A blast of distorted guitar hooks you in immediately, carrying a strong Nine Inch Nails influence before the track begins twisting its way through grunge guitars and undercurrents of industrial synths. Girl Apocrypha’s vocal is equally shape-shifting, at times carrying shades of Trent Reznor’s tense, almost claustrophobic delivery before softening as the song slips into its more weightless moments. There is something deliberately disorientating about the way ‘Like Adam Would’ moves, never settling comfortably into one sound before another texture takes its place. Heavy, hazy, electronic and abrasive in turns, it’s a melting pot that somehow holds together through sheer personality.

That intensity makes a fitting home for a song about all-consuming desire. Girl Apocrypha describes its subject as an infatuation “so intense I could only bear to explain as biblical. Holy”, and the music feels suitably obsessive, dramatic and larger than life. The accompanying video adds another layer with its scrappy 90s DIY aesthetic, providing a raw visual counterpoint to the song’s theatrical darkness. ‘Like Adam Would’ might be one of Girl Apocrypha’s darker turns, but it’s also further proof of an artist seemingly uninterested in making the same song twice.

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Recorded alongside produced by Jag Jago (The Maccabees, Cassyette, Jamie T), ‘MADONNA’ is at once dark and gritty, yet retains an accessible commercial edge. Drawing influence from the darker edges of bands like Interpol, Placebo and Nine Inch Nails, alongside the pop sensibilities of Lady Gaga, Grimes and The Dare, Girl Apocrypha’s sound exists in the tension between grit and gloss, ultimately sitting in a mid-ground between grunge and synth-pop.

Growing from its synth led verse and spoken vocals the track reaches its explosive chorus as crunching distorted guitars bring an expansive pay off to contrast the lo-fi electronics of the verse.

Speaking about the track, Emia explains: “’MADONNA’ is probably one of the stupidest songs I have ever written and for that reason, it’s also one of my favourites. It’s obnoxious, camp, and such a celebration of the pop music that I grew up listening to and still love. Strangely, I wrote it at the same time as I wrote my, much more depressing, debut single ‘Dealer’ – it was a pretty hard time for me personally, but I did genuinely wake up from a strange dream about, well, everything I describe in MADONNA, and so I spent the day writing and recording the demo; for a few hours I was able to escape my real life and just indulge in this fun, shiny world where things were still bright and funny and completely unserious. To me, that’s what pop music is all about.”

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Crunching, distorted bass, fuzzy guitar lines, and gritty production create a driving blend of garage-rock and grunge under Gabby’s catchy melodies and angsty, honest lyricism. Displaying the alt-rock meets indie-pop approach which stylises her upcoming 7-track EP, the new single builds tension through its verses before delivering an anthemic, earworm chorus. At the midpoint, an explosive breakdown gives way to a dense, swelling guitar section, culminating in a triumphant chant that closes the track with full-force energy.

Speaking about the single Gabby explains: “What is the problem?’ is about the emotional weight of being close to someone who always seems to have an issue with everything, and makes those issues everyone else’s responsibility. It’s about the frustration of constantly picking up the pieces they leave behind, feeling like you’re expected to fix things that were never yours to begin with, and realizing how impossible that can be.

“We wrote this track in the middle of the recording process for the EP, and it felt like the EP came together as a whole afterwards. It started out as a slow sad song on the acoustic guitar, but I told the band I wanted it to be angsty and angry. My guitarist came up with the lead part you hear in the middle, and we instantly connected with it. From there, the song took on a new life and I felt like our alternative rock sound really developed. We had so much fun in the recording process, lots of experimenting and recording so many group vocals.”

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Growing from the chorus drench guitar and boxy drums of its open ‘Lipstick Karma’ introduces a processed vocal through the pre-chorus before bursting into the explosive distorted tones and infectiously catchy melody of the chorus.

Speaking about the single Gabby explains: “The single ‘Lipstick Karma’ comes from a time when I was pouring everything into a relationship. I truly felt like I helped that person grow—I was there through it all. But when my mental health declined, they used that against me. It turned toxic, and I eventually walked away.

“After the breakup, it felt like karma hit them hard. I got this weird, validating feeling, like my conscience was saying, ‘Told you so.’

“The writing process was easygoing. We’d already finished the EP, and one evening at home, Stan and I had time to write. No pressure—just a song about something we both understood. ‘Monsters crept in, let you slip by’ is my favourite lyric. The ‘monsters’ are mental health struggles, and how I let that person’s mistakes slide. Once we had that line, we added creepy vocal effects, and the rest of the track came together in under an hour. We were buzzing—listening to the demo while making dinner.

“Most of the song was made in the house, which felt perfect. The same kitchen I cried in became the place I wrote about it. That full-circle moment was so satisfying.”

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Lia explains, “My new single ‘Am I Human?’ is the answer to my previous lead single ‘I’m a Moth!!’. While “moth” is about wanting to be a rockstar, self love, self acceptance and breaking free from the norm, ‘Am I Human?’ is about the more important, philosophical and fundamental questions in life… like ‘Why do we have to get out of bed?’, ‘Why can’t I be a cat?’ and ‘Am I Human?’.”

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