Conjuring a nostalgic dream-pop sound, Powder Pink & Sweet is a band based in Los Angeles, CA. Cris Verso formed the project in 2016, releasing the debut single “Blue Sunshine” that same year. Showing serene vocals and hypnotic guitar tones, “Blue Sunshine” set in motion a sound steeped in lush nostalgia, exploring aspects of dream-pop, shoegaze, post-punk, and new wave. The track saw airplay on radio shows like Check One Two on KLOS in Los Angeles, in addition to online radio such as DKFM and Big Sonic Heaven. Powder Pink & Sweet’s second single, “Grey Day,” released in October 2020, sees textural guitars emitting a post-punk and shoegaze-friendly allure. Obscure Sound called “Grey Day” an “enjoyable success with a dreamy sense of nostalgia.”

Involved in the Los Angeles music scene for many years, Cris Verso formed Powder Pink & Sweet soon after the passing of her mother. The project became an outlet of expression for Verso, who comes from an artistic background and musical household. “After my mom died In 2015, I mustered the courage to develop it and become more serious,” Verso says. Playing with a stylistically eclectic cast of musicians in prior years, ranging from ska/reggae (The Cover-Ups, The Twi-Lites, Hi Fever) to punk (Bottlecap, The Stalkings), Verso marks the next step in her musical career with Powder Pink & Sweet, a natural stylistic output considering her longtime love for ’80s new wave. In addition to this project, Verso has also explored indie/shoegaze in collaborations with the band Sleeping Car, with Rafe Mandel (of Polar Goldie Cats and Best Coast).

Joining Cris in the live band is guitarist Carl Urbinati, bassist Hannah Harper and new drummer Roger Brogan. Carl hails from Chicago and has an indie rock and Americana background, having played in bands such as Skylarks, Smokey Lonesome, Burn Riffs, Shotgun Break and Artichoke. He brings his unique style to round out the ethereal and dreamy feel of the live project. Hannah cut her teeth on bass playing in church bands in Manchester UK. Taking many of her musical influences from her hometown, she developed a love for all things indie and Britpop, passing by funk on the way. More recent projects were playing double bass in a folk trio called Jeremiah Buys a Field before landing in LA and meeting Cris through a friend and joining the Powder Pink & Sweet project. Roger is a percussionist and audio engineer based in Los Angeles. He has collaborated with Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips, SPECTRUM/Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3, The Gentle Cycle, Alison’s Halo, Mike Lindsay (Tunng), Philipe Cohen (Gotan Project), Frausdots, The Tyde, Frankie Rose, Rhett Miller (Old 97s), MGMT, and Scott Hackwith (Dig)

Powder Pink & Sweet’s new album, Little Stories, was released on November 4th, 2022. A ravishing sound is propelled by serene, melodic soundscapes. Atmospheric guitar tones, lush percussion, and warming bass swells traverse throughout the act’s hooky songwriting. Album single “My Fragile Heart” premiered on Flood Magazine, also drawing praise from outlets like Buzzbands LA and Vanyaland. The single was described by Flood as “leaning as much into the feather-light textures of Cocteau Twins and Julee Cruise as it does the tunneling guitar riffs of dream pop’s sister genre shoegaze.”

Spanning from the soaring shoegaze-forward feel of “Dreaming of Leaving”: to the shimmering yearning of “Slightly Hopeful,” Little Stories is another captivating installment in their discography, characterized by a dreamy sound that effortlessly balances atmosphere and melodic immediacy, leaving a lasting charm.

Powder Pink & Sweet expect to release new songs later in 2024.