Boyish, the duo comprising India Shore and Claire Altendhal who curates our Queeropedia playlist this month, has just released a new album today. Garden Spider features the previously released singles “FUCK YOU HEATHER“, “zodiac killer“, “anxious butterball” as well as the highlight “AnDroGay”, a soulful new offering exploring gender roles. Listen to the track and stream the whole album below.

“Now I don’t even know you / lost your name in a shitstorm I caused,” sings 22-year old India Shore, who is a member of the alt-country and queer project Boyish, which she started with guitarist Claire Altendhal.

Following up to “Ghost” and “zodiac killer,” “FUCK YOU HEATHER” combines anger and resentment with that pure, early 20s confusion about how relationships should (or shouldn’t) function. The track starts with an indie-acoustic, summer-lovin’ guitar tune, courtesy of Altendhal, with Shore crooning sweet nothings until you realise that “FUCK YOU HEATHER” is not a love song – it’s a breakup bop.

Boyish take the listener through a mirage of built-up emotions (anger, remorse, hope) and through various stages of grief experienced while ending a relationship. There is the obvious pain and guilt, as well as denial and bargaining (“We could be friends / we could be friends…”).

A cathartic moment comes when Shore screams the titular “Fuck you Heather”, followed by the spiralling sounds of bass, synthesisers and drums, heavily contrasted by the minimal, calm start of the tune.

Overall, this new track is not that different from their previous releases. On the other hand, it marks a certain breakthrough in manifesting more negative emotions through their music in a level of self-awareness that is rarely seen in even much older musicians. Listen below.

Boyish, that another writer of HighClouds described as “dark, breathy, gay shit” in a private conversation, is a duo formed by “two very confused” 22-year-old artists, India Shore and Claire Altendhal. Since their formation in 2016, they have already achieved to attract attention as their 2018’s debut album, Carnation, got nominated for an Independent Music Award, in the alt-country category.

Following up to their indie-rock elegy “Ghost“, they’re now back with another dreamy track titled “zodiac killer”. Besides the snippets of conversation, which encapsulate the anxiety and struggles they face in their daily life, the vulnerable song boasts on a hypnotic, captivating final build-up. When asked about the track, they commented: “‘zodiac killer’ is a song about growing up while everything is going wrong, big gay sadness, and realizing that people aren’t always who you thought they were.”

After finishing college, India Shore and Claire Altendhal felt the need to start over. Emerging from their former life in an alt-country project called “The Blue,” the 22-year-old pair have reunited under the name Boyish and composed an indie rock elegy to a fading relationship with their new single “Ghost.”

The track begins minimalistically, with just Claire’s reverberating guitar and India’s rich, haunting voice to begin their story. Slowly it builds, adding drums in time for the chorus: “And if I called you, would you say that i’m your girl? / Because I miss the way you used to rock my world.”

The track’s intensity builds as India lists her laments — lonely nights, playing the waiting game, being too broke to move to New York — adding a deep bassline, echo-y backup vocals, twangy guitar riffs, and shouting that nearly turns to howling. It reaches its peak at the 2:45 minute mark, a slow build that pays off completely.

When asked to describe their sound, Boyish noted that “that feeling of having growing pains one night, and waking up feeling taller and weirder the next day.” “Ghost” is the second single off their upcoming sophomore album, Garden Spider. Check it out at the link below.