Dear Rouge

While bands often spend their early days discovering their musical directions and vying for visibility, the story of Vancouvers Dear Rouge is something unique and almost unheard of in Canada. The band is led by husband and wife duo Drew and Danielle McTaggart. Between the two of them, they boast years of touring and recording with multiple bands and different musical ventures. It was these days of young exploration that led them to meeting. Both driven by a passion to create energetic music with a creative backbone, they created Dear Rouge and their debut EP Heads Up Watch Out.

Their follow up EP Kids Wanna Know helped hone their alternative dance-rock sound and also led to the duo winning the Peak Performance Project in 2012, the largest artist development project in Canada. Bolstered by their success and now financially equipped to delve further into their music, Dear Rouge got straight to work on their first full-length record. The records lead single I Heard I Had is a driving synth-rock jam, which shocked the entire Canadian music industry by steadily climbing the alternative and rock charts to the Top 10 - with no label or album backing it; a rare feat, especially for a band that had no previous charting history.

Dear Rouges debut album is complete and is scheduled for an early 2014 release. First listens of the album showcase punchy guitar hooks, uplifting synth layers, and the sincerely powerful vocal delivery of Danielle. Drew and Ryan Worsley (Echoplant Sound) produced the majority of the album, providing a steadfast vision for their sound whilst working alongside the input of some of Canadas top producers; Howard Redekopp (Tegan and Sara, Mother Mother) and Gavin Brown (Metric, Hey Ocean!). The team helped develop what has become Dear Rouges instantly recognizable mature sound.

 It feels as if Dear Rouge has been in existence for quite some time; a thought that was stirring in the mind of this duo since before they met or first started playing music. Now that this idea has been realized, it will soon be in your head too.