NYC-based garage rock band High Waisted - Jessica Louise Dye (vox, guitar) & Jono Bernstein (drums) - announce their sophomore album, Sick of Saying Sorry, sharing lead single "Boys Can't Dance" and its official music video. Sick of Saying Sorry is due out May 22nd - keep an eye out for tour dates and more news to be announced supporting the new record.
The Big Takeover offered an exclusive first look at the video, praising, "The track is an explosive, in-your-face, danceable rock n' roll anthem that lyrically touches on heavier topics in classic High Waisted fashion."
"I had been cooped up for a long week of work and was really itching for a proper night out with my girlfriends. This song was ripped directly from my inner monologue; wanting to let my hair down, eager for the weekend and ready to do something I might regret. It's an anthem for letting yourself have some much deserved fun. That weekend I remember noticing the dance floor was shared mostly by ladies as the guys lined the perimeter. And I thought, oh, these boys can't dance because they have their hands in their pockets! There's nothing more freeing than getting lost in your favorite song and letting your body wiggle, shake and twist void of worry or insecurities in the middle of a crowded room. Everyone deserves to dance." - Dye on "Boys Can't Dance"
High Waisted have never been afraid to ask for help, encouraging trusted friends to lend their creativity to the songs. With the input of producers Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady) and Arun Bali (Saves the Day), Sick of Saying Sorry was born from scraps of paper scribbled on at 4 am riding the train from Brooklyn to Manhattan and coming to life in a steamy apartment on a broken acoustic guitar. Dye would walk through snow to Ludlow street to play with guitarist Richey Rose (Wendy James, Tamaryn, Jennie Vee). Even in the dead of winter, bright, upbeat, summery music came easily, creating an album of many moods, with each song having its own set of rules. Dye enlisted her old friend and keyboardist Mark Buzzard (The Format) to add final embellishments. The album in its final form is a shared creation and an act of love, with each hand involved leaving a distinct mark.
While High Waisted's first record was about being the life of the party, their sophomore album embodies what happens when you leave that party at dawn to go home to your tiny apartment, alone. High Waisted's music has always been sad songs disguised as happy ones, and the tracks on the new record follow the same pattern. "Songwriting is like spell casting," Dye front-woman and guitarist, writes, "It would be too painful to get on the stage night after night and relive each trauma I pulled from for writing inspiration." Songwriting to her is like a time machine, getting to "rewrite history and edit out the parts that are too heavy to bear. I get to finally say all the things I wish I had." Sick of Saying Sorry is an unapologetic record about finding hope in a hopeless situation and the strength to get up when the world is screaming at you to stay down.
