Southern California-based duo Dream, Ivory have shared their new album About A Boy (Naked), featuring new acoustic arrangements of their debut, 2022’s About A Boy. The project of Filipino brothers Christian and Louie Baello, Dream, Ivory reject convention with a cool confidence, unafraid to push beyond the unpretentious, heartbreak dream pop that has made them one of the internet’s most beloved new bands. On the stripped down version, the two explain –

“When making the naked version of About A Boy, our goal was to experiment with sadder, more emotional chord progressions as well as have listeners focus more on the lyrical content. We feel this stripped down version of the album allows us to do this. The experience of making a more acoustic driven album is interesting because it really allows you to see songs from another perspective and mood. We are lyrically present with this album; by stripping down the instrumentals and varying the chord progressions, we hope to invoke different types of feelings with familiar songs. Similar to our older style, this acoustic rendition of About A Boy is something that is a much needed juxtaposition from the original recorded version.”

In addition to the new album Dream,Ivory will embark on a headline tour kicking off on March 8th in Los Angeles and ending in New York after performing at SXSW. Tickets available here.

About A Boy, Dream, Ivory’s debut full-length album, was recorded largely over FaceTime, Discord, and email — Christian moved to Los Angeles; Louie remains in their suburban hometown of Lake Elsinore — indicative of how they would always work: separate and together, Louie writing a bassline while Christian worked on separate beats — “pretty unconventional,” Louie explains, especially for a family duo. The version you hear is the third iteration of the album; still self-produced by the Baellos at Christian’s house, elevated with mixing by Henry Stoehr of Slow Pulp.

“It’s a self-reflective album. It’s about us — about a boy — [based on] whoever is singing,” Christian says, revealing that he also sings on the LP, and for the first time in Dream, Ivory’s history. “Our old songs were about [a] broken heart. This is very vulnerable — straight up, it’s about us.” There’s a second meaning, too. NUMBER (N)INE, the now-shuttered Japanese fashion house, had a grunge-y Americana collection in 2007 titled “About A Boy.” “The look of that season is the way the album sounds,” he says. The candor is evident: not only are both brothers singing songs about “self-hate” and “self-love,” as Christian describes it, they’re both heard loud in the mix — a new venture for Dream, Ivory — not because they were afraid to be heard, but because they allow the music to dictate the performance. “I know it’s not good, but I don’t talk to anyone about my problems,” Louie admits. “So, if I’m vulnerable on a song, [it’s because] I want to write it.”

Photo Courtesy: Liam Walsch