Speedy Ortiz Return with First New Single in Five Years “Scabs”

The track was co-produced with illuminati hotties’ Sarah Tudzin.

Speedy Ortiz Return with First New Single in Five Years “Scabs”

The track was co-produced with illuminati hotties’ Sarah Tudzin.

Words: Margaret Farrell

Photo: Shervin Lainez

April 12, 2023

Speedy Ortiz has risen! The band is back with their first new single in five years. "Scabs" was engineered, mixed, and co-produced by illuminati hotties’ Sarah Tudzin and recorded in Joshua Tree’s Rancho de la Luna and El Paso’s Sonic Ranch. “Living in progressive cities and working in the arts, you meet peers doing tremendous organizing work,” vocalist Sadie Dupuis explained about the meaning behind the song. “And then there are neighbors who signal their ‘good’ politics through yard signs alone.

“I wrote ‘Scabs’ standing in line at the post office, overhearing customers berate a USPS employee,” she continued. “This was during a time of postal unions–opposed budget cuts and other major issues for mail handlers, which were widely reported on. People advertising their support for essential workers acted conversely when faced with personal inconvenience. The song became more widely about self-designated ethicists who don’t quibble about crossing a picket line for individual benefit.”

Listen to "Scabs" below.