Toronto-based artist Shirley Hurt has released a new song today called "Hell of a Life", out now on Melodic Records.

It's the first new music released by the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist – real name Sophia Ruby Katz – since 2022's spell-binding self-titled debut. Listen to "Hell of a Life" below:

Hurt describes "Hell of a Life" as "a sonic manifestation of the bumper sticker quote".

“'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. It can be hard to know when to quit and when to keep pushing. We all want to get out of the rat race, and we’re all constantly faced with our demons preventing us from doing so. “Hell Of A Life” is a two minute and fifty five second recognition of that.”

The song makes the glitzy Tom Tom Club/Duran Duran-esque new wave guitars seem warm and rustic, as a drum machine ticks beneath the beat like a dust-covered Grandfather clock. Hurt's chestnut coo doesn't feel defeated by the quiet toils of the protagonist of "Hell of a Life". Beneath the song's intricate, strained arrangements, an outline of coy amusement emerges from the ink-black fatalism: "If I’ve lost it why go searching/Maintain a sense of purpose/It’s a hell of a life I don’t deserve it/But I accept it."

No tour has been announced as of yet, but you can check out Shirley Hurt's previous singles "Empty Hands" and "Charioteer" below.