The Ophelias are releasing their new album Crocus this Friday, but before that they’ve given us one final teaser in the form of the album’s opener and title track. Singer Spencer Peppet reveals:
“An old friend said that the first song on an album should be an overture, a thesis statement, a prologue. Crocus the album wasn’t written in order, but the line “I hope that you are happier now/ but I hope that you dream of me” became a throughline. My life has changed since this song was written, but reflecting on the past can sometimes offer clarity. I’m asking, was this relationship as meaningful and important for you as it was for me? And extending a gentle threat- “I hope I’m always a phone call closer than you thought I would be.” I recorded a demo of this song that sounds very close to how the final track turned out. Very rarely do I request to stick this close to the original demo, but I wanted this song to stay as intimate as it began. The noise at the very beginning is me turning on a sink- I wanted to emulate the feedback at the beginning of “Dusted” by Guided by Voices, and the sound of the tap running reminded me of that.”
We’ve heard some reflections on this tough breakup already in the singles “Neil Young On High” and “Sacrificial Lamb”, but “Crocus” is perhaps the most piercingly direct song on the subject that The Ophelias have shared yet. Despite being a placid-sounding song that coasts on gentle acoustic and gorgeous violins, the words themselves are packed with a volatile mixture of love and bitterness. Peppet sings about wanting the best for her ex, and you can certainly hear the genuineness in her voice, but then she throws in some undeniable barbs as she sings “I hope that you can’t bear the thought of how my body looked the first time / I hope that in your chest you’ll always get a little worked up about it.” It’s an emotionally knotty track, but The Ophelias approach it with beautiful openness, and the truth of the pain makes it sparkle.
Watch the video for “Crocus” below, or listen to the song on streaming platforms.
The Ophelias’ new album Crocus is out this Friday, September 24 ,through Joyful Noise (pre-order/save). You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
