In 2016, the band followed up its self-titled debut with the grunge-y ROCKISDEAD. The album starts with the bluesy “Kiss It” and features anthem after anthem of heavy, blues-inspired rock riffs and vocals. With its heavy drums and caterwauling vocals, the simmering “Missile” sounds like a Katy Perry song on steroids. The moody track “Shelter” just made an appearance on the TV show Good Behavior, adding drama to an already intense scene that finds the show’s lead character hitting rock bottom.
“It was just me and [producer] Ian Scott in the studio that day,” Martin says when asked about “Shelter.” Dorothy performs at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Beachland Ballroom. “It was a very intimate song, and it hit a nerve. It ended up being emotional for me and was very stripped down. It was like, ‘Will you love even though I’m completely fucked up and with all my flaws?’”
The current tour supports the new single, “Down to the Bottom,” as well as a forthcoming studio album. A bluesy tune with a Black Keys feel to it, “Down to the Bottom” features a gritty guitar riff and howling vocals.
“That transitional single to the new album is all [songwriter] Linda Perry, who worked with me on it,” says Martin of “Down to the Bottom.” “That collaboration just happened, and we thought it would put it out. We re-recorded and did a live version with the current lineup.
Martin says the forthcoming album will show off the band’s new sound.
“It’s a spiritual journey,” she says of the disc. “It’s very desert rock but still rock ’n’ roll. I’ve evolved as a songwriter and vocalist. Being under the mentorship of Linda Perry has been is amazing. She is an honest, tell-it-like-it-is person. I grew very much on this record, and I put my heart and soul into it. We’ll play a few songs from ROCKISDEAD, but we’re concentrating on the new songs on this tour.”
This article appears in Dec 27, 2017 – Jan 2, 2018.
