Calm Baretta has returned with their special brand of catchiness in almost a year with a brand new hit that eludes definition in terms of genres and time. It is the best of ’80s Synth Wave hits and ’10s Indie Pop. “Dusted,” as the band explains, is about the chemistry of love and how it can impact you emotionally, physically and psychologically so deeply in its infancy.
Recorded and produced by John Mullane (In-Flight Safety) back in the relative calm of 2019, “Dusted’ was written in a time of relative innocence; social distancing wasn’t a thing, and you were legally allowed to date people outside of your own household. You were free to fall in love with whomever you chose, though perhaps history has shown we might have adopted some more dutiful screening methods…
“John is always a delight to sign on as co-producer,” says Calm Baretta’s Josh Carter. “[He] usually takes our idea and just solidifies a little more. Great with picking key tones that may inform the song a bit better. It was nice to get out off Prince Edward Island for the experience. Managed to have some great food, catch a show and then spend the days picking away.”
The song title was pulled from the opening lines of the song:
“Lay down beside me baby,
Turn my skeleton into dust,
If I broke it down, it’s just molecular chemistry,
Skin and bones, the two of us”
“It’s about interconnectedness and the bond you share when you are together and apart,” says Carter, noting that “Dusted” was also one of the first songs Calm Baretta had fully written together as a band.
“The song is about the anxiety that comes with a relationship in its infancy — how so many different feelings can compete. Like you ever feel so enamoured that you’re physically kind of ill? I guess they call it lovesick.”
Carter says the single won’t be a standalone for long, with fresh material already being worked on and will be released later this summer.