Photo: Natalie Piserchio

Sadie Dupuis announces new Sad13 record and shares “Ghost (of a Good Time)”

Sadie Dupuis, leader of Speedy Ortiz, has announced her second album under her Sad13 project; it’s called Haunted Painting is coming out on September 25 via Wax Nine. It seems set to be a sonic step forward from the debut album, Slugger, as it boasts vocal contributions from Helado Negro’s Roberto Lange, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, and Pile’s Rick Maguire, and even an eight-piece orchestra on a couple of tracks.

Dupuis says: “I worked on Haunted Painting throughout 2019, writing, arranging and recording from home, then finishing the songs in studios around the country in between Speedy’s fly-in dates. It’s maximalist, and more true to me and my tastes than any record I’ve done.”

Available now are two songs from the album, “WTD?”, which was released in May, and the new song “Ghost (of a Good Time)”. Dupuis says that “Ghost (of a Good Time)” is a “party song about not going out,” which immediately puts us into her younger years when she would stay home and have a whole world of fun by herself. “Ghost (of a Good Time)” is perfectly bright, poppy and angsty, reflecting all those mixed emotions. On the one hand she’s upbeat and loving her own company, but when the song goes thrillingly into a grungy breakdown, we get a glimpse of her insecurity too.

“Ghost (of a Good Time)” also comes with an appropriately campy and hilarious video, directed by Elle Schneider, which you can watch below.

Haunted Painting is coming out on September 25 via Wax Nine. You can follow Sadie Dupuis on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bandcamp.

Below is the album artwork for Haunted Painting, by Sadie’s mother, Diane Dupuis.