Lady Dan – the project of Tyler Dozier – released the incredible debut LP I Am The Prophet this past spring, which garnered praise from The Guardian, Stereogum, GoldFlakePaint, NPR, The Line of Best Fit, Beats Per Minute, Our Culture, Clash Magazine and much more. Dozier is back today with her off-kilter cover of Bill Withers’ “Just The Two Of Us”. Dozier has shed much of her country leanings on this outing and creates a cinematic world of obsession, insanity, and murder on the Halloween-themed cover of the iconic song. Lady Dan plays with dark synths to create the horror-movie-trailer track with her effects-laden vocals, beginning as a down-tempo rendition with a creepy carnival piano line before the song opens up with even more synths, an infectious sax line, and a dance-floor worthy backbeat. This climax comes as the music video takes its, inevitable, very dark turn. Dozier speaks to the creation of the song saying:
"I'd had this idea to take a major classic pop song and turn it dark and sinister since last year, but I didn't have the time or resources for it yet (I was neck deep in I Am The Prophet work). So when August rolled around this year, I revisited the idea and reached out to my buddy Carson Cody to see if he'd be interested in working together on it. I love the idea of releasing projects that are thematic to holidays, and Halloween just happens to be one of my favorites. I'm always making Halloween playlists in October featuring the likes of Leonard Cohen, Norma Tanega, Dead Man's Bones, etc. so I wanted to make one of my own to add to the mix. I also have a silent passion for directing and actualizing music videos, and horror/thriller is a subject I've been dying to touch. It's all very exciting - working with friends, experimenting with new genres, and creating new visuals (or new to me) for people to enjoy.
I knew Carson was the perfect match for the production of this song. I just knew he could take it where I wanted to go. First it's cinematic, then it's vintage spooky, and in the end it makes you want to dance."
"Appropriately resounding" – Stereogum
"Not only is the arrangement an exhibition of her mastery over tension and release, but her lyrics represent an artist's exploration of self-identity and independence" – The Line of Best Fit
"Beautifully impassioned" -- GoldFlakePaint
"... positions Tyler Dozier among the stable of powerhouse vocalists like Sharon Van Etten" – FLOOD Magazine
"Intensely personal songwriting and every passing lyric reveals another layer in Dozier’s narration" – Secret Meeting
"Electrifying" – Beats Per Minute
“Her wry delivery has something of the Liz Phair about it...sinks its melodic hooks deep” - The Guardian
“Cathartic, tender, and heartbreaking in equal measure” - CLASH Magazine
