MisterWives announce their fourth studio album with pulsating, melodically infectious title track “Nosebleeds” accompanied by a mesmerizing video that reminds us to take care of our inner-child.
Stream: “Nosebleeds” – MisterWives
The world has a tendency of beating you up.
The older you get, the more you learn, and the more jaded you become. You shape shift to try to be what you think you’re supposed to be and in doing so you completely forget what you’ve always wanted to be. We don’t prioritize our younger selves enough. This is a shame because the younger versions of us are usually the best versions – the most clear headed and strong willed. It is so important to pay attention to the moments that remind us of who we used to be. Whether it’s a trip home, an old photo, or even a forgotten memory that somehow resurfaces, remembering what meant the most to you in your earliest days is the best way to know how to move forward in your later ones.
MisterWives do this with their latest single “Nosebleeds,” the pulsating, melodically infectious title track of their fourth studio album, due out July 14, 2023.
MisterWives’ lead singer Mandy Lee says of the song, “Written during the pandemic and right in the thick of numerous sucker punches, ‘Nosebleeds’ was one of the first songs I wrote for the album before realizing it would later become the song to spark the overarching theme of the record. Being kept high up in the nosebleeds and on the outside of where you want to be has been a recurring dynamic in my life, especially in an industry that has profited off moving the goalpost or cutting ties if you don’t conform to how they see fit.”
“Nosebleeds” begins with energetic melodic keys paired with a gritty guitar. The music video, directed by Jax Anderson, shows lead singer Mandy Lee on the floor before the camera shifts up to a version of her younger self. Lee’s voice is such a powerhouse, we get to hear this as the song goes on, but there is something special about hearing the incredible control and cadence with which she sings this first verse in – allowing us to really hear her words. Lee and her younger self are face to face as she sings,
I saw it all in a crystal ball
The wings were wide but in narrow halls
Writing was always on the wall
But I looked the other way
A sinking feeling inside my bones
A crowded room but I’m all alone
Its my address but its not my home
So I looked the other way
Lee says of the song, “‘Nosebleeds’ was the first step in letting go of all the naysayers and letting in uninhibited acceptance of myself without outside approval. Not shying away from that radical feeling we matched the music in tone with distorted guitars, gritty synths and a pulsing beat that helped give my voice the confidence I needed to start this next chapter and to keep going.”
The “Nosebleeds” music video shifts to Lee dressed in red being dragged through the metaphorical (red) mud, trying to grab on to anything she can,
I’m up in the nosebleeds
I’m watching the show
I’m feeling some deja vu
An old episode
I’m up in the nosebleeds
And down in the seats
I see a thousand faces
That look just like me
Lee says that, “The ‘Nosebleeds’ music video takes you on the journey of trying to protect and get back to your inner child–the person you were before life dragged you through the trenches. Being thrown around through obstacles and suffocated by the endless spiral of suffering, doubt, and opinions of others, I find a younger version of myself I’ve been chasing amidst the chaos.”
She lands in the chorus, surrounded by chaos, but her voice stays calm as ever as she sings the infectious melody,
Wonder what it might be like
Just for one night
I didn’t care what they all think
Wonder what it might be like
Just for one night
She joins the band mid-chorus and you see comfort set into her body,
I didn’t care what they all think
I didn’t care what they all think
Just for one night
I didn’t care what they all think
Lee mirrors her younger self as she sings verse two. The more they interact, the lighter she becomes. Her smile becomes wider and although the lyrics are heavy, she seemingly begins to let go.
I was blind to the warning signs
Spilling blood you were drinking wine
Conned to wait to the finish line
Told me I was DOA
All the wreckage inside my head
A consequence of the words you said
Its 2020 in retrospect
So I turned the other way
Lee and her younger self are now completely in sync, ignoring all that is around them. Lee explains, “through symbolism of movement she teaches me how to get back to who I was before the world told me who to be.”
I’m up in the nosebleeds
I’m watching the show
I’m feeling some deja vu
An old episode
I’m up in the nosebleeds
And down in the seats
I see a thousand faces
That look just like me
For the second chorus the pair pick up their respective mics and perform with the band. Lee and her mini-me pull out signature moves that if you’re lucky enough – you’ve seen live. They celebrate through the chorus,
Wonder what it might be like
Just for one night
I didn’t care what they all think
Wonder what it might be like
Just for one night
I didn’t care what they all think
Lee’s younger self disappears as the music lowers to only her harmonies and a beat. As the bridge plays she begins to notice her surroundings again. She barely escapes they pile of hooded figures who are trying to suffocate her,
Disembodied trying to be somebody
Thought that I was different just a carbon copy
Lost in the illusion If I’m winning or I’m losing
Thought that I was different that was a delusion
Lee runs up a never ending spiral staircase, desperately trying to escape the hooded figures that are clouding her sun.
“We chose to end this scene dressed in the same clothes from the crowd of people to represent how often we feel isolated in our pain when in reality our struggles are a lot more similar than we may think,” Lee explains.
Finally, she rejoins the band, singing the outro feverishly.
I’m up in the nosebleeds
I’m watching the show
I’m feeling some deja vu
An old episode
I’m up in the nosebleeds
And down in the seats
I see a thousand faces
That look just like me
MisterWives’ fourth studio album drops on July 14 before heading on tour with Bishop Briggs this fall. We can’t wait to follow along.
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:: stream/purchase “Nosebleeds” here ::
Stream: “Nosebleeds” – MisterWives
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© Matty Vogel
© Matty Vogel:: MisterWives ::
