rodney Bingenheimer Show), topping college radio charts (Strike The Box on WMFO), and garnering spins on dozens of stations and shows around the world.
The infectious and magnetic “Dance Angelina Dance” might be the boldest statement yet from a band that boasts a healthy pedigree in Boston and Detroit rock and roll. Its four members – Pineau joined by bassist and vocalist Patrick Moynihan; guitarist and vocalist James Melanson; and drummer Smitt E. Smitty, who produced, directed, and edited the video – trace back to a wealth of respected bands of yesterday, including The Atlantics, Figures on a Beach, Third Rail, Fireking, Pop Gun, and plenty others.
But this latest effort is entirely Little Billy Lost.
“We hope that the listener will be able to relax, close their eyes, and connect with the simple but compelling message of the song that we are all connected by the human condition,” Pineau adds. “All of us have at one time or another found ourselves in the position of the protagonist in the song, and we hope that the listener can pause and for a moment experience that feeling.”
The feeling inside Little Billy Lost headquarters was that “Dance Angelina Dance” was something special from the moment Pineau brought in its core elements during a rehearsal session. Following previous singles like January’s “Wash Your Sins Away” and last year’s “Whiskey Pointe,” the track has an enduring, almost timeless quality to it. It was recorded and mixed at the legendary Galaxy Park in Salem, MA; engineered and mixed by Galaxy Park’s Richard Marr; and produced by Marr and Melanson.
“Fred is the primary songwriter [in the band], and when he came in with the idea pretty much complete and we just knocked the arrangement into shape,” says Moynihan. “It was pretty clear early on that this was gonna be a really great song and even the rough mixes were blowing my mind. While in the studio recording it, James came up with a nice, simple part to kick off the verses which really added to the song. The great part about this band is that every opinion is considered, the egos get left outside the door.”
Adds Melanson: “When Fred brought it into rehearsal, I think the first time we played it, it just kind of fell together for us. We were really excited about it and couldn’t wait to record it. We wanted to record it much sooner but with Covid among us we had to reschedule. We think the wait was worth it. We have not changed it much, if at all, since Fred brought it in.”
That’s in playful contrast to the band itself, which continues to evolve with each new release. And whether they’re watching Angelina or acting the part of Angelina, Little Billy Lost remain dedicated to crafting the music they want to make – no matter where it takes them.
“In Little Billy Lost we are always looking ahead; we never get too comfortable with where we are,” Pineau concludes. “If you are to develop as an artist you need to be in a constant state of flux, always attempting to modify and improve what you do. We approach every song with the work ethic that it should be the finest recording that we will ever do, and every performance as though we are performing in front of a sold out crowd at Wembley Stadium.”
For that show, like all Little Billy Lost shows, Angelina is on the guest list.
Little Billy Lost is:
Fred Pineau: Guitar & Vocals
Smitt E. Smitty: Drums
Patrick Moynihan: Bass & Vocals
James Melanson: Guitar & Vocals
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