By this point in the music and pop culture game we’re well aware to not read too much into band names, because a) there’s no point, and b) we’re probably wrong in whatever assessment we give. But it’s hard to not fire up the latest from Lonely Parade and feel like we’re all on some sort of daily procession by ourselves — heading to work, feeling alone in crowds, being emotionally isolated during the day, then heading back home an excessive number of hours later where it’s safe and guarded from all the bullshit we’ve just experienced. And nevermind attempting to date in the internet era.
One place there won’t be loneliness and isolation is tonight (July 27) at the Lilypad in Cambridge, where Canadian guitar-rock trio Lonely Parade set up shop for an all-inclusive Illegally Blind show alongside Vanyaland faves Mint Green and the wonderfully named T-Rextasy.
Lonely Parade are in town showing off upcoming record The Pits, which hits September 14 via Buzz Records, and one of the standout tracks arrives in the spiky post-punk bounce of “Not Nice.” And if we’re having fun with names, we’ll just suggest that “Not Nice” sounds like quite the opposite. Lonely Parade singer and bassist Charlotte Dempsey tells Stereogum that she wrote the track, which explodes in a euphoric garage rock chorus, when she “was desperately trying to get people to pay attention” to her.
“I was under the impression I was ‘romantically cursed’ and was desperately seeking affection,” she adds. “I downloaded Tinder on a whim, which was obviously not a great decision. I had a hard time with the disconnect between the online profile and reality. What seems compatible on paper does not mean a real life connection. This left me feeling lonelier than ever and frustrated. I said some harsh things to a boy I’d been talking to after he flaked on me a few times. He told me I didn’t have to be mean — so I reflected on all the times I’d been called mean/harsh/not nice after saying something blunt, but mostly true.”
At the very least, tracks like “Not Nice” should expose Lonely Parade to the right kind of people, breaking down those isolation barriers ever so slightly as we trudge through another day. Tonight in Inman Square, however, a bit of personal warmth awaits, no matter what names are attached.
Featured Lonely Parade image by S. Garfield.