Dear Dear Announces New Album & Shares New Track 'A Woman's Fault'

“Why is it a woman’s fault?” This is the age-old question confronted on “A Woman’s Fault,” the latest single from prolific singer/songwriter, published poet, and fashion designer Chase Cohl under the moniker Dear Dear. Out today, the track is the first taste of music from the Los Angeles-based multi-hyphenate’s forthcoming album, death of a fairytale — a proudly feminist collection of songs coming this fall.

The fearless confessional wrapped in a retro soundscape is Cohl’s signature, as she reveals intimate reflections in a playful way. Paying homage to ‘60s girl group legends such as The Ronettes, The Shirelles, Darlene Love, and The Crystals, death of a fairytale is a continuation of her EP Dear Dear: Volume 1 and collaborative work with Barry Goldberg (Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight).

It feels like a return to a simpler time, but with a modern and raucous twist, and it’s also a new entry in the Dear Dear chapter of Cohl’s vibrant artistic expression. Indeed, what started out merely as the name of her first album has continued to evolve and take on a life of its own.

“When Barry & I begun writing these songs in California the intention was to make something truly collaborative, a marriage of our styles, strengths & love for this era of music,” explains Cohl. “After the release of the first EP (Dear Dear: Volume I), it became clear that this project was taking on a life of its own. Shifting the entire project into the enigma of Dear Dear only felt like the most natural step to allow the music to really breathe its best breaths.”

On “A Woman’s Fault,” Cohl’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics confront the outright backward standards women are still expected to uphold in 2023. The accompanying video, directed & produced by Pear Juice Productions, adds a haunting and vintage cinematic vibe to the listening experience. 

“The whole mission statement of this project has been to rewrite the narrative of familiarly nostalgic music styles with more modern themes that actually speak positively to any sort of female agenda and give the female character a real voice to discuss the uncomfortable issues,” Cohl shares.

“‘A Woman’s Fault’ felt to me where that was executed best. It’s the most personal and honest song I’ve shared in a long time – almost a diary entry. Society has this really twisted comfort with involving itself in the timeline of women’s lives by telling us when we need to hit these milestones in order for our lives to be considered worthwhile, or reassuring us that we aren’t being sent in the direction of the spinster. Mostly I was just really sick of people asking me questions that were none of their business.”

Born in Canada to a mother and father deeply immersed in both the ethos and business of music, Cohl spent much of her youth on the road with the Rolling Stones and cites Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood as her “style icons” to this day. She quietly picked up piano before eventually moving on to guitar and banjo during her college days as a poetry major in New York City, where she devoured the works of Jerome Rothenberg, Henry Miller, Arthur Rimbaud, and others. 

Simultaneously, she drew on a lifelong passion for sewing and unassumingly crafted the debut collection of Littledoe headpieces in 2009. She sold her first to none other than Fergie, following a chance encounter in a New York restaurant. In the midst of presciently building Littledoe into a Vogue-endorsed early progenitor of the modern Boho movement sported by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, the characters of Schitt’s Creek and other fashion icons, she penned countless songs.

In 2021, Cohl released Dear Dear: Volume I, which she co-wrote with keyboardist/songwriter Barry Goldberg and was produced by Loren Humphrey (The Last Shadow Puppets, Guards, Willowz). Cohl recorded the project at L.A.’s Valentine Studios, which once hosted sessions by The Beach Boys and Elvis Presley.

“A Woman’s Fault” comes on the heels of Cohl’s recently published poetry book Donation Plate, a brilliant compilation of her writing over the past few years. “Donation Plate is a reflection on the female relationship with giving without expectation of receiving in return, and the experience of often not receiving,” shares Cohl.

“It all ties into the one-sidedness of the feminist experience. I kept coming back to the metaphor of the breastplate being like a church donation plate, we give and give but we never really see where our efforts are going and often don’t get much back.”

Dear Dear will play a string of shows across the U.S. this summer and fall. See the list of tour dates below and stay tuned for more dates to be announced soon. 

Upcoming Tour Dates

9/02 - Accord, NY - Westwind Orchard 

9/29 - New York, NY -  Baby’s All Right (w/ Allie Buckley) 

9/30 - Washington D.C. -  Songbyrd (w/ Allie Buckley) 

Photo Credit: Kristin Gallegos 

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