Writing in 2018, we described Nectar‘s debut Knocking on the Door (released via Infinity Cat Records) as a “blend [of] introspective writing [and] bouncy pop punk,” admiring how the Illinois band eschewed conventions to suit their own style. “Nectar show that personal and introspective songs need not be slumped and mumbling,” we concluded, “that springy guitars and catchy melodies are sometimes just the tools to capture how it feels to traverse the weird experience of trying to find a place in the world.”
This year sees Nectar return with a series of new singles, and the first, ‘Blister’, takes this idea and finds new ground. With its upbeat pop punk momentum, the track delves into dark and unsettling themes, exploring how pain and pleasure are intertwined, and how the marks and scars (or blisters) suffered in the process of doing something you love take on a peculiar kind of meaning.
The song was written in the aftermath of a serious injury to lead Kamila Glowacki, when a skateboarding accident left her with fractures in both arms and the fear that she might never be able to play guitar again. “The new version of my arm felt very grotesque as it was healing,” Glowacki explains. “Long scars, dark and exaggerated hair growth, swelling, bruising, and metal plates that keep the bones in place.”
‘Blister’ picks up within this strange space, where the curious pride of a skating wound clashes with the fact that it hinders other passions and outlets. “The brick wall pattern [of the artwork] is an obstacle and interruption to overcome,” Glowacki says, and the single represents an engagement with such barriers. Because Glowacki did heal, and the time in recovery allowed her to find a new level of focus and intention in even the smallest of things.