Alt-rock trio Blood Lemon wasn’t just formed in Built to Spill’s hometown of Boise, Idaho—bassist and co-vocalist Melanie Radford is currently a member of Doug Martsch’s slacker-jam ensemble. As proven on their 2021 self-titled debut album, though, Blood Lemon’s brand of ’90s alt-rock hews closer to the pop-grunge of Breeders, with Radford and Lisa Simpsons’ layered vocals more so perhaps bringing Sleater-Kinney to mind. In January they’ll be releasing an EP of new material titled Petite Deaths, which will feature four original tracks and a cover of Jessica Pratt’s “Mountain’r Lower.” With the single “Perfect Too” already out in the world, today we’re getting to hear the opener “High Tide” which, as Simpson explains, is nearly the release’s title track due to the song and EP titles’ synonymous euphemisms.
Built on scuzzy guitar riffs, crisp percussion, and impassioned vocals syncing up during the chorus, the song’s lyrics were born out of Simpson’s newfound love of reading after discovering the series Outlander on streaming, giving way to an interest in fan fiction. “Through the voracious reading that’s followed in the last few years, I’ve discovered many writers who have profoundly influenced me,” she shares. “People like Cherise Sinclair, Tal Bauer, Amy Daws, and Victoria Aveline all write contemporary romance of one flavor or another—kinky, queer, straight, alien. I took the sensual for inspiration, and the beginning of ‘High Tide’ was a research query of what idioms or phrases other cultures use for orgasm.”
Despite the fact that the track’s sensual video looks custom filmed for the track, Simpson explains that she edited it herself with pre-existing footage culled from Pexel.com. “We liked the idea of using found footage, and I built upon the image of sensuality I’d created in the lyrics,” she says. “There’s an amazing variety of free-use footage out in the world, and we’re grateful to the people out there making it available. Getting the opportunity to create a visual representation of a song isn’t a common experience for most songwriters, and this has been a uniquely fulfilling experience.”
Check out the results below, and expect Petite Deaths out January 17 via Boise’s own Moon Ruins. Pre-order it here.
