Speedy Ortiz Share ‘Scabs’ – Their First New Song In Five Years

Indie rock heroes Speedy Ortiz break their silence with new song ‘Scabs’.

Out now, it’s the band’s first release in five years, and ends a lengthy absence from our lives. Not that the individual members of Speedy Ortiz have been lax – singer and creative force Sadie Depuis records as Sad13, she’s published two poetry books, she runs the revered Carpark Records stable, and holds down the fort at literary journal Wax Nine.

New song ‘Scabs’ was prompted by a sense that support for progressive causes was sometimes made without good intentions, or a serious follow-through. Recorded at Joshua Tree’s Rancho de la Luna and El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, it’s vintage Speedy Ortiz – caustic, intelligent, and packed with heart.

“Living in progressive cities and working in the arts, you meet peers doing tremendous organizing work. And then there are neighbors who signal their ‘good’ politics through yard signs alone,” says Dupuis. “I wrote ‘Scabs’ standing in line at the post office, overhearing customers berate a USPS employee. This was during a time of postal unions-opposed budget cuts and other major issues for mail handlers, which were widely reported on.”

“People advertising their support for essential workers acted conversely when faced with personal inconvenience. The song became more widely about self-designated ethicists who don’t quibble about crossing a picket line for individual benefit.”

Tune in now.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez