Church Girls
[Photo: Natalie Piserchio

Church Girls have “Nothing” to prove in new song—listen

With a double helix DNA of jagged guitar lines and strident vocal melodies, Philadelphia-based indie-rockers Church Girls are hitting all the sweet spots. Today, AltPress is premiering “Nothing,” the first track on The Haunt, their second album, slated for release on Chatterbot Records Feb. 7

“‘Nothing’ is the opening track of the record but the last song we wrote before recording,” vocalist/guitarist Mariel Beaumont says. “We liked the idea of opening with something bold and aggressive. 

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“The idea behind the song is when you act in self-destructive ways, you hit a ‘bottom,’” she continues. “Although it’s painful, it’s comforting to know there are essentially right ways and wrong ways to behave, and the constraints can help you self-correct toward better habits.”

Produced by Scott Solter (whose resumé includes records by St. Vincent, Spoon and the Mountain Goats), The Haunt is a compelling slab of indie-rock goodness. On “Nothing,” Beaumont and co-guitarist Joseph Wright get tangled up in chiming leads as the rhythm section of bassist Vince Vullo and drummer Julien Varnier drives the whole thing with power and finesse. Church Girls’ swelling guitars make you wonder what a Johnny Marr solo record on Dischord Records would sound like. How would Joyce Manor moonlighting as a Sleater-Kinney tribute band fare? 

You don’t need rhetorical questions: You want to rock. Check out “Nothing” below. And if you feel like picking up what Church Girls are throwing down, preorder The Haunt right here

The band will spend the top of the year touring Europe. They’ll be bringing their special kind of adrenaline to the States later in 2020. All the cool kids in Philly already know that the record release party for The Haunt goes down at Johnny Brenda’s Feb. 7. Who cares what the weather could be like? When you see them, Church Girls will definitely take you to a house of worship…