As anti-trans bills spread in the U.S., experimental rock band Deerhoof have released two new songs in solidarity with those threatened in today’s world. "Overrated Species Anyhow" and "Sparrow Sparrow" are available now digitally and as a limited edition lathe-cut 7” vinyl via Joyful Noise Recordings, with all proceeds going to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
“Every penny from this release goes to The Trevor Project,” said the band. “Because in the new world we want to create, we need today's trans youth to grow into tomorrow's trans adults."
Over a fluttering chorus of birds in “Overrated Species Anyhow”, Satomi Matsuzaki sings to a metaphorical group of savages, aliens, and creatures: “Lost, despised or feared / You are why I wrote these passages.”
In “Sparrow Sparrow", drummer Greg Saunier and guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez build on each other’s sonic identities, producing the band’s classic noise-dance beat as a backdrop to Matsuzaki’s singing, “Hope builds inside of one who suffers.”
In a statement, the band describes the "double B-side" single as a “life beam to anyone who has been feeling dehumanized by mainstream society lately.” They go further into detail by saying:
“Anyone who didn't find themselves in the rankings of which races, nationalities, genders, or belief systems have equal value. Anyone who sees life on earth as something more than some capitalist death match. Anyone who got thrown under the bus in the past year's race to the bottom. Anyone who isn’t one of 2781 billionaires who’ve taken control of the world. Anyone refusing to lick the fascist boot.”
The limited edition 7” vinyl will be available for purchase on the band’s website until Feb 26 at 4 PM ET. With new songs, Deerhoof are also set to headline a series of spring shows in the U.S., kicking off on May 1st in Minneapolis and later headlining shows in Europe and the U.K. starting July 23rd.
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Tour Dates:
05/01 Minneapolis, MN @ The Walker Arts Center
05/02 Denver, CO @ the Bluebird
05/03 Portland, OR @ Rev Hall
05/04 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
05/08 San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw Stop
05/09 San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw Stop
05/10 Los Angeles, CA @ The Lodge Room
07/23 Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
07/24 Birmingham, UK @ Castle and Falcon
07/25 Edinburgh, UK @ The Caves
07/26 Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
07/27 Manchester, UK @ YES (The Pink Room)
07/28 London, UK @ Bush Hall
07/29 London, UK @ Bush Hall
07/30 Margate, UK @ Lido
08/01 Genk, BE @ Absolutely Free Festival
08/03 Trondheim, NO @ Kafe Skuret
08/05 Oslo, NO @ Goldie
08/06 Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan
08/07 Copenhagen, DE @ VEGA
08/08 Faabord, DE @ Avernax Festival
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