Los Angeles-based indie rockers LADY SLOTH share their new single, ‘Fences’, today through Trailing Twelve Records. LADY SLOTH is the brainchild of Justina Shandler and Jon Lane, two vets of the underground who have both achieved mainstream success with other acts. After releasing their debut single ‘Sugar Loaf Mountain Road’ the duo return with the impassioned ‘Fences’.
‘Fences’ is an alt-rock anthem about setting boundaries, and not feeling guilty about choosing to prioritize one’s self. When Justina sings “every day’s a battle for the ones who want my time..my energy is getting expensive” she’s acknowledging that there are people in her life who she feels she owes her time, but that there is a limit to her “energy”. While this is by no means a rare problem to have, LADY SLOTH make it feel unique by incorporating personal experiences and anecdotes into their lyrics.
“The chorus straddles the line of desperation and self empowerment. “I hope you don’t find it offensive, I’m over here building my fences,” as we learn to navigate our own limits and risk disappointing others to avoid disappointing ourselves,” say the duo.
LADY SLOTH used confessional lyrics to great effect on their previous release, ‘Sugarloaf Mountain Road’, and the duo have said before that they were inspired by indie contemporaries Phoebe Bridgers and Dawes, both of whom are known for their storytelling. The band goes deeper into their writing process below.
“At this point in our writing process, we were seeing themes related to mental health. “Fences” is an extension of that, dipping into our history and struggle with setting healthy boundaries. We started by cataloging instances in which we didn’t set clear boundaries in our lives and how it affected us. Setting boundaries is a very important subject matter as we strive to better protect our energy. The more openly we speak about this issue, the more we find others who relate.”
Musically ‘Fences’ sees the band digging back into the alt-rock playbook with wailing guitars and a syncopated drum beat. The song ramps up in intensity before exploding into a blissfully zealous chorus, where Justina shouts “I hope you don’t find it offensive, I’m over here building my fences”. The upbeat tune is infectious and is practically begging to be played in front of a live crowd.
