A slacker anthem for all you wayward hearts and self-loathing souls, “This Love Is a Fluke” churns and charms as NEWSKI (metaphorically) sets himself on fire, only to watch himself burn.
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Stream: “This Love Is a Fluke” – NEWSKI
I’m an infinite distraction…
Even when he’s clearly spiraling out, Brett Newski knows how to have a good time.
In fact, he’s reminding us a bit of Batman’s iconic arch-nemesis, the Joker – laughing all the way to the ground. The indie rocker’s latest single is a blithe inner reckoning and spirited fever dream all at once: The explosion, as well as the aftermath. A slacker anthem for all you wayward hearts and self-loathing souls, “This Love Is a Fluke” churns and charms as NEWSKI (metaphorically) sets himself on fire, only to watch himself burn.
Couldn’t find the words
so I bought a bag of fireworks
and I blew ’em off on your front lawn
the dogs went off
Pissed off neighbors stood around
Couldn’t find the words so I kicked the earth
Sat my bum ass on the curb
Passed out on your best friend’s couch
Tried to sleep the demons out
Independently released August 4, 2023, “This Love is a Fluke” is an irresistibly catchy and smile-inducing eruption from turbulent depths. The sonically and emotionally charged track is NEWSKI’s first single since the release of his acclaimed Friend Rock, an album that found him collaborating with friends and fellow “musician lifers” – including childhood heroes like Ryan Miller of Guster and Scott Terry of Red Wanting Blue.
“Whether you’re in it for the energetic outpourings, or more attuned to that communal, collaborative spirit, Friend Rock is full of fun times and fierce emotions,” Atwood Magazine wrote in our track-by-track feature, published in April. “NEWSKI and friends hold nothing back in creating a singular journey that enchants, inspires, and enthralls straight through to the end.”
Passed out on your best friend’s couch, tried to sleep the demons out…
“This Love Is a Fluke” brings that same spectacular, charismatic energy to the fore as NEWSKI – comprised of Brett Newski on guitars and vocals, Steve “Mr Bicep” Vorass on drums, and Sean “Tubs” Anderson on bass – dig their heels in and do what they do best. Newski’s passionate voice is a lightning rod of energy and emotion; as he sings front and center, a world of sonic turbulence emerges around him in the form of heavy drums and hard-hitting guitars, all of which slash at the air as if by doing so, they might release some unseen demons lurking within.
The tension rises to a fever pitch before spilling out in a cataclysmic, and deeply infectious, chorus:
You’re so smart
And I’m so off
Be around, be around
I think I’m gonna puke
Oh Yeah!?
This moment will pass
This love is a fluke
“‘This Love is a Fluke’ is a comedic take at self-loathing, loitering, and perpetual aimlessness,” Brett Newski tells Atwood Magazine. “The emo perpetrator throws his very own solo fireworks party in hopes of self-distraction, subconsciously not caring if he blows his own finger off.”
“When meditation is too hard, the next best thing is to get in the car and just drive, sometimes around the city, but sometimes all the way to New Orleans to visit some medicinal voodoo and sell a part of your soul to the tarot card lady in exchange for ten minutes of peace.”
Couldn’t find myself so I drove down South
A long car ride will sort me out
Felt like a hazard, former axe man
I’m an infinite distraction
Posted up in New Orleans
To rendezvous with my bad dreams
Opened the closet, jaw dropped down
Skeletons came pouring out
This is absolutely the two-and-a-half soundtrack to a life spiraling out of control, where all you can do is sit back and hope the chaos doesn’t consume you whole. Despite all this madness, Newski sings with a cool confidence and grounded self-assurance; his narrator might be losing his grip, but the artist behind the curtain is doing just fine.
To that end, NEWSKI are currently in the midst of an ambitious 100-date touring year that, at its end, will have hit cities on three different continents. The band are about to finish their run in the Midwestern United States, after which they’ll be in South Africa in late September and early October, before heading off to mainland Europe and the United Kingdom. Tickets and more information are available at newskimusic.com/tour!
Needless to say, the sparks that fly throughout “This Love Is a Fluke” are sure to ignite crowds all over the world. Get lost in this invigorating fever dream and stay tuned for more from NEWSKI, the hardest-working slacker band we know.
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Stream: “This Love Is a Fluke” – NEWSKI
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© Sebastian Madej
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