Maybe it’s the aura of melancholy lurking in JJ Posway’s vocals or the way the guitars tumble, flutter, and float like so many falling leaves, but there is something inextricably autumn-esque about Scooterbabe’s new single, “Sick Spine.” The track is the first taste we’ve been treated to of the Athens group’s upcoming LP, The Sorrow You’ve Been Toting Around, and while the jaunty rhythms help provide an illusion of upbeat pep and vigor, the underlying lyrics paint a picture that is far more chilly and dour.
“Tonight I’m aching / Splayed out on what little ground I can find space for / I’m shouldering the cost so I can live how I see fit, hoping someday we grow out of this,” Posway laments, accompanied by fellow Athens artist Jianna Justice. Ostensibly, it’s a song about indecision and the consequences that come with putting off or avoiding critical life decisions. But not everything in his words is meant as metaphor or allusion. There are also direct references to the bodily pain Posway feels on a consistent basis as a result of his ongoing battle with Scheuermann’s disease, a self-limiting skeletal disorder most often formed during childhood.
“Had I kept up with certain exercises as a teenager, I might’ve prevented some of the pain I feel in my back now,” Posway explains. “Recently, I realized indecision was my downfall, and that I’d been treating major choices in my life the way I treated my back. I was doing nothing until decisions were made for me or opportunities vanished.”
Listen below.
The Sorrow You’ve Been Toting Around is out Nov. 4 via Jigsaw Records and Perfect Attendance Records.
Scooterbabe will celebrate the release of The Sorrow You’ve Been Toting Around on Friday, Nov. 4 at Caledonia Lounge. Dead Neighbors and Pansy play in support. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. 18+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: scooterbabe.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @scooterbabemusic
Instagram: @scooterbabego
SoundCloud: @scooterbabe
Twitter: @scooterbabego