hushpuppy’s ‘singles club’ an the indie rock antidote to heartbreak we all needed

There’s an effervescence to Zoë Brecher’s music that hooks you in immediately. Raw, fuzzed out, proudly queer, and defiantly lofi, the tracks on the album sound beamed in from a hazy memory; which totally tracks for a project originally recorded in 2016 and newly remastered and re-released on cassette. This is the most natural progression: the waves of distortion and reverb that envelop each song make it feel almost blasphemous to listen on any medium other than cassette.

From the standout opener “I Do What I Want” on down, HUSHPUPPY’s songs meld a preternatural gift for melody with a knack for brevity. The songs rarely cross the 2 minute mark, popping in with a hook that’s liable to be stuck in your head for days before disappearing back into the mist. (For this writer it’s been alternating between the bittersweet love song “I’m At Home With You” and the glorious queercore anthem “I Like Girls” for several days now…) This is the ultimate soundtrack to rainy days and long walks alone. If you’re like me, and have let your poor walkman sit unloved and unattended for too long, HUSHPUPPY provides a much needed antidote. Grab that tape and go spend some time with your feelings.

“I released Singles Club discreetly on my Bandcamp page in 2016. I had just gotten more comfortable sharing my music and at some point I decided I had enough singles to make an album, hence the name Singles Club. I recorded the album at my apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, where I was living with my girlfriend at the time. She would sleep and I would go to the living room and stay up all night and record. For some reason, ideas came better to me in the middle of the night when I was writing this album.” Brecher tells us, adding “My music is gay and I’m really proud of that. A friend once recommended my music as being ‘for fans of dykes in general’ and I agree! The songs on this album go through all the moods. I want there to be something that resonates with anyone who listens.”

Stay tuned for more from HUSHPUPPY via Instagram @zbrecher