For many, the pandemic has been a period of either extreme productivity or extreme lethargy—though for either type of person, it’s been a ripe time for staring at ads for wellness programs on social media, wondering whether you, too, could could be that in-shape (or whether an exercise bike would fit in your studio apartment). This was the impetus for the first single from indie folk songwriter Elizabeth & the Catapult’s newly announced LP sincerely, e, which was recorded—and inspired—entirely within quarantine.
“‘pop the placebo’ is about the myriad of things we do to feel good and how our impatience leads us towards easy fixes, not necessarily solutions,” she explains of the tune, which blends acoustic guitar with backing orchestral notes. “I noticed when the pandemic hit that there were more wellness gurus advertising online. At first, in my isolation, I was an eager wellness consumer. I was trying everything possible to stay healthy, as if controlling all the minutiae of my life would ward off any possibility of getting sick or feeling unhappy.
“I became a science experiment: ‘If I just do this or if I think positively I’ll be fine!’ The practices were all seemingly healthy, but my preoccupation with them was not. I realized that there’s no quick fix when the world is spinning out of control, and ultimately it adds unneeded pressure when I think I can control it myself. Like trying to discipline yourself into thinking things are OK when they’re really not! If anything, we all just need to be easier on ourselves and reach out to others.”
Hear the new single below.
