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Dracula Franchise Is Hooked on a Feeling with ‘Seoul City’

By Cynthia Gross

This reading of Alchemical Records content provides a multimedia experience for our audience while increasing the accessibility of our content to persons with hearing loss, low vision, dyslexia, physical or motor disabilities, or are on the autism spectrum.

D.C.-based synth pop-soul artist Dracula Franchise joins forces with Megan “Meggalooch” Dunn and James Ian for their latest single, “Seoul City.” Fittingly released in tandem with the new year, the groovy, effervescent track explores themes of escapism, wanderlust, and new beginnings.

“This is a song about how it feels to be lost in a haze with your friends and not wanting to find your way out,” explains Meggalooch. “The feeling that you never want the party to end because that means you have to begin the seemingly unbearable and boring heaviness of adult life.”

“But slowly, you do start to realize it doesn’t feel as good as it used to, and you try to see it another way. Either way, you dance through the pain of it all,” she adds.

The trio featured in “Seoul City” finds Dracula Franchise, led by multi-instrumentalist Tyler Elliott, at its collaborative best. Meggalooch, one of the featured vocalists, is a D.C.-based jazz-pop artist and songwriter known for her honest, authentic songwriting and community-based work as part of the DC Music Summit leadership team.  

James Ian, the featured male vocalist, is a Maryland native currently based in LA. Ian is a musician, actor, model, and disability activist who inspires others through his journey living with spinal muscular atrophy type 3 (SMA 3). “Seoul City” is produced, mixed, and mastered by Dave Mallen of Wammie Award-winning studio Innovation Station Music.

“It feels right / It’s Saturday night / I’m flying after every star,” Ian sings in the pre-chorus of “Seoul City,” adding, “But I’ll be just fine with all my friends and all these drugs.” Vibrant, nostalgic synths and a bouncy rhythmic beat give the song a danceable quality that pairs perfectly with the pursuit of a temporary escape from the mundane nature of everyday life.

Characteristic of Dracula Franchise’s growing body of work, thoughtful lyricism is a clear star of the “Seoul City” show. The song embraces the in-the-moment exuberance of a party high in the company of friends, with the maturity of a narrator who understands the inevitable responsibility that comes with adulthood.

“I guess I’m hooked on a feeling / I never said I don’t need it / I’m just hooked on a feeling / It doesn’t mean I don’t fear it,” the vocalists sing in the chorus. Fans of Tame Impala will identify with Dracula Franchise’s rich, textured sound and compelling originality.

At the core of “Seoul City” is a powerful call for listeners to learn to create a life that excites them both during and beyond the high moments. We can escape from people, places, and things but not from ourselves. Perhaps there’s never been a better time to seek out new opportunities that add adventure and wonder to our lives.

Follow our Alchemical Weekly Spotify Playlist for more great music featured on the site.

Cynthia Gross

Cynthia Gross is a freelance writer and award-winning spiritual pop artist based in Maryland. With more than a decade of experience as an executive ghostwriter, she understands the power of each individual’s voice to create positive, meaningful change.

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