Brighton indie-pop band Amelia & The Housewives premiere the video for ‘Narcissist’ exclusively with LOUD WOMEN today. Written largely through the band’s WhatsApp group during a boiling-hot bus journey from Brighton to Eastbourne, it turns the grim experience of loving a narcissist into two-and-a-bit minutes of sparkling pop. Anyone who has endured that particular emotional circus will hard relate. Sometimes you either laugh or cry, and this is much more fun than crying.
“We write most of our songs via the band’s WhatsApp group.”
While Amelia was passing through Seaford, guitarist Jonny was contributing from a rainy San Francisco and the rest of the band were scattered elsewhere. Somewhere along the route, they decided the song did not need a bridge. Correct decision. Amelia & The Housewives make a point of asking how every song could be shorter, and ‘Narcissist’ gets in, delivers the evidence and leaves before anyone can start gaslighting it.
“I should be jumping on your bones
But you left me in the rain outside of Waterstones”
It is a very funny line about something that is not especially funny. Beneath the jangling guitars, brisk drums and chiming harmonies from Amelia and Lola is the painfully familiar story of somebody who can make absolutely everything about themselves.
There is also a nod to Sandie Shaw in the line “Always something there to remind me”. Lola, who is 19 and had never heard of Shaw, emerged from the vocal booth with an unexpected confession:
“I felt compelled to remove my shoes and socks to sing that, I’ve never done that before, but it just felt right.”
Fair enough. Pop music has always demanded sacrifices.
‘Narcissist’ is sharp, bright and gloriously economical, finding comedy in emotional wreckage without pretending the wreckage does not hurt. It is the first single from Amelia & The Housewives’ self-titled debut album, due in October, and a very promising indication of what they have been concocting on public transport.
“Most of our songs seem to get written on bus & train journeys. We’re the Woody Guthrie of indie-pop.”
Watch the video below.
‘Narcissist’ is released on 24 July through INH Records. Amelia & The Housewives follows on 2 October.
Live dates:
25 July – The Prince Albert, Brighton
29 August – The Wake Festival, West Sussex
3 October – Album launch show at Daltons, Brighton