High Waisted - "Drive"

I’ve been a fan of High Waisted since I first saw them open for Priests at Music Hall of Williamsburg back in the Winter of 2016. I, along with my friends in attendance, appreciated the band’s ability to inject some warmth into a frigid February night with their bright surf-rock riffs and refined garage rock spunk.  Back then, the band was about to release their great debut full-length, “On Ludlow,” a sunny collection of tunes noted for its candied harmonies and fuzzy licks. Now, in the midst of this unprecedented global pandemic, the band is prepping for the release of their follow up, Sick of Saying Sorry, and they just shared the record’s second single, “Drive” - a bit of a sonic change of pace for the group, which they totally nail. 

On “Drive,” High Waisted shifts the mood from buoyant to reflective for a dense, dreamy sounding track with a floaty chord progression and a shimmering vocal performance that’s beaming with conviction. The guitars echo amongst gentle drums as frontperson Jessica Louise Dye soothing voice moves from melancholic to hopeful, representing the emotional tide that turns from what she describes as “sacrificing your own happiness for the well being of others and carrying that burden without complaint.” While the song is different sounding when compared with the album’s fun and upbeat first single, “Boys Can’t Dance,” it still packs that classic High Waisted exuberance, especially in the track’s emotion-infused chorus, where sparks of hope pierce through the shadows. 

Sick of Saying Sorry is set for release on May 22nd.  The band will be celebrating the release in grand fashion with a huge release show at Bowery Ballroom on the 21st.  They’ll be joined by LEAN and Damn Jackals. Stay inside right now so we can all party on the Lower East Side this May!