It seems likely that the phrase “thick father” will bring some accidental search results to this website and that a few people might wind up disappointed. But what can you do? There’s a band called THICK, and they have a new song called “Father.” These things happen.
Brooklyn punks THICK, a Band To Watch back in 2018, released their sophomore album Happy Now a couple of years ago, and they followed it with the one-off single “Doomer” last year. Today, they’ve dropped another single. It’s a sad, lovely, bittersweet eulogy for singer/bassist Kate Smith’s late father: “Never saw me play guitar/ I wrote this song/ ‘Cause the world keeps spinning/ Even though you’re gone.” There’s a lot of heavy sentiment on the song, but it never weighs the track down. Here’s what Smith says about it:
THICK has always been a cathartic outlet for frustration and anger, but “Father” is the first time I tapped into sadness and loss without a snarky comeback. This song is a snapshot in my journey with grief after losing my dad, at a point when it was still a surprise every time I wanted to ask him a question and remembered that he wasn’t there.
It’s scary sharing something so personal and vulnerable. I could barely get through recording the first voice note that I sent to Nikki of the song; you could hear the tears rolling down my cheeks. It can be tough playing it live; my whole body tightens up against my emotions. But it’s been rewarding having people share their experiences and relate to the song, it’s a nice reminder that you’re never really alone.
Below, check out the Sydney Tate Bradford-directed “Father” video.
“Father” is out now on Epitaph.