What’s the line that separates self-respect from ego? For women in a patriarchal society, that boundary hasn’t been easy to draw. Western tradition beckons her to surrender her last name after she takes her nuptial vows; heads often turn to the man in any group gathering. Of course, you might say, these are progressive times—and yet, when a potential lover occupies her mind, does she surrender pieces of her will to fasten the bond between them? Do “they” solidify into a seamless unit, or does she smile and melt into her partner’s shadow?
For all the sleek pop style of city-bound stargazers password:password, their new single hits at the heart of any romantic’s greatest existential challenge. “Tell me what I’ll do… when did I become not mine?” Claire Lacombe laments at the song’s outset; she feels her own agency diminish, even as she asks for direction. And yet, as “Just Yours, Not Mine” spins like a disco ball over the bedroom, you can still feel like you’re floating on air, suspended by the sheer euphoria of affection.
“The relationship is still too important, the good outweighs the bad,” Lacombe tells me over email. “So we should fix it before ending something that we’ve worked so hard on.”
Mind, as the band’s expressive lead singer, Lacombe doesn’t struggle as much with self-confidence these days. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being a part of that unit and it’s a large part of my life,” she says. “But I’m cool on my own too.”
Listen below.
“Just Yours, Not Mine” is the A-side to password:password’s new two-song single, out today via Bandcamp.
password:password will perform on Fri., July 5 at a house show alongside Yolk and TBA. Doors open at 8 p.m.
More Info
Bandcamp: passwordpassword.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @pwpwband
Instagram: @pwpwband