Olé Koretsky is a multi-faceted artist, producer, and DJ who recently rose to further prominence as a member of alternative-rock super-group D.A.R.K. The group began to come together when Koretsky met Andy Rourke of The Smiths in 2003 and 2009, while the two worked at NYC-baed internet radio station East Village Radio.
While they began simply operating as DJ outfit and band Jetlag, the late Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries — and Koretsky’s life partner — joined the band in 2014 and they began working on music under the new name of D.A.R.K. Their critically-acclaimed debut album, Science Agrees, came in 2016 and the band would go on to open for The Cranberries in 2017.
When O’Rordan tragically passed at the beginning of 2018, it — understandably — put a hold on new music coming from Koretsky. “I spent a couple years self-isolating,” he explains about the following two years after Dolores passed, but ultimately he emerged with a new outlook on life and a handful of songs. “I felt it was time for me to shift focus and rejoin society.”
He released his debut single, “The One” just this past April and now Substream is thrilled to be teaming up with the Uber-talented Koretsky to exclusively premiere his next single, “Signs of Life.” A single that continues to show the expansive sound of this new venture for him, drawing inspiration from artists like The Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen.
You can find our exclusive premiere of the song, which features Tina Kristina providing additional vocals and a music video shot in the jungles of South Africa, below, following a note from Koretsky elaborating on “Signs of Life.”
“I started writing ‘Signs of Life’ on tour in Europe in 2017. The chord progression was quite similar to what I did for ‘Steal You Away” but the idea for the vocal melody was very different. Dolores really liked the melody and was waiting for me to finish the lyrics. We thought we might include it on a D.A.R.K. release. Unfortunately, the lyrics only came together a few months after she died.
It started out as a song I was writing for Dolores and ended up being a song about Dolores, and that was very difficult. I felt that I couldn’t sing on it and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever want to release it at all.
I met Tina ages ago through Andy. We probably met at Nublu; the same place we met Rob Ritchie who played with D.A.R.K. She is a wonderful human being and a great bass player. For the longest time, I didn’t know she was a singer too and my mind was blown when I found that out. She’s like a young Gail Ann Dorsey but better. Sadly, the track really came together when Tina’s brother Glenn suddenly passed away. I think we bonded over the lyrics and I took that as a sign that if the song resonated with her, it might resonate with other people as well. The song might help someone get through a difficult time. I was excited about the sound too. I really like the cold, dark music juxtaposed with warm soulful vocals.
I toyed with the idea of making a video because it would be very little pressure on me as I’m not the lead singer. I saw it as a good way to ease back into things. Trust is crucial when someone is pointing a camera at you, so, with Tina being the singer, I decided it was best to go with her recommendation for director. She got me on a call with Andrew Donaldson and I liked his vibe straight away. He was sensitive and kind. A few days after we spoke, I was on a flight to meet everybody in Mexico City. We stayed and filmed in a place called Tepoztlán, Morelos. There’s a magical energy about that place. The warmth and kindness of everyone I came into contact with was incredible. The landscape, the nature, and the experience of it all, left me breathless. I knew I had to let go of all control and let Andrew and his team do their thing.
I hope the camera captured a little bit of the healing energy and the magic that I felt. It’s not at all what I envisioned for a video but seeing and hearing my music through someone else’s eyes is just wild and left me feeling grateful and humble.”
