Softcult, the duo of Toronto twin siblings Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, were a Stereogum Band To Watch last year, and they’ll release their new EP Heaven next month. By the time the record comes out, we’ll probably already know all the songs, since Softcult like to drop one track at a time. We’ve already posted the title track, “Haunt You Still,” “Shortest Fuse,” and “Spiralling Out.” Today, they’ve also shared “One Of The Pack,” the fifth advance single from this six-song EP.
“One Of The Pack” is a purposeful, fuzzed-up rocker. The aesthetic isn’t quite shoegaze, but it reminds me of the early-’90s moment when pedal-mashing American bands started trying to do their own versions of the British shoegaze sound. Softcult’s structure and hooks are all full-on pop, but they use muffled vroom in a way that makes sense. Mercedes Arn-Horn directed the “One Of The Pack” video, a soft-focus slow-motion rock-out that stars Ontario performer Miss Conduct. Here’s what the band says about it:
When we wrote this song, we wanted to celebrate women supporting women, and of course that includes POC and transgender women. It’s sad that that’s something that I feel I need to specify and include in a statement like this, but the truth is there are some TERFs out there trying to exclude certain communities from feminism and even the term “woman.” We pride ourselves on being intersectional feminists, even introducing riot grrrl feminism and activism to the shoegaze community in our own way, and we want anyone listening to our music to know that POC, trans women, and non-binary people will always be a welcome and crucial part of our grrrl gang.
This song is hopefully one you can sing to your best friend to let them know: I know you have to deal with a lot of bullshit from other people, but I will always be here for you. I see you, I’ll support you, and I love you.
Check it out below.
The Heaven EP is out 5/24.