Canadian twin siblings Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn have a superpower. Through their lush-grunge project Softcult, the duo tackles some of life’s heaviest subject matters head-on, and their new single ‘Dress’ is no different. It’s the darkest song on their upcoming EP see you in the dark, out March 24 and for good reason.

“This song is about consent; it’s about saying ‘no’ and having it happen to you anyway,” Mercedes explains. “It’s about being followed while walking alone at night or being cornered in a bar when we’re just trying to have a night out with our friends. It’s about the lingering fear and trauma that haunts us long after these experiences have happened. It’s about how these experiences make us feel powerless and change the way we see ourselves.”

The dichotomy between the song’s heavy subject matter and its upbeat instrumentals is purposeful, alerting abusers to the result of their actions but also signalling to anyone listening with similar trauma that they’re not alone.