It’s been quite a start to the year for one of our perennial favourites here at the Antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia, Greta Stanley, who lost her home in the recent Cairns floods. But her response is the release of the uber cool slice of dreamy pop which is the single ‘Life of the Party’.
Stanley’s gossamer velvet vocals exhibit her trademark range of expression in this yearning, melancholic track that seems to burn with an intensity of feeling reflecting personal vulnerability and anxiety. Stanley says of the track:
‘Life Of The Party’ is about being jealous of the people that can show up to social events and be confident; they light up the room and seemingly don’t second guess their every move, like I do. It’s about wishing you could be like them sometimes, and have that confidence. Personally I deal with a lot of social anxiety and often bail out of social events for that reason. Every outfit feels wrong, everything I say feels silly, and if I make it there I either have a panic attack and go home, or more often just feel out of place. So I tried to capture a song that represents that process of getting ready for an event and not being able to go or enjoy it due to the constant noise in your head vs. watching your best friends radiate confidence, and literally be the life of the party.
The production is crystalline and shimmering. Stanley says:
I recorded this with Cody McWaters and we wanted to make the production fun, and kind of give that American house party energy (referencing ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, The Offspring, and Tiny Little Houses). Cody really helped the track have more punch with the driving guitars and just building the production to bring that pop punk energy.
It’s another very fine recording from an artists whose presence and songwriting get better every year.
Out now through the brilliant Double Drummer label, you can download and stream ‘Life of the Party here.
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