Speedy Ortiz have announced their first album in five years: Rabbit Rabbit follows 2018’s Twerp Verse and includes the single “Scabs.” The LP arrives September 1 via Wax Nine—the label launched by bandleader Sadie Dupuis. Today, Speedy Ortiz have shared a new track from Rabbit Rabbit, “You S02,” along with a video directed by Elle Schneider. Check it out below.
Schneider and Speedy Ortiz filmed the visual for “You S02” in the scenic deserts of Joshua Tree, California. “It was freezing out,” Dupuis said of the shoot in press materials. “Southern California was experiencing unseasonal snow—but the low temps fit the bill for a video about how revenge is best served cold (in a non-heated swimming pool).” The campy, dystopian clip was partly inspired by John Carpenter’s cult classic They Live, in which a special pair of sunglasses reveals the nefarious messages behind advertisements.
Discussing the themes of “You S02,” Dupuis wrote: “Mostly when I’ve met my musical heroes, they’re kind and principled people. But occasionally someone whose work I love(d) reveals themselves to be anti-union, or anti-‘woke,’ or some other gear-grinding ugliness. That’s who I wrote ‘You S02’ about, the song’s frenzied guitar and synth solos mirroring the crazy-making intensity wafting off people who act like that. In the TV show You’s second season, the main character moves from New York to L.A. in hopes of a fresh start, but (spoiler) remains a murdering psychopath. Changing cities won’t make you a hero if you still treat others badly.”
In addition to being Speedy Ortiz’s first LP since 2018, Rabbit Rabbit is the first to feature longtime touring bassist Audrey Zee Whitesides and drummer Joey Doubek, who are now full-time bandmates alongside Dupuis and guitarist Andy Molholt. The album title refers to a superstitious ritual Dupuis adopted as a child living with OCD and early trauma.
“I turned 33 while writing this album, a palindrome birthday and a lucky number associated with knowledge,” Dupuis explained of Rabbit Rabbit. “I wanted to mark how I was making better choices as I got older, letting go of heedless anger even when it’s warranted.” She added: “As I was channeling scenes and sentiments from decades past, I wanted to honor the bands I loved when I first learned guitar, ones that taught me to get lost in the possibilities of this instrument.”
Speaking about arranging the album, Doubek noted that “every voice has a narrative. There is so much feeling and melody to interpret, and so much room to express it.” The band recorded Rabbit Rabbit between Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree and Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, co-producing with Illuminati Hotties’ Sarah Tudzin, who also mixed the LP. The album was mastered by Emily Lazar and Chris Allgood at the Lodge in New York. Speedy Ortiz tracked their new songs on more than 50 guitars, using about 100 effects pedals, 30 amps, and found sounds produced from bedpans, debit cards, and BB guns.