Sleater-Kinney Preview Two New Songs: "Surface Envy" and "No Cities to Love"
Last month, the reunited Sleater-Kinney shared “Bury Our Friends”, the lead single from their newly announced forthcoming LP No Cities to Love. Now, in an interview with NPR’s All Songs Considered, the band has shared snippets of two new songs from the album. You can listen to the interview here. “Surface Envy” is played at 19:19 and “No Cities to Love” at 32:39. Below, read some quotes from the interview regarding the new material.
On the early stages of new songwriting:
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN: We wrote in my basement. It took on many permutations, and eventually we settled on a process that was a little more akin to what we had done in the early years, partially because Corin and I had to kind of reacquaint ourselves to the very specific vernacular that she and I speak, musically. And so, [she] and I would work on songs and then bring them to Janet, instead of jamming … It’s almost telepathic. I think that Corin and I can complete each other’s musical sentences in a way that never ceases to surprise me.
On the way aging has impacted the band’s sound:
JANET WEISS: I feel like, with the three of us, with the way we connect, there’s a desperation to reach a certain level…a desperation to break through of the mundane, of the generic. We’re trying to push through, so desperately, to something bigger, that it just sort of comes out in this really powerful, forward-moving way. But I don’t think that’s changed. I think…we just…don’t write a lot of slow songs —there’s a lot of…unbridled energy….I guess as far as young versus old, I don’t really feel like I’ve said it all, and I’m comfortable, and I’m sort of ready to kick my feet up. I feel like there’s a lot left to do… and if we’re gonna do this, the three of us, let’s make it off the charts.
On how the band reunited:
CORIN TUCKER: Actually, Carrie was at my house. We were hanging out, and I think we were watching Portlandia episodes that they were working on. And Fred [Armisen] was there, too. We were talking about playing music … and I said, …’I wonder if we’re ever gonna do a Sleater-Kinney show again.’
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN: I think we had two people in the room who are known fans of the band. One is Corin’s husband, Lance Bangs, and the other is Fred Armisen, who was a fan of the band long before he and I worked together… they were very encouraging, and I think just wouldn’t let that conversation die…It was something that began percolating then. We talked to Janet and, you know, the conversation started.
No Cities to Love is out January 20 in the U.S. and January 19 internationally via Sub Pop.
Here’s “Bury Our Friends”:
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