The joys of being a band – contrary to flying solo – can be the experience of meanings behind songs traveling in a constant flux. Such is the case with West Coast outfit Worthitpurchase, who bring an enchanting synthesis of lo-fi bedroom pop and fragmented, often colorful sound experiments. “Heaven on Earth” was initially a nostalgic song penned by founding member Nicole Rowe. But as she corresponded with collaborator Omar Akrouche on how to complete the recording, she was perfectly okay with his misinterpretations of the words taking it someplace different.
“Heaven on Earth” perfectly captures the transition of seasons, with icy chimes, warm synths, and squiggly drum machines pulling the listener in a woozy delirium. Rowe naturally takes point at the start, while Akrouche responds and closes up, bringing a fun conversational element to the track.
“I started writing this song in the first apartment I ever lived at, this super dark and cave-like garden level apartment in San Francisco,” Rowe says. “It always looked like the sun had just set, and however hot it was outside, the place was consistently 55ºF. The ceilings were something like 12 feet high and my room was basically an echo chamber. There’s some escapism in the lyrics stemming from spending that cold summer there. I sent a voice memo to Omar asking him to write a verse, and he sent back this insane B section with altered choruses that misinterpreted the original lyrics. The chorus is an amalgamation of both the original and Omar’s version of mine.”
“Heaven on Earth” is the first glimpse of a new Worthitpurchase album, which is scheduled for this Fall. For more background information about the group, revisit our interview feature from 2022.
For now, listen to “Heaven on Earth” below and find it on streaming services.
