Photo by Alex Wall
Sydney punk trio Bloods is one of Australia’s most enduring and beloved punk bands with their highly infectious, undeniably fun punk-pop-meets-riot-grrrl throw back sound. Ahead of their new albumTogether, Baby! they have a released a new single “Devo.”
The new single is an empowering anthem for those who have been put into inappropriate positions and situations in the name of advancement and trust. And although much of the #metoo and #timesup movements are no longer in the spotlight, they have forever changed our cultural landscape. Tapping into our current cultural angst or perhaps we are all just F-ing fed-up – whichever it is, “Devo” hits all the right nerves. Check out the video below:
Frontwoman and main songwriter MC of Bloods comments, “When I wrote this song, there was a lot happening as a direct result of the ‘me too’ and ‘beneath the glass ceiling’ movements. It felt like an important moment in time, and I felt really inspired by people finally being held accountable. Along with the changes happening, were the many excuses that spewed from the mouths of complicit parties. It felt like, at the time, there were a lot of people looking over their shoulder, in fear of being called out.”
She continues, “The whole song is meant to be an empowered taunt to those who held power for so long, sung by those who they exerted that power over – until now. The first lyric I was clear on was the chorus “we don’t like it!” I felt that it was as innocent as it was definitive, and it felt perfect for the feeling I was trying to evoke with the song. I wanted it to be the soundtrack to the burning empire.”
And says, “The only significance the song title has is that when I wrote the song, I thought it sounded like an early DEVO song, so the name stuck. They were a huge musical influence on the song at inception, including having the simple ‘we don’t like it!’ chorus.”
By Mercedes Romana
