Paulius Musteikis
One of Madison’s most promising young bands will soon be one of its most dearly departed. Dolores is calling it quits.
Keyboardist Adam Thein explains the move in an email to Isthmus:
“I wish we had a good story to tell, but it’s drama-free. I moved to Madison with my partner Carolina so she could attend UW for her master’s program, and she finished up this last spring. We’ve known for a year that we’d be relocating so she could find a position in her field. Javi [Reyes, guitar and vocals] is also planning on relocating to Chicago for work later this summer. Willie [Christiansen, bass] and Teddy [Mathews, drums] are planning on staying in Madison as far as I know and I think both of them are already working on putting together a new project. So yeah, we’re all on good terms, and unfortunately we have known this was coming for a while. I think we all wish the circumstances were different, but, as you know, life happens.”
Many local music fans undoubtedly wish the circumstances were different as well. Though they’d only been a band for a shade over a year, Dolores had built a solid reputation as an energetic live act built around unrivaled musicianship. Their debut EP and LP, Nectar Fields and Peach Fuzz, respectively, are packed with dreamy indie pop songs as much informed by neo-soul as they are by psych-rock.
This year appeared to mark a big one for Dolores. They’d opened for PHOX, recorded a Daytrotter session in March and recently wrapped up their first (and last) headlining tour, hitting dates as far away as Lawrence, Kan., and Lexington, Ky.
Though they will appear at People Fest in Hillsboro, Wis., on Aug. 6, Dolores will play their final Madison show on July 22 at the High Noon Saloon, with support from Modern Mod and the Walters.
