Accepting who you are and the choices you’ve made along the way isn’t always easy for some. Just trying to be content with your circumstances often can open up an ever-growing list of hypothetical “what if?” scenarios. Where would I be had a made this choice? Would I be happier? Did I take the wrong path? If you’re not careful, that flow of thought can be crushing and inescapable – a hole that you just keep digging deeper. Letting go of these thoughts is central to the spirit of the latest from London-based garage-surf act Chemtrails.
“I’ll Never Be” comes from the band’s upcoming EP Cuckoo Spit, following up on the band’s Calf of the Sacred Cow from earlier this year. The song opens with a rush of guitars and beaming bass line that feels as life-affirming as it does buoyant. The band scoffs off joining the right race and writing off thoughts of different paths they could’ve taken. There’s a hymn-like quality to the song, particularly in the moments where the guitars fall out for a droning organ and handclaps. The intertwined voices of Mia Lust and Laura Orlova blend in eerie harmony, dousing their voices in reverb while they wax poetic about naivety and feeling like a cockroach trying to avoid being squashed by a foot. Starting with a feeling of pessimism, the band quickly find themselves embracing where they’re at with a jubilant mix of riffs and insanely catchy hooks. The band shares their thoughts on the song below:
"One of the themes of the Cuckoo Spit EP is the difficulty of feeling confident in your decisions when they don’t seem to match up with those of everyone around you. There are plenty of moments where I wonder what the fuck I’m doing with my life, but occasionally there are moments that are exactly the opposite: I’m content with who I am, with the fact that I’ll always be an oddball, and that I’ll probably never be famous or have any money. “I’ll Never Be” is our attempt at crystallizing those moments into a fuzzy psychedelic gospel song."
Listen to “I’ll Never Be” below.
Cuckoo Spit is out Dec. 7 via PNKSLM Recordings. Pre-orders are available now.
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Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Mid…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morn…
