Fairground from Fairground by deary

‘Fairground’ is the debut single by deary.

It’s an instant classic; an ethereal lullaby atop a languid breakbeat, which began as an attempt to replicate My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Soon’ but ended up somewhere in between Portishead, ‘Felt Mountain’-era Goldfrapp and early Saint Etienne.

Much like a fairground ride, the track has a simultaneously soothing and disorientating feel as it spins around in circles, but it is actually about the sensory overload of life in London, starting out as a letter to a loved one from singer and guitarist Dottie.

“As a kid, I found fairgrounds incredibly overwhelming, an entanglement of anxiety and perplexity,” she explains. “This is how London feels to me now. The excitement of the lights and the noise can sometimes leave you pondering the meaning of it all.

“I am constantly astounded by the vibrancy, community and creativity that surrounds me every day. At the same time, the corruption in our society is inescapable. The letter now is a reminder to be cautious of going too fast and missing the important things.

Dottie came together with multi-instrumentalist bandmate Ben during lockdown in early 2021 and they bonded over a mutual love of Elizabeth Fraser, among other things.

“We started off by sharing ideas and influences over WhatsApp,” explains Ben. “That led to us writing together and we eventually met up a few months later. We have been working ever since, building up a beautiful friendship in the process.”

As anyone who saw them play at last year’s Sonic Cathedral 18th birthday party at The Social in London will attest, the work has already paid off. Incredibly, that was only deary’s second ever live show, and ‘Fairground’ – which was produced by the band and deftly mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott – is just the start of the ride.

dreampop from london

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