As a trio built upon lifelong friendship—meeting at band camp before uploading to Bandcamp—Lilith know as much about building meaningful, lasting relationships as they do about dipping out of the noxious ones. “I think the record is mostly about redefining a concept of strength,” vocalist Hannah Liuzzo has proclaimed of their forthcoming debut, Safer Off, which sees the Bostonians wrestle with interpersonal conflict. “Strength isn’t quietly enduring abuse, instead it’s knowing what you deserve and advocating for it.”
On the record’s fourth single and opening track, the band channel the upbeat early recordings of their Bay Stater forebears Speedy Ortiz, laced with the same band’s recent flirtation with synths. “Vacation” directly addresses the ever-present struggle of one-sided friendships, boldly delineating an exit strategy in the event of a self-centered peer.
“I think there’s something really beautiful about making yourself available in friendships and relationships that can be anxiously self-perceived as weakness, desperation, and neediness when the receiving end is vague,” Liuzzo explains. “Sometimes you need to bail on the thing that’s making your good seem bad, pack your bag, take a vacation on a whim, say screw it and move on.”
Safer Off is out August 9 on Take This to Heart and Disposable America. You can pre-order it here.
