The Undercover Dream Lovers are Penning Psychedelic Love Songs for a Melancholy Summer

For the wishful hearts dancing in dive bars and backyards this summer, The Undercover Dream Lovers are laying sweet, sticky melodies over glittery synth-pop songs. LA-based musician Matt Koenig has created an ethereal jukebox sound with his project The Undercover Dream Lovers, using a palette of groovy bass lines and reverb-soaked guitars. Koenig has a bright, curious approach to production and he channels timeless, tranquil, psychedelic pop in his new single “Can’t You Just See,” a love song for the lush and lonely.

While on the road in between shows in Chicago and Detroit, Koenig caught up with Noisey about his new music video for the single. The hazy music video follows the psych-pop star through the motions of a night out, drifting between social moments of euphoria, anxiety and apathy, before he ends up passed out on the dance floor. “I tried to imagine all the moments of a night from the perspective of a fly on the wall”, he told Noisey.

The Undercover Dream Lovers’ music calls on the delightful and disarming elements of early disco and funk to tell stories about the present. With lyrics about human connection and self discovery, The Undercover Dream Lovers music is designed to relieve anxiety and isolation in listeners. (“Tell me the things that you hide/Come on and share it/I know I can bear it/I’m sure we can repair it”). Their songs carry a restorative warmth that is core to funk music, inviting listeners into a more relaxed and explorative state of mind.

Playful vocal runs and heavily syncopated patterns reflect Koenig’s adventurous nature as a songwriter, and each release from The Undercover Dream Lovers unveils new experimentation. “There is a lot of crossover between styles these days because everyone is listening to so many different sounds”, Koenig said. “It’s really cool seeing a lot of bands taking old sounds and techniques and giving them a modern hi-fi finish. It sort of makes it feel like an ‘HD’ version of a classic style.”

There is a transferable light-heartedness that radiates from The Undercover Dream Lovers’ songs, reminiscent of roller rinks and disco balls. Looking to the future, Koenig said he has recorded roughly two albums worth of new music, but he’s enjoying the present moment touring with his band and connecting with fans. The Undercover Dream Lovers are progressing in a natural, magnetic way, and Koenig’s intentions are simple for when he gets back from tour: “I want to see what kind of songs I can make.”

Follow Jaime Silano on Twitter