The Undercover Dream Lovers New Single Explains How the American Dream Is a Lie
- Sorraya Gonzales
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
By: Sorraya Gonzalez
Los Angeles musician and producer Matt Koenig from The Undercover Dream Lovers lets his nostalgia fuel his distaste for the American dream. In his new single "lies, lies, lies," Koenig ditches his dreampop sound to tackle how his childhood memories shape adulthood.
At the age of fourteen, Koenig began producing music in his Pittsburgh home. With notable hits such as 2020's "Tell Me" and 2018's "Let Go," he found success in the dream pop genre and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. Having established himself in the calmer music scene, his new track marks a shift toward a more indie rock sound.
The track, “lies lies lies” opens with the sound of a bike before distorted synths and drums kick in, throwing us into a flashback. In a wave of gritty guitar strums, the lyrics illustrate Koenig's father shutting down his musical aspirations.
His raspy, frustrated vocals build into the chorus's central message: trading creative ambitions for a career is a lie. Because for him, stability does not fulfill his needs. It is pursuing his musical talents or "singing his songs" as his lyrics describe it.
In order to tap into his nostalgia, Koenig explains how he tried to reconnect with specific moments of childlike wonder. He states, "Whether it's dial up phones or the feeling of pushing a doorbell when you're running around the neighborhood and playing ding-dong ditch, there are so many tactile things that just get us excited."
Koenig, a millennial raised in the 1990s, grew up in an era that idolized the white picket fence. Now, he's protesting those societal norms by chasing his musical dreams.
By reflecting on his nostalgia he was able to find a footing into his upcoming album Atomic House. "That was my anchor for this whole record, remembering those feelings and stepping back into my own experience" he explains.
With his album Atomic House dropping March 20 and a LA show February 26 at The Airliner, the future looks bright for someone who once only daydreamed of musical success.
