[got] at the trauma at the heart of what this society expects of us, how we must keep calm and carry on despite the earth-shattering changes, both figurative and literal, that are happening all around.

Ahead of her debut full-length which is expected sometime in 2021 DiRusso is back with a brand new single, ’20’. As sincere as ever, the track is a coming-of-age anthem for an anxious generation, caught between the comforts of childhood and pressures ahead, not to mention the crushing expectations and preconceptions of the present. But true to DiRusso’s style, this anxiety is balanced by an unapologetic streak too. A steadfast knowledge sitting hard and bright beneath the surface worries that it is okay to be this way, that there is no right way to live. The result is a heart-on-the-sleeve portrayal of what it’s like to be young, where one’s own desires to develop and grow must be measured against those unfair and unhealthy suggestions from the outside.

I’m not ready to go
I’m ready to grow
So bad at being alone
I’m almost 20 years old

Photos by Olivia Anzalone

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‘Don’t Swerve’ followed similar themes but injected a playful edge, giving DiRusso the space to fully show off her vocal range before the bombastic guitars kick in. A mischievous, self-aware tone is present, but one that accentuates the emotion rather than undermines it, lending a relatable, human face to the age old themes of unrequited love.

New single ‘Dead Dogs’ is the latest development of Annie DiRusso’s sound. Born of the recent death of her dog, Bella, the song centres on the aftermath of loss, how we find ourselves unable or unwilling to let go of what is no longer present, and how we feel guilty or crazy for such stubbornness. “I feel insane,” DiRusso sings, “talking at the sky, trying to send love to my dog that died. / Don’t know what I think or a reason why Bella’d be up there, just chilling with the big guy.”

The track also confronts the steady collapse of our world, finding connections between feeling ashamed of our own grief and the collective refusal to confront the wider loss occurring daily all over the planet. Though too personal and well-crafted to speak this head on, ‘Dead Dogs’ gets at the trauma at the heart of what this society expects of us, how we must keep calm and carry on despite the earth-shattering changes, both figurative and literal, that are happening all around.

Dead dogs don’t talk to me
and neither does God
But I need some answers please
the world is going wrong

Photos and album artwork by Loretta Violante

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