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Jul 21, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Courtney Landrum

Portland-based indie singer/songwriter Dakota Theim has spent the last few years carving out a niche for his breezy and euphoric style of indie rock, debuting in 2020 with his first LP, Somewhere Under the Sun, followed by his 2021 sophomore effort, Tangled Heart. Beginning last year, Theim has been sharing a steady string of new singles, returning most recently last month with the funk grooves of “The High Life.’ Today, he’s back with another new track, “Wild Magnolias,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Wild Magnolias” once again brings out Theim’s affection for FM radio pop, now fused with a bouncing bass line and woozy synth textures. His honeyed vocal harmonies and instantly catchy refrain are full of that quintessential summer pop bliss while the rhythm section provides the track with a deliriously infectious groove. The resulting track retains the effortlessly charming sheen of Theim’s vintage touchstones like ELO, yet he also finds space for hazy sun-dappled textures and adventurous production, recalling psych pop outfits like Tame Impala or MGMT.

Theim says of the track, “I wrote this song back in December while daydreaming of summertime. I started fiddling around on a little Casio keyboard and instantly started hearing the bass groove in my head along with the melody. The word ‘reverie’ kept coming to mind so I decided to write something about being in a dreamlike state that captures the liberating spirit of the summer season. The words ‘Wild Magnolias’ came to mind soon after. I allowed myself to go nuts with experimentation in my studio and I had a blast recording this one!”

Check out the song below, out everywhere today.