“This song is about creating a boundary from negative psychic energy someone or something sends you, even by invoking you in their thoughts,” explains Jen Dot (aka Jen B. Larson, author of Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983 and former Swimsuit Addition guitarist and singer). “Envy is not a new energy, but now more than ever, because of the internet, people can see into each other’s lives in a particularly intrusive and unhealthy way; social media, especially, brings people to compare themselves to and feel envious of others’ successes. This song is intended to be mantra-like and create a forcefield for the listener to retain space for loving, supportive relationships and to be able to focus on their work without the disruptive, destructive noise people who are ultimately unhappy with their own lives can bring.”

The post BEASTII share new single ‘Evil Eye’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

“On a surface level, the album is about chasing and being chased,” explains Jen Dot (aka Jen B. Larson, author of “Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983” and former Swimsuit Addition guitarist and singer). “The title, Follower, has a rich tapestry of meanings, each revealing a different facet of the word. From spying to obsession, chase to consumption, and the pursuit of justice to surrender, the “follower” takes on many roles. It can be an energized hater, a scorned lover, a jealous lurker, a passive appreciator, or enthusiastic supporter.

All the songs on Follower were written, performed, and produced by BEASTII, and recorded and mixed by Chris Lee at the VCR in Chicago, Illinois between January 2023 and March 2024. Lee has recorded hundreds of underground artists in Chicago, including notable acts such as Twin Peaks, Kenny Hoopla, Nnamdi, Show You Suck, Deeper, and Al Scorch.

Of the recording process Lee says “The songs on this album have taken shape in so many different ways. Some were recorded with me on drums playing along with a scratch bass or guitar going DI into headphones live at The VCR, some were created entirely in Garageband by Jen and Jesse and then slowly dubbed over with final parts. Sometimes we brought in MIDI data and re-voiced parts, sometimes we bounced out the original voices and imported them into Logic. We’re using Virtual Drummer parts Jen programmed that I duplicated and split into stems, drum parts Jesse played on my Digitakt, multiple passes of my kit recorded to do things I can’t do with four limbs. It’s just fun throwing all these diverse creative processes into one project. There’s no one right way to let an idea become reality!”

Follower:

1. Justine
2. The Limit
3. Cosmic Bummer
4. Spilt Milk
5. Evil Eye
6. Double-Sided Cig
7. Sell Out
8. Butch Beach
9. Ghost Follower
10. Subliminal
11. Into the Ground
12. Trusted Mystik
13. Be Sweet

The post BEASTII drop new single ‘Justine’ and announce new album, Follower appeared first on She Makes Music.