DRÆMINGS

As part of the dreamier-than-thou L.A. outfit Black Flamingo, Kimi Recor conjured up angels and demons in hazy and sometimes-crazy pop songs laden with hooks and reverb. With Black Flamingo retooling due to some lineup changes (we might hear more from them by November), Recor embarked on a solo venture. And it turns out she is still dreaming — or, rather, Dræmings. She points her songwriting toward California’s eastern neighbor on her forthcoming mixtape “Nevada,” which was produced by Joe Keefe of Family of the Year and mixed by man-about-town Joe Napolitano. The first single “Reno” takes Nevada’s neon dreams and bends them through an electronica-tweaked, R&B-tinged piano ballad. And Recor’s portrait of the song’s “desert queen” is vivid from the first line: “Cherry lips and crooked teeth …” - BuzzBands.LA

DRÆMINGS (pronounced "dreamings") is Los Angeles-based Kimi Recor's new project—a cross between '90s pop and dreamy R&B that you have to check out. Her debut mixtape, Nevada, is ethereal yet dark at the same time, and you can get a taste of it by listening to her first two singles, the more mellow "Reno" and the faster "Battle Mountain" on Soundcloud. The heavy synths remind me of The Killers' Hot Fuss, while Kimi's strong vocals leave you feeling like you just took a drive in the setting desert sun. In this interview, find out where Kimi's inspirations for her project came from, as well as what she is planning to do next! - Maddie

How did you come up with the concept for DRÆMINGS?
I've been playing music for a while now—always in bands, with other people—but I'd always spend my free time working on my own songs. The music I made with my bandmates was always meant to be heard by other people, but the melodies I wrote by myself... well, I kind of thought they would always be my own, my little collection of dreams and memories come alive through sound.

When did you begin writing music?
I started playing in bands when I was about 17-years-old. I've been writing words for a long time. I always thought I'd end up a poet or a novelist, but music just kind of took over. The music for DRÆMINGS I started writing in July.

Where did you become inspired for your debut mixtape, Nevada?
I've driven through Nevada so many times, and it always lingers inside me long after I've crossed it's borders. There's something about its vastness, that haunted empty space, the secrets you can bury there. It just resonates. When I was writing songs for Nevada, I was going through a really rough time and all I really wanted to do was drive to some small desert town, rent a room in a creepy old motel, and just let the world around me go on without me for a little while. Instead of doing that, I spent all my time writing and creating these songs. So I guess, they became my own little Nevada.

What artist do you look to for musical inspiration?
This is always such a loaded question. I find that my inspiration changes from song to song. This is what inspired Nevada: the desert, Reno, Beyoncé, Patti Smith, David Lynch (especially Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet), reverb and echo, Leonard Cohen, '90s hip-hop, symphonies on vinyl, Abe Duella, JWH, and all those long lost loves.

What are three songs that you just can't stop listening to right now?
I'm actually going to turn this into five songs: "I Miss You" by Beyoncé, "Destiny's False Turn" by Dignitary Loss (an amazing local band), "Passin' Me By" by Pharcyde, "Falling" by Angelo Badalamenti and "Without You" by Smashing Pumpkins.

What is next on the agenda for DRÆMINGS?
Invading your dreams, then, world domination! I'm really excited and grateful to have some amazing opportunities that I can't share just yet, but keep your eyes and ears open. Nevada is coming. - Urban Outfitters