A theatrical, shiver-inducing indie rock record of resistance and reckoning, She’s in Parties’ ‘Puppet Show’ EP shines a light on our broken world through five hard-hitting songs of passion and protest, connection and catharsis.

for fans of The Killers, Pale Waves, Wolf Alice, NewDad, Bleach Lab

Stream: “Puppet Show” – She’s in Parties

Bleach white and pearlescent glow, now go sing your puppet show…

**We know we’re living through dark times.**

Between the wars and genocides raging across the globe, to the startling rise of authoritarian states around the world, to the high cost of living here at home (wherever home is for you), life in the 2020s has been and remains tough on a micro and macro level – and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to our heartaches or hardships.

The question is, what will you do about it?

No, it’s not a simulation; we’re so much more than characters in a dystopian fantasy. We have agency, even when all feels lost. Each of us has a voice, even when we feel helpless – powerless and vulnerable in this real-life fever dream. Sometimes, it takes seeing someone else rise up and resist the system to realize that we can do it, too – and that’s exactly what Essex indie rock band She’s in Parties do in their sophomore EP. A shiver-inducing record of resistance and reckoning, Puppet Show shines a light on our broken world through five hard-hitting songs of passion and protest, connection and catharsis.

Puppet Show EP - She's In Parties — Puppet Show EP – She’s In Parties

Into the fray we go again
A puppet show, the mannequins
Where did you go my fickle friends
I wonder when this night will end
Enjoy yourself, suppress the dread
You’ll grin and bare, no tears to shed
Bleach white and pearlescent glow
Now go sing your puppet show

– “Puppet Show,” She’s in Parties

Released October 25^th, 2024 via Submarine Cat Records, Puppet Show is a sonically and emotionally charged triumph from one of Colchester’s fastest-rising indie bands. Comprised of Katie Dillon (vocals/guitar), Herbie Wiseman (guitar), Matt Carman (drums), and Charlie Johnson (bass), She’s in Parties introduced themselves only three years ago with lush, dream pop-inspired walls of sound and shoegaze-y, reverb-laced guitar licks.

The band’s four-track debut EP End Scene, released in October 2023, saw them tightening up those sounds and focusing their energies on bigger, bolder melodies; just one year later, their sophomore effort builds upon the success of that first record while pulling fresh sonic influences from the ’80s – resulting in a slightly shifted musical identity that lives and breathes far more in the indie rock and alt-pop spaces, calling to mind bands like Pale Waves, Wolf Alice, and even Hot Fuss-era The Killers.

She's in Parties © Polocho — She’s in Parties © Polocho

“Puppet Show is sonically quite different to anything we’ve done before,” She’s in Parties’ frontwoman Katie Dillon tells Atwood Magazine. “We have often been pinned as a ‘90s shoegaze band, but during the writing for this EP, we were really inspired by the bands and sounds of the ‘80s, so we wanted to explore that more. We feel Puppet Show showcases an evolution in our sound, but also an inner desire for dancing and ridding the chains of the world we live in. Its vision is to inspire, to be present, and to have some f**kin’ fun whilst doing it.”

“Puppet Show is the development of what we once were – we started this band four and a bit years ago, and came out of COVID with our three singles and End Scene, our first real show of face,” she continues. “Since then we’ve grown as people, as a band, and musically we’re constantly developing. And a real show of that is Puppet Show – it’s different to what we’ve been doing, but it feels right for the times we are in now. We’re an ever-developing band, and we think that’s exciting; something to follow along with and relate to. Puppet Show is the second installment of an ever-growing story of our lives, which we can’t wait to continue.”

The record itself finds Dillon and her bandmates unapologetically dancing in the darkness while lamenting and ruing the state of our bitter, broken world. Themes include social media’s undue influence on our behaviors and emotions, the fracture (and disparity) between the ‘real world’ and the virtual one, most algorithms’ tendencies to inflate and amplify negative content, and the constant pressure and pain that come with being ‘online.’

These are all salient topics, lived experiences, and deeply felt emotions for She’s in Parties four members, who are still in the process of figuring out what it means to them to be a working band making and releasing music in the 2020s.

“Our creative process is an interesting muddle – which in its own way, I suppose has made our music what it is,” Dillon smiles. “We spend evenings together, sometimes rehearsing, other times playing around with ideas when we should be practicing through a live set. Our debut EP End Scene was the combination of songs we had already written over the years and ended up placing together, which eventually revealed its meaning to us as a record with a vision of nostalgia and coming-of-age.”

“Puppet Show is slightly different, in that most of the tracks were written in quick succession, which meant the songs revealed common themes of issues were dealing with at that time. The tracks sort of just fell together, as if they were always supposed to do that. Across both our EPs though, the songs came first, and the meaning of the record revealed itself after, rather than us searching for it.”

Dillon describes the new EP as fun, theatrical and rock. The title Puppet Show is pulled from the track of the same name, which itself is a critique of social media society and the expectations to always be ‘on’ and be your best – “to be in a constant performative state, as if society is controlling us to be this way like a puppet,” Dillon says. “We felt the imagery of being a puppet and being controlled by society really summed up what this EP is about and the times we live in.”

All you want from me are these naive eyes
And all these impossible feats
But I won’t give you what you need

And smile for me
And show me your pretty

Take me down to the river
Wash away all my dignity now
You can abuse
Now I’m clean and bare
For you to make me your clown

And smile for me
And show me your pretty teeth

“Puppet Show” is as strong and definitive an opener as any record could ask for, kicking off the EP with three catchy, cathartic minutes of nonstop charm and churn.

Dramatic, unapologetic, and unrelenting, it is at once an energetic upheaval and an anthemic protest – the kind of song that inspires, while lighting a fire deep inside its audience.

She’s in Parties keep energy levels and emotions high through the urgent, achingly emotive “The Man” and the heavy-hitting alt-rock rager “The Times,” a breathtakingly beautiful, instantly memorable eruption of raw heat and social unrest.

Everyone’s a liar I know
Take your chance or leave it before I come
And take it all away
Fumble to a new beginning
Waste away begging on your phone
You can’t leave it all alone

These are the times
Rewrite your mind, your mind
These are the times
Rewrite your mind, your mind

“The last song ‘Ballad of the Broken Nebula’ was probably the most fun to record,” Dillon smiles. “This is the song that is one of the oldest She’s in Parties’ songs, originating from about five years ago. The way we had so much fun reigniting and re-working it to put into the EP. Everyone got involved in it, even the boys became a choir for the end part of this track. We all think this is a very special track, and quite frankly if it wasn’t for Charlie pleading for this track, then we wouldn’t have made it how it is today or even put it in the EP.”

Dillon cites the chorus for “The Man” as her favorite lyrics on the entire EP. “They describe my feelings in a world that is so torn apart,” she explains. “I’m lost for words, I’m the fire I don’t ignite, meaning I feel helpless even though there is probably so much I can do to help. You’re the one in need but there’s no one home, we’re all taking sides but the problem is the man – we’re all so divided in society but the real issue is the people that run the world, they make the decisions that affect us and divide us.”

“The other guys have some favourite lyrics also,” she adds. “Herbie’s favourites are ‘bleach white and pearlescent glow’ from the bridge in ‘Puppet Show.’”

**Ultimately, Puppet Show hits hard and leaves a lasting mark as She’s in Parties tug furiously and feverishly at our (heart)strings.**

Whether you yourself are drowning in the black hole of our so-called ‘Modern’ Age, or simply a massive fan of big, bold, badass songs and songwriting, Colchester’s most exciting newcomers will leave you breathless, invigorated, emboldened, and inspired with these five emotional, immersive alt-pop laced indie rock songs.

“I think we want what any artist wants – for people to connect and relate our music,” Dillon shares. “We know there are a lot of musicians out there who feel our frustrations with the current industry and this new self-promo world we live in, but we also hope that the regular listener can relate too. It’s hard having to put yourself out there on social media and to pretend everything is ok, when really we are living through some of the darkest times the world has seen.”

“We hope this EP will encourage people to think about these important issues but also to not feel like it’s all ‘doom and gloom.’ We are stronger if we come together, so don’t feel helpless. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you aren’t alone.”

Experience the full record via our below stream, and peek inside She’s in Parties’ Puppet Show with Atwood Magazine as Katie Dillon takes us track-by-track through the music and lyrics of the band’s second EP!

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:: stream/purchase Puppet Show here ::

:: connect with She’s in Parties here ::

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Stream: ‘Puppet Show’ – She’s in Parties

:: Inside Puppet Show ::

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Puppet Show

The song’s main inspiration was sparked by a dream in which my teeth were decaying and falling out and I knew I had to go on stage and perform. This sparked a thought in me about current social media society and the expectation to always be “on” and be your best – to be in a constant performative state, as if society is controlling us to be this way like a puppet. The track was greatly inspired by Gary Numan with the synth intro, and George Michael with the soaring vocals.

The Man

It’s no secret the state of the world right now is horrendous and social media acts like a constant negative source of information. Everything from the horrific depictions of war we see, to stories of everyday struggles people are facing with their bills like rent and inflation. It is impossible to escape from and it’s hard to not let it negatively impact your mental state. I feel helpless to the troubles around me, especially when I see people turning on each other and picking sides, when in reality we should be coming together to fight against these injustices. Ultimately, this song is a statement about the current happenings in the world. Something we can all agree needs to get better urgently.

The Times

The fact that the only way to promote yourself as a musician nowadays is to use the one thing I always hated, it was particularly hard for me. However, I am learning to not take it as seriously, and to just go with the flow and become another musician on TikTok / Instagram, because hopefully this will get us somewhere, I’ve seen it happen before and I can’t just sit back on my phone and watch everyone else make it. These are the times now.

FSM

This song title just speaks for itself, meaning “F**k Social Media.” This track is more of an Ode to myself and how I don’t need to worry about what other people think and just focus on my well being and mental health. Something we should all learn to do otherwise we just get caught up on how we’re perceived online and constantly worrying that we aren’t good enough.

Ballad of The Broken Nebula

This song is the EP closer. The Finale. This track represents how everything I’ve sung about previously on the EP gets lost to the void, the vast emptiness of space. It is a representation of how nothing really matters, we all get lost and forgotten about because we are but a mere speck of dust in this universe. It’s somber yet freeing.

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