The first full-length, self-titled release from Nashville duo Experimenting With Dawn, out October 31, 2016, proves that there is, indeed, a catchier side of the dark. Multi-instrumentalist Michael Louis and vocalist Gabrielle Fae meld their disparate backgrounds to create a refreshing blend of darkwave and alt rock. Coming off as a steady stream of singles, this is the first full length for the band.

“This was my first time writing all of the music, recording all of the instruments, and singing half of the vocals on any one recording, so taking on that workload was very new to me,” says Louis. While the new tasks were ambitious, Louis is already a seasoned musician, having taken up the drums at age 9 and guitar and bass not long after. His previous musical efforts blended glam and punk rock, showing his love of breaking genre barriers. Fae has always found solace in singing, and recalls hushing her mother whenever she heard her initial influence, Ann Wilson, on the car radio.

On the new album, Louis is finally realizing some long-standing musical dreams of his. “This is a collection of ideas and musical experiments that I have always wanted to do. I’ve wanted to do a ‘dark’ album for several years, but I struggled with the sound of my voice not fitting the music. Obviously, I got over that, but it helps to have a great vocalist like Gabrielle to sing the songs I write.”

It was the bond between Louis and Fae that launched Experimenting With Dawn. Not only were the two married in the past, but their musical collaboration began when Louis wrote “Bring The Moon” as a birthday present for Fae, so she could experience the recording process. “Bring the Moon is about my recovery from an emotionally abusive relationship with an ex-boyfriend. When it was over I felt quite beat down and used up. I withdrew from everyone for a couple of years. It was a hard road of healing after that. This song was the final stretch of that road. I hope it can help someone else going through a similar ordeal,” says Fae.

Elsewhere on the album, heavy themes are spun into catchy numbers with driving beats. “So Close, Too Close,” written about Louis’ longtime stalker, pivots around a bassline that dares you to follow it through the dark. The song has an overall effect of making listeners want to dance to the hairs standing up on the backs of their necks. Later on the album, “Stranger to Me” explores personal change with a new take on new wave. Boropulse.com praised the single, writing that it “features some of the best lyrics of the batch, painting a vivid picture without going too over-dramatic and gothic. That’s matched with melodic guitar riffs and uptempo drums for a solid introduction to the duo.”

Experimenting with Dawn will be available digitally via bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other major music distributors on October 31, 2016. CD’s will be available only through Amazon on Demand. For more information on Experimenting With Dawn, contact experimentingwithdawn@live.com.