Charging back with their first music since the release of their acclaimed 2023 debut EPs Real Life Human Garbage and Granny Music, Swedish band Girl Scout have returned with their new single ‘I Just Needed You To Know’ today. Mixed by producer Alex Farrar (Wednesday, Indigo De Souza, Hotline TNT) and touched with an essence of ‘90s alt-rock, the track is a powder keg of energy, ready to explode at any moment with erratic guitars, soaring choruses and breakneck drums.

A song that’s primed for the stage, ‘I Just Needed You To Know’ arrives just ahead of the group’s upcoming live dates in the UK & Europe, where they will join Alvvays for a full leg of their highly anticipated summer tour, as well as perform numerous headlining shows and festivals from May through July.

“‘I Just Needed You To Know’ was birthed during a spontaneous jam session in the middle of rehearsing for tour,” says vocalist/guitarist Emma Jansson. “Starting with Viktor toying with the opening riff, almost the entire song was just the band playing in a room with the mics rolling. We wanted the raw energy of the song to remain, so not much has been done to it.”

“The phrase “it is what it is” is one that I hear a lot amongst the older generations,” she adds about the lyrical side of the song. “To me, it feels like a way to avoid acknowledging hard times or difficult feelings. It’s such a stifling phrase. What if that’s not enough? What if I want more than to grit my teeth and move on? I think there is a clear generational divide when it comes to the language surrounding mental health, and the willingness to understand the causes behind it.”