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Aug 12, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Nick Rasmussen

Over the past several years, LA-based musician K.C. Maloney has made a name himself in the indie electronic world as Adult Karate. However, this year he is set to move in a different direction, debuting under his new solo moniker, The Eaton Wash. As The Eaton Wash, Maloney explores new facets of his musicianship, tracing a portrait of an artist evolving in real-time as he crafts his own take on sunny, intimate folk and singer/songwriter fare.

These elements come together to form the core of his debut album, Stay Around. Maloney says of the record, “Just like anybody, I’m human and I get caught up in ideas of what people think about me. I’ve gotten a lot better about that as I’ve gotten older. But I’ve always had this plan to make an album like this where I could show myself that I could go beyond a drum machine and a keyboard.”

The full record is out September 16th, and Maloney has already teased the album with its lead single, “Interrupted Sweatshirt (Different Blood),” and today he’s back with its second single, a cover of Blondie’s 1979 track “Dreaming,” premiering with Under the Radar.

The Eaton Wash’s version of “Dreaming” reimagines the punk-tinged new wave of the original, instead turning it into a sweeping ‘60s pop fantasy, complete with swaying melodies, marching rhythms, and the full, rich tone of the classic “wall of sound” style. Maloney brings out the pop elements enlaced within the Blondie original, bolstering them with strings and stacked layers of instrumentation. Where Blondie captured the intense rush of new love, Maloney brings the track’s title to life, leaving you lost floating in dreamlike fantasia.

“I’ve loved Blondie and the song ‘Dreaming’ since I was a kid,” says Maloney. “It’s kind of the perfect punk/new wave/pop crossover track, exuding depth & simplicity at the same time. And of course Debbie Harry is royalty across many genres. I happened to hear ‘Dreaming’ on the radio around the time I was recording the album’s title track. I thought ‘what if I take this song and turn it into a 60’s, wall of sound sort of thing!’ I hope if Debbie Harry or Chris Stein ever hear it that they can feel how much I love the song. I feel like I treated it with much respect while still putting my own spin on it.”

Check out the song below. Stay Around is out everywhere on September 16th.