(Longview) Lips Speak Louder - the emerging Nashville alt-rock duo featuring Rachel Brandsness and Angie Lese - is back with the third single off their forthcoming debut album, a stirring track called "Dog Days of Summer" that's available everywhere now.
Following the faster-paced, slightly heavier feel of their first two singles "Hype" and "Crush," Lips Speak Louder's incredible versatility is on full display on the new release, as the pair slows things down to create a song that's an inspirational musical journey of self-awakening and defiance against the norms.
"'Dog Days of Summer' is deeply cathartic for me. It's about that feeling of realizing you've spent your whole life trying not to rock the boat, trying to be what everyone else expected of you and making yourself small to not upset the status quo. It's about finally hitting a breaking point and realizing that I didn't want to live that way anymore," notes Brandsness, who delivers her most compelling vocal performance to-date on the new track. "I think it's a feeling that so many of us quietly deal with in solitude, especially women, who are so often taught to not make waves or take up too much space."
Brandsness and Lese prove masterful in creating an arrangement on "Dog Days of Summer" that perfectly mirrors its poignant message, starting with a minimalist opening that features Brandsness singing delicately over a single guitar to create an intimate tone and a feeling of self-reflection in solitude. The song steadily builds from there as the emotions of shattering old ways of existing come to light and then culminates in a powerful crescendo punctuated by Brandsness - no longer willing to remain small or quiet - demanding "Can you hear me now?".
"I really wanted the drums to evoke the raw feeling of Rach's lyrics with 'Dog Days of Summer,'" added Lese. "There's a sadness in the lyrics, but also a frustration, even anger, culminating in the demand to exist and be heard at the end. I wanted the drums to build up that tension throughout the song until the floodgates burst open at the end in a way that really makes a visceral impact on the listener and brings both the intimate and unapologetic nature of the song to life."
Brandsness (guitars, vocals) and Lese (drums, vocals), both seasoned veterans of Nashville's music scene who had previously worked together on several other projects, formed Lips Speak Louder late last year with the goal of creating the kind of explosive, formidable rock duo each had long envisioned. The pair quickly began cultivating a robust, multifaceted sound shaped by an array of influences and their extensive performing, touring and recording experience, and enlisted renowned rock guitarist Emily Wolfe to produce their debut album earlier this year.
Lips Speak Louder will release several additional singles from their full, 10-song album in early 2025 before it is released both digitally and on vinyl next Spring.
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