The Date are one of Perth’s most beloved and enduring bands. Now into their fifth album, the band remain true to their ethos of ‘write for yourself but play for your fans’ on the romantically themed Dating. Like 2019’s Premedidated, Dating will be released track-by-track, with a new song landing on the last day of each month… though unlike its fiercely political predecessor, Dating is a musical celebration of love, unity, and the heartwarming journey from one to the other.
The collaboration between vocalist David Moran and guitarist Rob Susanto; The Date write as a two-piece and record as a three-piece. Wrapping warm, fuzzy guitars around a distinctive vocal delivery, the veteran songwriting duo place heavy emphasis on creating honest, expressive music. They write what they genuinely feel. Dating honours this tradition on tracks like We Love (Reno Valentino) – capturing stories and experiences in a way that is personal, emotive and humane.
Moran elaborates, “We Love (Reno Valentino) is a song that celebrates marriage through the eyes of a proud parent surrounded by those that love family and each other… friends celebrating friends… humanity at its finest. Reno Valentino is real, the friends are real, and the wedded are living happily ever after,” he says. “This song celebrates everyone who commits to another, everyone who sings together, everyone who dances, and above all the art of marriage and unity.”
Written so it could be played on any instrument, We Love (Reno Valentino) is somewhat of a flagship for Dating, with its defined lyrical themes and perfectly sculpted musical accompaniment. As they did with Premeditated, The Date split their time between studios for Dating – tracking drums at Hammerspace Studios with engineer Troy Nababan, and returning to their spiritual home of Dating 42 Studios for the other instruments. Yet again, the results speak for themselves.
Dating is both business-as-usual and a creative departure for The Date, who have a habit of never making the same record twice. While their signature sound is as present as ever, their lyrical and musical narration is more defined and crafted than on their previous albums. Less tenacious and more joyous than Premeditated, Dating marks the start of a busy year for David and Rob, as they settle into a steady release schedule backed by a solid regime of live performance.
We Love (Reno Valentino) will soon be followed by Distant Signs (March 31), Legendeering (June 30) and I Love You Two (September 30) – supplying songs for the remaining months based on a more impromptu feel. Fun, heartfelt and sincere, Dating captures the true essence of The Date in 12 beautiful songs that pay tribute to the most universal human experience of true love. And, as a result, it is the band’s most powerful album to date.
Next show:
Saturday March 7 @ The Civic Hotel, Inglewood
w/ Art House, Sgt. Hulka, Here Comes The Rooster, The Polearms Dancers (fb event)
