Mom Friend is the latest project from songwriter and Girls Rock Camp ATL board member Emily Backus (The Skipperdees, Total Babe). While her previous groups were more folk-leaning, this time around she directs her keen ear towards melodic punk. And you better sit your butt down because Backus has some things to say. On “Creed Arms,” she ruminates on toxic masculinity and the unequal treatment women receive in the music community. Backus sings with a wave of righteous anger as her voice climbs up sharp baroque tones: “You waste that stage / I am so tired of clapping for lackluster men / Who get paid for their age / While I’m worth less for every line upon my skin.” The track culminates with an empowering repetition of “I know I’m as good as you; I know I’m better.”
In the accompanying lyric video — which we’re excited to premiere today — Backus uses toy dinosaurs, crayons, and other charming found objects to accompany the clip’s stop-motion animation. “It’s [a song] about metaphorical dinosaurs so I used literal dinosaurs,” she jokes. “And everything I do is to impress my nephews. I’m grateful as hell for Girls Rock Camp for helping me learn to express this frustration.”
Mom Friend is the audible version of a feminist zine; their songs are a smart collage of textures, reframed genres, and vulnerable truths. If you’re a fan of songwriters like Waxahatchee or Courtney Barnett, you’ll find something to admire in Backus and Mom Friend.
Watch/listen above.
More Info
Bandcamp: momfriend.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @momfriendband
Twitter: @momfriendband