With its fair share of venues, bars, and basements, it’s no secret that Allston has become the hub for a rapidly growing music culture. Bands are sprouting up in every direction, and among the younger groups taking advantage of the space to grow, electro-pop quartet Radclyffe Hall stands out thanks to their dark and synth-soaked sound.
Chances are, when you listen to Radclyffe Hall, you’ll end up wondering whether you should be pining away at a handful of bummer jams or romping around with euphoric bliss. The ominous aura of tunes like “OMG” will rope you in, while the unapologetically 80s-influenced “Love Me Tonight” will have you fist pumping like you’re the coolest kid at zombie prom.
Though it may not be too surprising that frontwoman Dhy Berry credits the Canadian rock outfit Metric as a big influence, some other figures hold a place in her heart as well.
“Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is the reason why I picked up bass,” she explained. We only talked over the phone, but I felt like I could see her eyes light up when the conversation shifted to the Australian-born funk commander. “He kind of transformed the instrument in his own regard. I was really drawn to him and his lines and how he’s so quirky.”
You won’t be hearing any slap riffs or “Around the World”-esque aggression from Radclyffe Hall, but there’s certainly no denying the soul roots that run through last fall’s OMG EP.
“[Older music] has a special place with you,” she said. “Now, when I listen to music from the 60s and 70s, I think of my mom and my grandma. It’s very nostalgic.”
Still, Berry combats the nostalgia with an unrelenting urge to push forward with her music. Just a couple weeks back, the group played to a sold-out Sinclair, opening for hometown heroes Passion Pit at Night Two of the Converse Rubber Tracks Live Series. When asked about the experience, she said,“We were just floored… I never would have imagined so quickly getting the opportunity to open for such a hugely respected national act.”
The well-deserved exposure couldn’t come at a better time, as Berry and the rest of the gang await the release of their new album, set for late summer. Though being careful not to share too many details, she did note that one of the new tunes was recorded by Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Weezer) and mixed by producer and former Passion Pit member Ayad Al Adhamy.
In any case, the future of Radclyffe Hall, according to Berry, lies within a collection of songs that tugs at your heart and—like it or not—makes you feel. Sure, they might drag you down, but they’ll have no trouble picking you back up again.
“Without the vocals, it’s kind of like soundtrack music,” she revealed, almost surprised to hear herself saying it. “Imagine you’re watching a movie, and you have a hero or underdog. They’re getting bullied in the beginning… but [by the end], they stand up to whatever fear they have, and everything is epic, and they’re walking away really slowly, like, ‘I have this.’”
Whatever it is, Radclyffe Hall has it.