For the past few months now, indie favorite Bartees Strange has been pushing his forthcoming album, Horror, with compelling singles like “Sober” and “Too Much.” Now, he’s added another one to the pot, as he shared “Wants Needs” today.
Bartees says of the song:
“I realized a couple years ago that if music is really going to work out long-term, I want/need more fans. Of course — it’s a timing and numbers game — but race is a powerful component too. I don’t see a lot of people like me in the indie space making long term livings on their records. I worry people may have a hard time connecting to me because I don’t look/sound like them. That I’m fun to root for, but not actually supported. This song is about how much that worries me — fully understanding that a lot of these neurosis are of my own making.”
He previously said of the album, “In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too. For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck, or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close — so I’m less afraid.”
Listen to “Wants Needs” above.
Horror is out 2/14 via 4AD. Find more information here.
