Buzz Blog

Sculpture Club Releases “Twirl for Me”
The third single released in anticipation of their newest album, Worth (out May 14), Sculpture Club round out a diverse trio of sneak-peak singles. While the first single “Just One More” was an upbeat glimpse of Sculpture Club at their sunniest, the following single “Chains and Faith” reverted slightly to their stormy, post-punk roots; now, with “Twirl for Me,” they dip back low into a honeyed goth sound reminiscent of The Cure at their most delicately melancholic. The song was a way for frontman Chaz Costello to process grief, of the sudden loss of a beloved cat. The song came together as the last piece for the album, and as a combination of two songs Costello had been working on, which he realized were “different sides of the coin.” “To me, it feels like the album’s epilogue in a way. It rides the blissful, bitter sweet, and tragic emotional waves of grief, trust, loss and worth,” he says of the track. He explains the grief that inspired the song as being, “all a kind of meandering mist of confusion, until you are hit with the pain and knowledge that your heart has split in two, which can be tragic, but not necessarily all bad—like a hard cry can feel cleansing.”

“Twirl for Me'' certainly does convey a sensation of cleansing. The guitar parts that carry the song along feel grey but still lighthearted, like the sun winking out from behind the clouds after a rainstorm. It’s a softer side to Sculpture Club than has previously been seen before, and one that demonstrates their range.

They’ve also released a video with the song, starring band friend and fellow SLC musician Dyana Durfee, and directed by Madison Donnelly, Sculpture Club’s drummer. In collaboration with other friends of the band who’ve been podded over the year, the misty-hued video is an attempt to convey all the most ”unhinged moments in 2020” experienced by Donnelly, as well as an exploration of the benefits of having an attention disorder, as she and Durfee both do. In the video, Durfee displays an array of emotions and postures as she lip syncs to Costello’s low voice—from working out to slumping from an armchair to the floor, from fixating on pink slime to twirling with a steamer in hand as a microphone. Though surprising visually, and thematically quite different from the song it’s for, the music video and the song still both seem to share a certain meditation on stuck-ness. Both lean into the feeling of being so consumed by a certain emotion, or a certain place, that it somewhat fractures one’s peace of mind—which can turn out to look like a beautiful thing. View it here and stream the song wherever you stream.

Cinders Release “Afternoon”
Local band Cinders are back with another single to follow their last, the February-released “Growing Up,” and this time things are a little more mellow. While “Growing Up” was all up, up, up in the spirit of all the best 20-teens indie pop, their new track “Afternoon” is a little more rocky. Produced by Phil Joly of Lana Del Rey and The Strokes fame, “Afternoon” is more of the Cinders-same, as in it features their penchant for pop-centered melodies that are peppered with semi-climactic bursts. The song is focused on tensions of growth, like the past single was, with lyrics that reference pains and frustrations both felt and accepted. There are, however lyrics like “how long have you been holding your breath, your face is turning blue again / was it something I said,” that speak outwards in a way that doesn’t seem to line up with the introspective nature of the song—unless lead singer Montana Smith is actually just addressing himself. The new single comes alongside the announcement of both their third album No One’s Home and its release show at The Complex on Aug. 28. Presented by X96, tickets as they stand now are $16 for the all-ages show, which starts at 7 p.m. that evening. Visit thecomplexslc.com for tickets and more info, and listen to “Afternoon” wherever you stream. Follow Cinders on Instagram at @cindersmusic for updates and news on their new album, and for “Afternoon”’s forthcoming video.