On “Concession Stand Girl,” Corrinne James’ latest single as Naomi Alligator, she imagines herself shapeshifting to the environment around her. At one point she wishes to be seven feet tall, and the next: “I wish I was seven inches small so I could swim in the rain.” Accompanied by a tinny banjo, the title track from her forthcoming EP captures the choice to be seen and unseen, to take over your surroundings or invisibly dive into them. That’s what the concession stand girl does after all, taking stock of the atmosphere and organizing herself and others around it.
“I only used to go to high school football games to see my crushes. I was always really nervous and excited to be seen by the whole school at night,” James says of the single. “Everything felt personal and yet overwhelming, especially on the bleachers when standing under the giant lights. The concession stand girl runs a stand at a high school football game. Her job is to observe the crowd and cater to their needs, but she goes unnoticed. This song is about all of the people that go unnoticed and the dynamic lives that they lead. Sometimes we exist as the concession stand girl and other times we exist as the people that walk by.”
James isn’t new to the music scene—she’s been making videos for artists like Slow Pulp and Emily Yacina. And for five years she’s been harnessing her skills as Naomi Alligator, inspired by the early ’90s sounds of Liz Phair and Daniel Johnston, and recently signed to Carpark Records. With “Concession Stand Girl,” she showcases that folky, vulnerable songwriting along with illustrating a surreal animation for its video.
The Concession Stand Girl EP is out October 29 via Carpark. Pre-order it here and watch the video for the title track below.
