The inimitable Boyfriend is back with “dblspk,” a new single which marks for her an exploration she’s been eager to take on for a while.

“I LOVE Burt Bacharach and had been wanting to channel even a fraction of his vibe,” she tells OffBeat. To help her achieve a Bacharach-esque delivery, she enlisted the help of the song’s producer, Serpentine Man, the alter-ego of GIVERS‘ Josh Leblanc.

“Josh totally got that goal and working with him was super energizing, because he’s coming at it from a band’s perspective. This is a bit of a sonic departure for me, so it was crucial that I also felt really comfortable and safe collaborating with him. We’ve been friends a long time, plus he was in my backing band the first time I ever performed with live instruments for Preservation Halloween almost two years ago!”

Speaking of Preservation Hall, Boyfriend will return there for Halloween this year (on October 26 and 27). Those shows, she says, are her absolute favorite. “I try to always work a subtle narrative into my shows, but it’s often very abstract with the main goal being ‘concert’ or ‘party.’ For these shows however, the goal is the story, and as a musical theater gal, it’s me operating at my most giddy.

I also love that the audiences come correct to the Hall – no cell phones, full suspension of disbelief, and the small capacity makes for real connections throughout the night, it’s truly immersive. This year, we’re asking everyone to come dressed in black and red – saloon/Storyville vibes if you got ’em, as we transform the Hall into a late 1800s brothel.”