Los Angeles singer-songwriter Harmony, formerly half of Girlpool, is stepping out on her own with her debut solo EP 'Dystopia Girl'. Billed as the start of "a new sonic era" for her, it combines the intimate and strikingly honest lyricism she's know for with a more pop-leaning vibe.
Here, she talks us through the release track by track.
Angel Kisses
I've been reflecting on this song a lot. It came out so easily and with such haste, I demoed it a few times and then quickly did a session with Oscar (Schellar), where we found the song in the form it is today. (December 2021) I had written it within the few months prior, and I was not doing great - I was processing a lot of romantic rejection (of the emotional kind), and at the same time, I was turning against myself. The song is about that dual rejection… when you reject yourself and, in turn, you find people who will reject you too. I was struggling with my body image and eating, but not in the way that I actually got really skinny or anything (I have PCOS, it doesn't work, lol). I just wanted to be anyone else. And this song is about just completely surrendering yourself to someone, or the desire and eagerness to. And imagining another life where not only does someone want you, but you also want and like yourself.
I really liked the image of the line "taxidermy daydreams" (I almost called it this, but it felt too insane). It's like this idea of the ideal love is kinda in that lyric for me. Being filled by someone and living in their house on display as this twisted but beautiful trophy that they've helped create… it's not ideal to me now, but it was an aspirational vision in a complicated way then.
There are also some sexual double entendres with that concept, which is kind of more of an inside joke with myself, but I enjoy it. When I wrote it, I was getting physically involved with a lot of people, and everyone, including myself, could do everything with me, except love me. It was borderline hilarious, and I loved (hated) the irony and pain of that. I was never sure about the "angel kisses" line, but the farther I get from writing it, the more I see how much it needed to be there. I feel like it represents the inner knowing or hope that in an altered reality, there's a version of you that loves you and is kissing you, and with that, another person is there too and is choosing you.
