Los Angeles’ garbagebarbie shares “kiss,” a garage-pop summer anthem filled with playful disdain for the LA dating scene. Produced by Brandon Shoop (Role Model, Junior Varsity), mixed by Michael Coleman (Chappell Roan, Chezile), and mastered by Théo Quayle (Pink Skies, Quinn XCII), “kiss” shows off garbagebarbie’s infectious hooks and indie sleaze charm as they explore uncharted pop territory.
“We wanted to poke fun at forcing yourself to fall in love, and then being surprised when it actually happens; thinking a connection is superficial, but discovering the emotional authenticity in hindsight,” explains frontman Fletcher Milloy. “Sometimes when you meet someone and have this rush of wanting to fall in love, you can slowly change yourself to fit their needs until you’re unrecognizable.”
“kiss” follows the band’s aptly named second EP, ii, which was released at the end of last year. Comforting in its unexpectedness, ii saw their sound ebb and flow between eerie post-punk to warm alternative rock, with grittier moments like the anxiety-inducing “thinklikeido” and its cacophonous synths and arresting vocals contrasted against introspective love songs like crowd favorite “coldasice.”
“It’s kind of a play on all things superficial in LA,” says guitarist Braedon Huff. “We wanted the video to feel like a lipstick advertisement you would see on social media; since so many brands are reaching out to influencers to market their products, we wanted to capture what that would look like from our band’s perspective. It’s more so a commentary on how that culture is permeating LA right now.”
