The ripple effect of Red on Red Records, and the legacy that Justine Covault left behind before her unexpected passing a little over a year ago, continues to be felt across the New England music scene. Lynda Mandolyn, the Portland, Maine artist known for her work in Tiger Bomb, Crystal Canyon, and others, was part of the label, and today (July 19) releases “Little Dreamer,” the second of two singles originally slated for Red on Red.
The follow-up to April’s “Billet Doux,” Mandolyn’s ethereal “Little Dreamer” is her take on the Some Birthday Girls track of the same name, and thought it was originally released a few years back by the Los Angeles group, the track evokes a lush, daydreaming sound of blissful ’60s retro-pop. It’s a haunting, smoky rendition with its sugar-sweet melodies and love-drunk lyrics intact, and surfaces on the streams today via Manta Ray Fleet, a small record label based out of Mandolyn’s hometown of Detriot.
“I couldn’t get enough of the song when I first heard it,” says Mandolyn. “I demoed it and sent it to my favorite Portland area musicians and asked them to go into the studio with me to record it, it came together magically.”
That collective includes Jessica Smith on drums; Kate Bee on ’60s vibraphone, piano, and tambourine; and Serge Vladimiroff on bass; all joining Mandolyn on guitars and all lead and backing harmony vocals. “Little Dreamer” was recorded at Acadia Recording Company in Portland; engineered by Alice Anderson; mixed by Todd Hutchisen and Mandolyn; and mastered by Pat Keane. Each came together to create a small slice of heaven.
Dive in below.