Feb 08, 2023
By Caleb Campbell
Photography by Alice Hirsch
Toronto-based indie pop outfit Kicksie first emerged with a trio of Bandcamp projects, released in quick succession in 2018. The band began as a solo project for singer and songwriter Giuliana Mormile, with Mormile writing and producing all their music from their bedroom studio. Those records showed off Mormile’s undeniable talent for summery and kinetic indie pop, but the band has quickly evolved in the years since, cementing an infectious blend of pop, indie punk, and emo.
Mormile returned in 2020, earning more buzz with their fourth full-length project, All My Friends, and now they’ve newly signed with Counter Intuitive Records and are sharing news of their upcoming label debut, Slouch, out April 14th. Accompanying the announcement, the band have also shared the record’s new single, “You’re On,” along with an accompanying video, premiering with Under the Radar.
“You’re On” is a charming dose of indie pop sunlight, centering on an infectious guitar riff, airy melodies, and a full-throated soaring climax. It recalls the more sugary side of bands like Diet Cig and Illuminati Hotties, lacing Mormile’s gentle pastel-hued harmonies with a sardonic punk bite. At the same time, the band’s lyrics bring out a brazen confessional quality, with Mormille taking on mixed messages from a manipulative relationshipー“My name is bitter in your mouth / but you pretend to like the taste.” It’s the sort of track that is tailor-made for singing and shouting along, whether from a crowd or in your car alone.
Mormile says of the track, “‘You’re On’ is already a crowd favorite at our live shows. I sat down to write one day and thought of the riff almost instantaneously, and built the rest of the song around it. The video was a lot of fun too, Alice is such an amazing person to work with. On the morning of the shoot, there was one of the worst snowstorms of the year. Our commute to the set took hours but we made in one piece (physically at least).”
Check out the song and video below. Slouch is out April 14th via Counter Intuitive Records.