Today, saoirse dream – the hyperpop-project-turned-emo-band of artist Catherine Egbert – announces grimdark, an eight-song descent into grief, rage, and speculative collapse, arriving October 9 via Lauren Records. Out now, lead single "death vs dying" offers the album's most emotionally devastating entry point.
LISTEN: https://lr-d.ffm.to/death-vs-dying
"death vs dying" is a monument to rage and retribution. Inspired by Max Graves’ Victim Impact Statement, our narrator finds herself stuck reliving a decade-old trauma: the murder of her older sister. Self-produced by Catherine Egbert, the track pairs blown-out guitars, glittering chiptune synths, and towering harmonized vocals into one of saoirse dream's heaviest and most emotionally devastating recordings to date.
“'death vs dying' was the tone-setter for grimdark," says Egbert. "I have a hard time writing from a place of anger, but the exercise of writing for a fictional character opened that up for me. It probably won’t surprise you to hear a trans woman say she’s got a lot to be angry about. In finally feeling that anger for myself, the record poured out of me.”
Taking an archivist's approach to the end of the world, grimdark embraces a strikingly grittier sonic palette. The shimmering electronics of saoirse dream's earlier work give way to towering distortion, while visionary production and unflinching lyricism wrestle with a central question: What does it mean to make speculative art in an era where so many of us struggle to imagine a better future?
grimdark Tracklist:
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death vs dying
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killer bees
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dolled up (feat. Left at London, estelle allen, leastfavorite)
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sunflower
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onlooker
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speechless
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if someone like me will do
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grimdark
Stream saoirse dream's "death vs dying" here.
About saoirse dream
Equally at home in a hardcore basement show in Iowa or a warehouse furry rave in Seattle, saoirse dream is the hyperpop-project-turned-emo-band of artist Catherine Egbert. For years, Egbert’s virtuosic production chops and innate pop sensibilities have earned her place as a cult-beloved star of the online hyperpop scene. Now, she’s ready to show the world that she’s so much more than her DAW.
Since releasing her self-titled record in February of last year, Egbert and her band have played more than 80 shows across North America and Europe. Cutting their teeth on the DIY touring circuit, the ensemble has been featured on lineups with emo and hyperpop mainstays alike, including Anamanaguchi, Food House, Michael Cera Palin, your arms are my cocoon, stomach book, and more.