One of the weirdest things to happen over the past 15 years or so has been the absolute obliteration of the telephone conversation. The internet’s ultra-connectivity has made making phone calls relatively irrelevant, and while things like Zoom and texts and DMs have replaced the need to reach out and touch someone, the real reason behind the death of phone calls is that no one you ever want to hear from is calling. Spammers, scammers, bots, and assholes pitching extended car warranties or student loan forgiveness bullshit has made the ringtone a harbinger of absolute dread. Not even grandma’s calling anymore; she’s busy on TikTok.
IAN SWEET feels all this, for real, as the project from one-time Bostonian and Los Angeles artist Jilian Medford offers up a cruising new tune that a little new wave, a little indie-pop, and entirely let it go to voicemail-core. It’s called “f*ckthat,” and we’ve got it dialed in.
“My phone causes me a lot of anxiety!” Medford admits. “I really only like to use it to take videos and pictures of my dog. This song is about not wanting to answer calls anymore and wishing I could just throw it out the window and disassociate from its evil/stress inducing technology.”
Produced by Manitoba duo deadmen, “f*ckthat” dropped last week (September 29) via Polyvinyl, and comes correct with word of a 2022 North American tour. The 18-date month-long run brings Bnny along for the ride, and pulls into Brighton Music Hall in Allston on February 12. Check out all the dates after the jump, and watch Medford’s self-directed video for “f*ckthat”, edited by previous collaborator Will Duncan.
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IAN SWEET TOUR DATES
February 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
February 3 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge #
February 4 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge #
February 5 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar #
February 6 – Nashville, TN @ High Watt #
February 7 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd #
February 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
February 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right #
February 12 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
February 13 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #
February 14 – Toronto, ON @ Drake #
February 16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo #
February 17 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #
February 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry #
February 21 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
February 22 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge #
February 24 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
March 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo #
# w/ Bnny