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Standout Track: No. 3, “We Are Dreamers,” a rollicking synth-pop track from Prinze George, a rising trio composed of Naomi Almquist, Kenny Grimm, and Isabelle De Leon. They’re from Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and met as students at the University of Maryland, College Park. The song—from the band’s new self-titled EP—is suited for the sunny beaches of Los Angeles, and it’s an innocent ode to perseverance: Prinze George doesn’t know what’s next, but its members will be alright. “We don’t know where we’ll be,” the chorus goes, “but no one outlasts the dreamers.”
Musical Motivation: Guest vocalist Misun Wojcik—a Hyattsville native—helped shape the track’s direction. The members of Prinze George met Wojcik two years ago after her show at DC9 and began writing together. “[‘Dreamers’] was one of the first songs we wrote,” Almquist says. Wojcik wrote her verse first; Almquist wrote the hook almost a year later. “I just couldn’t get it right for a while,” says Almquist, who has a background in folk and rock music. “In the beginning, I was really uncomfortable converting to pop. I was having trouble hearing melodies from a computer track. Misun was a big inspiration.”
Big Plans: Like many aspiring musicians, the members of Prinze George want to live off their art. “The end goal is to be full-time musicians, absolutely,” Almquist says. “At this point, we’ve all invested a lot of time and energy and money into making music.” Prinze George’s song “Victor,” was featured in the German movie Honig Im Kopf; another track from the EP, “Upswing,” got serious traction online. “We’re trying to keep it as organic as possible,” Grimm says. “I know there’s gonna be a time where we’ll want to sign with a label, but for now, we’re just trying to connect as directly as possible.”
Stream “We Are Dreamers” after the jump. Prinze George plays the Rock & Roll Hotel tomorrow, March 6.