Harry the Nightgown is the “sonic playground” of Sami Perez and Spencer Hartling, a pair with pretty impressive musical pedigree having worked as audio engineers at John Vanderslice’s legendary Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco. Perez’s experience goes back even further, beginning with her band The She’s when she was a teen, and more recently joining Cherry Glazerr on bass.
Last Year, Harry the Nightgown released their self-titled debut on Topshelf Records, a record that combined playful experimentation and ear-worm pop melodies. Now the band are back with a new single, ‘If You Were Wrong’, the first of two for Dangerbird Records‘ Microdose series.
Written during the early days of the pandemic, the track explores a faltering romantic relationship during the era of isolation and stay-at-home orders. But despite the serious subject matter, Harry the Nightgown bring their unique exuberance and intuitive experimentalism to create a deconstructed pop song. Synths sparkle and stutter over distorted drum samples as Perez and Hartling swap vocal duties, giving the whole thing the feel of a squishy, candy-coloured pinball machine. The label describe it as “an earnest lovelorn duet somehow blend[ed] seamlessly with a technicolor synthscape,” which is a pretty perfect summation of its unpredictability, sincerity and sheer ear-popping fun.
There’s guilt in your mind
But there’s only you in mine
There’s guilt in your mind
But there’s only you
It also comes with a suitably out-there video, directed by Russell Hartling. Check it out below.
‘If You Were Wrong’ is out on Dangerbird Records and you can stream and download it from the Harry the Nightgown Bandcamp page.