GET TO KNOWBOH DORAN

As we’re moving from a long, hot summer into an already chilly autumn, we welcome Boh Doran’s new single, ‘Hurricane Eyes’, as the soundtrack to the new season. Think Mazzy Star plus an ethereal electronic touch, a 90s nostalgia fuelled expression of the darker emotions that a lot of us experience as the days get shorter and the sky greys with storm. The new single is a powerful expression of intense feeling, but keeps her signature indie spirit of her previous music alive, serving a perfect balance of the newly departed warm days and approaching winter.

Now producing out of her own LA studio, Boh’s track record is glittering with success. She found her musical feet playing in bands in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and since making her solo venture her previous singles have landed on Spotify’s New Music Friday, Created By Women and Fresh Finds playlists, as well as her recent feature on the  “Hello Goodbye” Beatles cover spot for MERCARI (2021 Super Bowl). She has even worked as a backup singer for popstar royalty Dua Lipa on TV appearances and performances, all the while working on her solo career on the side. A tough act to follow, but of course ‘Hurricane Eyes’ does not disappoint. Its sheer vulnerability and the raw emotion of its lyrics give a fresh take on her style, where she guides us through the rollercoaster of the anger that we are told to suppress. She accepts her own darker emotions, her own inner storm as beautiful chaos, and encourages us to do the same.

We heard from Boh about the truth behind the lyrics, where the track will lead her next and how it feels to be in the midst of a blossoming solo career…

Congratulations on your new single ‘Hurricane Eyes’! Tell me about the making of this song.

Thank you! I wrote this song about two years ago, around when summer was moving into autumn. It’s a seasonal transition we go through every year that can also sometimes be accompanied by a wave of darkness emotionally speaking…. The onset of the dark season has started to feel so familiar as I get older, as opposed to when I was a teenager for example. I made a demo with a drum machine, acoustic guitar, some sparkly synths and the lyric/melody. Production wise I wanted the song to feel a little creepy, cryptic and ethereal. Kind of like Mazzy Star + synths.

What does the track mean to you?

Well it’s about the feeling you have when you know a storm is coming. A force of nature that can’t be controlled, except the storm is inside of you. I think most people can relate to this. Our culture accepts and supports so many heavy emotional experiences these days – sadness, anxiety, depression are all tolerated. But anger and stormy behavior is still typically seen as a lack of self control. People who emotionally abuse themselves with anger need just as much compassion as those that suffer from depression and anxiety. All these things are related to worth issues. Also – there are healthy expressions of anger – which are simply about boundary setting for oneself and others.

Where do you feel this song will lead you to next, musically or personally?

Well on a higher level I think it helps me heal as a person. That is the whole point of writing and releasing anyway, to help yourself and others. I hope to continue to explore vulnerability in an authentic way… I say authentic because I feel like vulnerability has become a fad. A way to attract more followers and engagement. I’m a child of the 90s and I think some things are meant to be personal and intimate. Only I get to choose what vulnerable pieces of my journey I am ready and willing to share.