dr.rift Will Get You Dancing with His “Like a Charm” Single [Premiere]

If you need a pat on the back today, well dr.rift is here to provide one with his latest single, “Like a Charm.” The song is a personal musing on self-doubt and its often unproductive role in our lives. It’s all done in that eclectic, off-kilter dr.rift way, the latest prog project from Kyle Halldorson, whom you might know from his work with Dizzy Mystics. The song has a fun, grooving beat to it and far-out vocals from Halldorson that suit the mood and purpose of the song.

In a humorous sense, Halldorson is making a strong statement against second-guessing, poking some fun at the moments when you are looking your own ambitions right in the eye. In the back of your mind, you feel pretty good about things, but you can’t help but let some struggle seep in. The lyrics are meant to encapsulate the tension between self-doubt and rising to the occasion.

Discussing “Like a Charm,” Halldorson states:

“This song seems to be a favourite among those who have seen us live, or to friends who have heard all the songs. It was all musical ideas first, born from the vocal rhythms on a loop in my head (before any words), and the beat ideas in the form of beatboxing. Like all of the songs, this came to be during the first pandemic lockdowns. I emailed my drummer friend (Ed) my beatboxes, and he would phone record actual drum versions of those, email them back, and I would Frankenstein his clips together and record the rest over it.

“It’s dancy in an angular/disjointed way, inspired by Talking Heads’ Remain In Light album, or something Afrofunk like the band Vaudou Game, mixed with the boomy fuzzy rock of Queens of the Stone Age’s Era Vulgaris album.

“Lyrically, it is a snide look at being afraid of my potential and shooting myself in the foot because of it. But also not taking any of it too seriously, in an ‘oh, silly me!’ type of way. Later the final drums were recorded at No Fun Club studio in Winnipeg, and I bedroom recorded the rest. Mixed by Cory Hanson and mastered by Riley J. Hill.”

Halldorson has been a busy chap lately with “Like a Charm,” the fourth single he has recently released. It’s all in the lead-up to a new album that he has coming down the pipeline soon. Based in Winnipeg, dr.rift has become a musical outlet for Halldorson, where he feels freest to roam. The last five years have been trying in various ways for the singer-songwriter, and dr.rift provided the perfect platform for him to ruminate and let his creativity run wild. At the beginning of 2022, Halldorson’s father passed away after an extensive struggle with alcoholism. His father was a well-known figure within the country and rock scene around Winnipeg.

Suddenly, Halldorson felt his reality change in a significant way, and it took a while to adapt to that. He has crafted dr.rift as a project meant to be for exorcising demons and healing lingering wounds. The project is not just serving that purpose, but it’s emphasizing what a talented, visionary artist and songwriter Halldorson really is.

Tour Dates:

02/22 – Festival du Voyageur in the Forest Tent, Winnipeg MB

dr.rift “Like a Charm” single artwork, by Dylan McConnell