New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Dream-gaze syndicate Soft Science have announced a new double A-side single 'Undone / I Don't Know Why I Love You', to be released via Test Pattern Records. This includes 'Undone', the first single off their forthcoming third album 'Maps', and a blissful sanguine cover of the classic House of Love track 'I Don't Know Why I Love You'. This single finds the band flirting in grand waters between My Bloody
Valentine on 'Undone' and The Primitives on 'I Don't Know Why I Love You', offering the listener a distinctive mix of sweetness and fury.
'Undone' is essentially about loving someone through good times and bad. It is about accepting that although there will always be hard times in life, it makes things easier to go through tough days with people you love. For me, those times make me love them more. That unwavering love can be like a light," explains Soft Science vocalist Katie Haley.
The B-side was originally recorded for the House of Love tribute compilation 'Soft as Fire in The House of Love', in limited released via The Blog Celebrates Itself Records, the track has been remastered and, for the first time, is available in wider digital distribution.
Hailing from America's farm-to-fork Capital in Northern California's lush Sacramento Valley, Soft Science fuse melody, sound, and texture of 60s pop and 90s shoegaze like molecular gastronomists blend physics and chemistry to transform food. Together this 5-piece band have managed to create their own sweet blend of modern pop music with a sonic edge.
The band's members share a love of such bands ranging from the
Zombies and
Beach Boys to Lush, Teenage Fanclub, Ride, Pale Saints, New Order, and Jesus and Mary Chain, along with newer artists such as
Beach House and Frankie Rose. Such eclectic artists have influenced their music.
Soft Science rose from the ashes of the unfortunate break-up of indie pop band California Oranges just prior to the 2008 release of their last album. Soft Science was a natural transition for Katie Haley (Holiday Flyer) and twin brothers Ross and Matt Levine, who had essentially contributed to each other's music projects off and on for more than a decade, including collaboration via California Oranges. The trio began articulating Soft Science's direction with Katie Haley on vocals, Matt Levine on guitar, and Ross Levine on drums and back vocals. They were soon joined by bass player
Mason DeMusey in creating their unique form of dream pop music, inspired by 90s shoegaze and 60s brit pop.
In mid-2011, Soft Science released their debut album 'High and Lows' via Test Pattern Records, with Pop Matters noting that the band "has the potential to become one of the great Left Coast power pop bands." In 2013, the band released their 'Detour' LP on the same label and Tony Cale (English Singles) joined the band to solidify their sound. 'Detour' received notable critical reviews and was ranked #2 among Jack Rabid's Top 40 in issue 74 of The Big Takeover Magazine.
Soft Science supported the album with several shows throughout California, opening for such bands as Literature and Dead Leaf Echo. In early 2015, they made a special trip to New York to perform at The Big Takeover's 35th Anniversary Show. At the end of that year, Test Pattern Records released a split 7" with The Luxembourg Signal, featuring Soft Science's well-received track 'Breaking'.
In 2016, the band played the NYC Popfest and had the honor of opening for The Chills at WFMU, one of only two U.S. shows The Chills played during their 2016 tour.
"Swirling delights with sugary, delectable vocals... brilliant energy with shimmering guitars, perfectly executed bass and percussion, bendy synths, and Katie Haley delivering some of my fave dreampop vocals in recent memory" - Somewherecold
"Alan McGee and Ivo Watts-Russell would've signed this band in a heartbeat, hearing the celestial guitars and booming rhythm section let alone Haley's seductive, salubrious singing. Nothing soft about this sciencel" - Big Takeover Magazine
"Pretty unique, Soft Science infuses a pop sensibility to a shoegaze soul, with the sweet vocals of Katie Haley riding high among the waves of shimmering guitars, and propels the immediate catchiness of power pop vibes to dream pop territory with the inviting textures and sonic lushness. Engaging and rich, knock-out record!" - Bloodbuzzed
"More deeply invested, more honest in their approach to find something new. There's something here for older fans of a bygone era and new listeners unfamiliar with that time particular little sub-genre of Brit-inflected dream pop" - chicagoist
"I think what works with these songs is that each one sounds like they are ready-made hits... a very catchy sound that people wouldn't get weary of" - Top40-charts.com
On this new double A-side single, as well as their their forthcoming 'Maps' album, Soft Science received a helping hand from longtime friend and engineer Eric Stenmen (AWOLNATION, Tokyo
Police Club) with mastering at Malibu's
Black Bear 11 Studio and mixing of 'I Don't Know Why I Love You' at Redbull Studios in Los Angeles.
'Undone / I Don't Know Why I Love You' will be released on April 6 across the standard online stores and streaming platforms, but it already available for pre-order via the band's own Bandcamp.
'Undone' written by Soft Science | Recorded at Prairie Sun in Cotati, California
Engineed by Matt Wright | Additional engineering and mixing by Tony Cale
Produced by Ross Levine and Tony Cale | Mastered by Eric Stenman at
Black Bear 11 - Malibu, California
'I Don't Know Why I Love You' written by Guy Chadwick
Recorded and engineered by Tony Cale in Sacramento | Electronics by Hans Muns
Produced by Soft Science | Mixed by Eric Stenman at Red Bull Studios - Los Angeles, California
Mastered by Eric Stenman at
Black Bear 11 - Malibu, California
