“There’s so much to see / There’s a silver lining / And a ripping seam / Everything’s overrated / I’m watching from too close,” sing Girlpool on their newest single and title track of the duo’s forthcoming album, What Chaos Is Imaginary. It’s a stirring track, both in sound and in subject matter, and provides a compelling peek into what’s in store in the evolution of members Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker. What Chaos Is Imaginary comes out on February 1 via Anti- Records.
“What Chaos Is Imaginary,” written by Tividad, sounds like what it must feel like to float, to transcend your surroundings while still maintaining full, sharp awareness. “Got your head in the clouds / And two eyes on the shaking ground,” they harmonize, over a steadied drumbeat and an arresting string arrangement, which eventually swells into a full-blown orchestral instrumental.
About the song, Tividad said,
“‘What Chaos Is Imaginary’ is a song very close to my heartmind… closer than most. I wrote it at the most vulnerable point I have ever had thus far in my life. I was living very far from ‘home’ and not taking the best care of myself on any level… no matter what I did, I was getting into situations that were emotionally, spiritually and physically putting me at some type of risk. These situations culminated in me having horrific PTSD (I didn’t realize it was this until long after) during which I found it completely impossible to imagine living beyond the time I was in. The ‘present moment’ was impossible to even begin to participate in — there was very nearly a white noise over all interactions and I couldn’t focus in any social situations unless I somehow found a way to be in my wrong mind. This song is about reckoning with this — trying to find a path to forgiving myself, attempts to redevelop a relationship with the world where I could find some illusion of ‘safety’ and belief in the fact that I could ultimately take care of myself.”
Listen to “What Chaos Is Imaginary” above. What Chaos Is Imaginary is out February 1 via Anti- Records. Pre-order it here. Catch the duo on tour at one of the dates below.
4/4 — Tustin, CA @ Marty’s On Newport *
4/5 — San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
4/6 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater *
4/9 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent *
4/11 — Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
4/12 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
4/13 — Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret *
4/16 — St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club *
4/17 — Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
4/18 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
4/19 — Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig *
4/20 — Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall *
4/21 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz *
4/23 — Boston, MA @ Royale *
4/24 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
4/25 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
4/26 — Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts *
4/27 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes *
4/28 — Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
4/30 — Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall *
5/1 — Athens, GA @ 40 Watt *
5/2 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn *
5/3 — Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon *
5/4 — Houston, TX @ Satellite *
5/5 — San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger *
5/7 — Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
5/8 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
5/9 — Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street Coop *
5/10 — Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf *
5/11 — Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole *
* w/ Hatchie
