Velodrone doesn’t resurrect the energy of ‘90s alt-rock—they douse it in gasoline and let it blaze into 2025. Their “Count to Three” is all shoegaze fuzz and punk attitude. They’re not here to cash in on nostalgia; they’re here to blow your speakers.
Marisa Dewa‘s fronting this beast, and she’s got the chops to back it up. Oberlin Conservatory trained but with a “hell nah!” to the rules. The whole Velodrone thing sparked when she dug up some old ’90s demos, and you can feel that raw energy pulsing through “Count to Three.” Dewa’s voice? It’s like smoke and fire, especially when she hits you with that hook: “come follow me / just believe I’ll set you free.” But here’s where it gets interesting – the song flips the whole saviour thing on its head. Dewa says it’s about realizing the person you thought needed saving is actually dragging your ass out of the flames. That’s the kind of honesty that makes this track sizzle.
Then you’ve got Danielle Caseñas on bass. She used to sling guitar but decided to pick up the four-string and just crush it. Her basslines are hypnotic but hit like a freight train, locking in tight with Zachary Bernstein‘s drums. Now, Bernstein might be known for cracking jokes with his music, but here he’s all business – primal, no-frills rhythms that’ll rattle your bones. His fills aren’t about showing off; they’re about impact. When the song hits its chaotic peak, that’s when the band really leans into what they call their “stylishly delectable darkness.”
Pre-pandemic, these three were tearing up LA’s dive-bar circuit with their amped-up, distortion-heavy sound, and “Count to Three” is a cry for their return. It’s a song that doesn’t just nod to the ’90s—it body-slams the era’s spirit into the present, with production that’s slick but never sanitised.
Velodrone isn’t trying to fit in – that’s because they BELONG. “Count to Three” is a 2-minute riot of vulnerability and volume, proof that rock ’n’ roll salvation works both ways.