French artist Mélanie Pain—the unmistakable voice of acclaimed indie-pop collective Nouvelle Vague—shares “Dreamloop”, a luminous yet haunting single off her new solo album How and Why, out on Kwaidan Records.
“Dreamloop” encapsulates Mélanie Pain’s delicate mastery of emotional contrast: shimmering pop melodies interlaced with darker lyrical undertones. Beneath its radiant sound lies an intimate reflection on looping mental states and the quiet despair of watching someone you love drift deeper into their own spiral.
In the vein of Stereolab, Broadcast, and The Velvet Underground, “Dreamloop” exudes a deceptively breezy, retro-futurist pop sensibility—where hypnotic percussion and warm folk textures meet psychedelic atmospheres. Recorded live in studio with her band — Raphaël Chassin (drums), Oliver Smith (bass), Jérôme Plasseraud (guitar, mellotron), and Alexis Anérilles (piano) — the song captures the spontaneity and intimacy of musicians creating in the moment. Pain’s signature voice—soft, precise, and deeply emotive—carries a kind of quiet incantation, guiding the listener through darkness toward the light.
“’Dreamloop’ is a refuge-song,” Mélanie explains. “It’s a spell to navigate the night — a delicate exploration of depression and the mental states that confine us.”
