The songwriting project of Texas-based musician Chaz Doriocourt, Dorio is a new project in the true sense of the word. Becoming involved in Austin’s psychedelic music scene after moving to the city in 2011, Doriocourt learned the ropes in a number of other bands and slowly developed his own solo visions from the confines of his home, relishing the freedom to craft sounds in a way which resonated with him. “I wanted to see, if I gave myself the space to make songs without too much outside influence, what would they sound like.” Doriocourt says.
It wasn’t until SXSW 2019 that Dorio was properly realised, the songs debuted live at the festival and introduced to the public for the first time. By then, the tracks had taken on a pop-orientated sound, partly inspired by the 70s deep cuts he’d grown familiar with through the speakers of a supermarket when working in the store. Factor in the observational perspective gained from studies in anthropology and the shape of Doriocourt’s singular pop style begins to make sense—vivid, inquisitive songs that balance an easy-spirited energy with an underlying empathy for the human experience.
The first Dorio single ‘Shortcuts’, released in advance of the SXSW debut, displays this in spades, the languorous tone casting a hazy sunshine over the emotion of the lyrics.
Today, we’re delighted to be able to share a brand new single. Building on the half-paced lilt of the previous single, ‘Funny People’ is altogether more robust, its playful enthusiasm and peppy beat offering an infectious flow. “I wanted ‘Funny People’ to have the bright, high-energy feel of a classic sitcom theme song,” Doriocourt says, and it’s fair to say the intention is fully realised. Rich, vibrant and marked by a freewheeling ease, the track could be the intro the the best show that never existed.
Thematically, the song maintains a balance between sincerity and tongue-in-cheek whimsy. However, the former is not undermined by the latter but rather strengthened, as though for all of the hi-jinks and ironic winks that might ensure, there will always be a sentimental fondness for home, family and loved ones to which to return.
“‘Funny People’ was the first song I wrote on my Suzuki electric piano, while I was watching a show about comedians,” Doriocourt explains. “The song is about being around a bunch of people you know and some you don’t. With so many conversations and interactions to see, sometimes you would still rather just go home to be comfortable in your own surroundings.”
Photos by Rachel Rascoe