Words by Sinead O’Hara of FLOSSY.
This EP is a pretty solid representation of our journey so far as a band since becoming a four-piece in early 2017. It features some old and some new(ish) tunes, but mostly these were the songs that we always have fun playing live. We couldn’t wait to jump into the studio with them and see how much further they could go.
In terms of the songs themselves, we tend to gravitate towards writing about our experiences in relationships quite a lot for some reason. I guess it’s because it can sometimes be easier to have a whole lotta feelings towards someone than something… or maybe it’s the emo teenager in all of us? Or then again maybe we’re just hopeless romantics! Not really. Who knows.
Before FLOSSY launch their self-titled EP in Perth, we asked co-frontwoman Sinead O’Hara to share a little more on how it all came together.
I Want You
The title of this song is pretty self explanatory. It delves into a feeling most of us have experienced at one point in time or another when you feel like you want someone who doesn’t want you back, or someone you really can’t have. Lauren wrote this one for anyone whose felt disheartened, rejected, used or unappreciated by feelings that aren’t reciprocated. We injected those ideas into the lyrics and then as the song progressed musically, it turned into somewhat of an empowering ‘fuck you I don’t need you anyway’ kind of song.
For our music video however, we wanted to offer a different perspective, because although we tend to write in a somewhat serious manner, we don’t take ourselves too seriously in day to day life and we wanted to show people a bit of that in the video. We wanted to make something that was almost theatrical and weird but also funny, and take viewers into an alternate universe, which was actually what it felt like when we were filming it. Things got really weird.
Burden to My Lover
We released this song last year as we were super eager to get something out before the end of the 2017 and we wanted to give people an idea of what the EP was going to be about. We felt like this was a good indicator of what was to come because it’s fast and fun but lyrically a bit dark, which is generally how we tend to write.
The song itself is mainly about feeling stuck in a relationship and being a shit person because of the resentment that grows from that. People do all sorts of crazy things out of resentment, it’s really a horrible thing that can grow and fester in relationships. And it’s not really even justifiable because if you just dealt with the problem in the first place it might not exist. But it happens, and it’s frustrating, and in my experience has made me act out, drink too much, and other stuff. It’s pretty ugly and dangerous, and I guess this song is, in some weird way, kind of an apology.
Red Lights
This is the oldest song on the EP. It was written like five years ago and reworked when we started this band because it had something cool and sultry, feminine and liberating about it. I wrote it after spending the night sitting outside an old warehouse next to a bunch of old stanky bins with someone who really inspired me and helped shape a lot of who I am today.
It’s basically about feeling free and uninhibited with someone you have an insane connection with and basically just wanting to rip their clothes off because they can SEE INTO YOUR SOUL. Ha! But seriously.
Quiet Girl, Riot Girl
Quiet Girl, Riot Girl is a bit of a nod to the Riot Grrrl feminist punk movement and feminism in general. Lauren wrote this song and it follows the story of the Quiet Girl who is incredibly aware of the patriarchal society in which she lives. She sees things how they are, sees women still living in a world where they are not yet equal, and this song is kind of her exploding with frustration because of it.
She’s kind of like a feminist superhero who is one minute quietly observing and then next minute is running riot screaming, “Don’t put up with this any longer! You just do you, girl!” It’s really for any fem-identifying person who has felt pressure to adhere to certain expectations because of their gender.
Catch FLOSSY launching their EP at The Rosemount Hotel on April 28. Grab all the details and RSVP here.
