Beyond the wry humor and plainspoken honesty that marks Gabbie Watts’ songwriting, lies a sense of looming dread. You can hear some of that anxiety—as well as her various responses to it—coursing through the new single “Heaven Forbid,” the first track to be revealed off the upcoming Gabbie Rotts EP, Pink Drink Season. Amidst the uneasy jangle of dirty guitars, Watts attempts to assure an unnamed other, perhaps a past or future version of herself, that existential dilemmas and crippling self-doubt are all necessary results of seeking your better self. “Lord knows I can empathize / with that haunting feeling that you’re throwing away your life,” she sings, her vocals landing somewhere between comforting warmth and a deep-seated sigh. It’s an easy sentiment for any artist to relate to, but Watts is self-aware enough to realize that our personal journeys rarely turn out like we plan them to. That’s why the latter half of the song is couched mostly in the language of uncertainty—in words like “maybe,” “if,” and “hope.” Understanding and empathy are all well and good, but each of us must still seek out our paths alone.
Pink Drink Season is out Aug. 10.
Gabbie Rotts will perform tonight at Go Bar in Athens alongside Bed Deth (Zine Release) and Here Be Monsters. Doors open at 9 p.m.
More Info
Web: gabbierotts.com
Bandcamp: gabbierotts.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @gabbierotts