Strawberry Swing step up with their nostalgic new pop-rock single and lyric video Bennie (Won’t Dance) — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Absolutely infectious and masterfully executed, the Australian outfit’s latest release boasts energetic piano licks and drums, each serving as the fuel driving this high-octane production to its penultimate chapter: A super sick guitar solo.
Strawberry Swing co-founders Mark Griffin and Nima Dehghani lay out a bit of their formula for Bennie and their approach to writing music, saying they “usually write around a keyboard — Mark provides the lyrics and Nima comes up with the music on keys, then Mark jumps on the drums and we jam a bit until eventually, we figure out the feel of the song. Later, we then flesh it out with the band.”
Fueled by Mark and Nima’s passions for sounds and genres that tickle that sweet nostalgia bone, they’ve found that their audience is picking up what they are putting down; Strawberry Swing recall the thrill of their live performances, sharing how Bennie was one of those songs “you don’t so much write, but pluck out of the air.”
And after performing live with Cara Walkam (aka Meadowhip) for 18 months, the duo invited her to feature on the single — a no-brainer decision. Her vocal style and timbre are the icing on the cake for this sonic masterpiece.
“We realized later that, really, the song is about us and our audience,” they continue. “It’s become a favourite of our live shows and over time it’s developed into a call and response with the audience. So, when we play it live the audience chants the chorus back at us, and that is just the best validation of the song and what it is about.”
Hailing from Dharawal/Wollongong, Iranian-born Nima and Sydney-bred Mark fuse together influences from Billy Joel and Coldplay (who inspired their name) to The Yeah Yeahs and Gil Scott-Heron. Nima’s groovy keys and Mark’s cheeky lyrics create modern pop played with a old-school vibe. Strawberry Swing’s core mission is to make music exactly the way Mark and Nima want to, telling the stories they want to tell. The duo are also committed to working with and featuring the incredible and diverse musicians around them in their songs. As Mark puts it: “Strawberry Swing is a strange brew of everything Nima and I bring to the table with a heart fueled by pop music and live instruments — the way your mama likes it.”
Watch the lyric video for Bennie (Won’t Dance) above, check out more songs from Strawberry Swing below, and follow them on Facebook.
