Before traveling to London for an anticipated live performance in November, New York-based electronic group Dangerous Muse are keeping busy by supporting legendary synthpop group Erasure as their opening act for selected dates on The Violet Flame Tour, promoting the duo’s Billboard-charting sixteenth studio album.
Fronted by sexy, energetic vocalist Mike Furey, Dangerous Muse are currently moving forward with numerous new projects including a brand new single release, an upcoming extended play entitled “Green”, and the unveiling of their long-awaited official debut album.
On the music scene since 2006, with the premiere of “The Rejection” and a recording contract with Sire Records, the growth of the once-duo act is evident and at the forefront when the collaborative group steps foot onto the stage with immense charisma and talent.
Performing live at the Tobin Center for Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas on Sunday, Dangerous Muse amped up the large crowd with infectious tracks that span the group’s eight impressive years in the music industry before Erasure was ready to take the stage. The chance to open for Andy Bell and Vince Clarke is an experience Furey says has been nothing but “magical.”
“The whole entire band and the creative team are all fans of Erasure. Not only has it been inspiring, but it’s also been a lesson in composure,” Furey says. “When you are in the same room with people who have inspired you as a child, and your aspirations are on par with something they have already achieved, it’s an interesting thing to navigate. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s hard to find words for it. All I can say is it’s been an honor.”
While supporting Erasure on selected tour dates through Texas, including stops in Houston and Dallas, Dangerous Muse has been able to introduce their unique sound and hard-hitting stage presence to a entirely new audience.
As the group performed original tracks including “I Can’t Help It” and “I Want It All”, vocalist Furey lost himself in the music as he seductively worked his hips, garnering approval from the crowd, and eventually lost his shirt in the process, exposing a well-sculpted physique. When asked where the boost of confidence during his performances comes from, Furey says it’s all about the energy of the room.
“I love being in a new place and meeting new people,” Furey says. “Being in Texas for the first time has been really eye-opening, everyone seems to be really amazing and supportive and beautiful.”
Following the end of their supporting act duties with Erasure, Dangerous Muse will begin prepping for a special overseas show in London on November 6. The intimate show will be the first time the group has traveled to the United Kingdom to share their music with dedicated and devoted fans.
“We are totally excited. It will be great,” Furey says. “We are really looking forward to connecting with everyone out there because London, and the UK for that matter, have been really supportive of Dangerous Muse since the beginning, so it will be nice to finally make that personal connection.”
The string of fall 2014 shows comes following the departure of one of the act’s founding members. Once a duo, Dangerous Muse now performs as a four-piece, with Chris Kling on drums, Ray Suhy on guitar and Walls O’Mara on bass.
Though the lineup change may still be fresh, Dangerous Muse sounded strong and focused as all the elements came together to set the mood for the rest of the night at the Tobin Center. The level of performance is certainly different than when the group formed in 2006.
“It’s interesting because the structure has changed since then, it used to be a duo. My former writing partner has since started his own project and left the band in 2012. There have been additions, subtractions, so it’s been a gradual process of development,” Furey says. “It has really grown into an amalgamation of many different creative forces. That’s how I envision Dangerous Muse as an entity, it’s a team of people with a united goal to do something that people haven’t seen before, and at the same time, pay homage to the past and to the greats.”
On top of touring with music legends, Dangerous Muse’s work includes credits as producers and collaborating with huge artists in the pop industry such as Lady Gaga, Tegan & Sara and Adam Lambert for remixes of the artists’ past singles. Dangerous Muse have been asked to contribute alternate renditions of “Bad Romance”, “Back In Your Head” and “If I Had You”.
“We are focusing more on original stuff, I love doing remixes and whatnot, but I’d rather be out on the road and getting new inspiration to work on even more new music,” Furey says. “That’s where my head is now.”
Having recently released the “Red” EP in 2013, supported by the single “Fame Kills” and its accompanying art video, Dangerous Muse are still hard at work with their next extended play titled “Green”. A third extended play, revealed to be titled “Blue”, is also set for a future release. The three different yet cohesive efforts will all eventually lead up to the group’s official debut album.
“Green”, set for release later this year, is being supported by new single “Pardonnez-moi”, a catchy dance track that fits perfectly with the electro-rock sound Dangerous Muse has crafted for themselves over the years.
“It means ‘forgive me’ in French,” Furey says of the latest single. “The concept for the song is the predicament of being in a crowded room and trying to get from one side to the other. It’s the idea of getting from one point to the next. We’re trying to metaphorically get through the room as well.”
In a style similar to Robin’s “Body Talk” era, the three EPs, which will eventually form a debut album, each represent a different sound of Dangerous Muse, but still fall under the electronic genre they have become known for.
“’Red’ is more, I would say, dance/pop, ‘Green’ is more rock/funk and ‘Blue’ will be more along the lines of ballads, so in a way it’s kind of like different tastings. They are all within the electronic/rock envelope that Dangerous Muse operates within but its different sides,” Furey says.
Dangerous Muse showcases their many sides while performing alongside Erasure. The band gave performances of their new single, a cover of Soft Cell’s “Sex Dwarf” and other tracks featured on their first two Eps before their 30-minute set was finished.
For those in the San Antonio audience who were experiencing the music of Dangerous Muse for the very first time, Furey says everyone will react to the group differently only because there are so many components to their style and sound.
“It’s really difficult to sum up Dangerous Muse because it involves so many different aspects,” Furey says. “What matters to me is giving a voice to people who don’t have one. When it comes to what Dangerous Muse is about, or what it represents, it's different for everybody.”
With a new single out now, an EP on the near horizon and plans for a debut album in motion, Dangerous Muse seems to be constantly at work trying to get new music out to their die-hard fans. The band has their mind on what’s still to come, but choose to focus on living in the current moment.
“There’s lots of things in the works, but the thing is I don’t like talking about things that are in the works until they’re in stone, because things are always in flux at the same time, so it’s best to talk about what’s happening now, but lots of exciting things are on the way,” Furey says.
*This article appears on EQ, an international music blog dedicated to shine light on upcoming independent acts. This is the original, unedited version.
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