The Ontario-based indie-rock duo, Softcult is made up of twin sisters Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn. The duo has unveiled their new single, “Gaslight”, along with a video to accompany the release. This is the 5th single from their forthcoming EP, Year of the Snake, which is set for release on February 4, 2022. The EP is a follow-up to Year of the Rat, released in April 2021.
On their latest single, the duo raises awareness of the heinous emotional and psychological manipulation technique called “gaslighting” and how it messes with your perception of reality. Most recently, gaslighting has been closely associated with politics, but it’s more frequently and unknowingly used in relationships to control someone. It is used to make victims question their perceptions, memories, motives, and even their sanity.
“Anyone who hears the song will be able to recognize those red flags if they encounter that kind of behaviour,” says Phoenix. “It’s a tactic that many abusers and groomers will use to tear down the defences of their victims to make them easier to manipulate”.
The video for “Gaslight”, directed by Mercedes, was heavily inspired by the 1960’s French new wave aesthetic and features a 4:3 aspect ratio, heavy film grain, film burns, and hand-held footage.
“I always felt like the song had kind of a 60’s feel to it, but this creative choice served more than an aesthetic purpose”, explains Mercedes. “Not only is it stylistically accurate to that era, but I felt that the 4:3 aspect ratio created a claustrophobic feeling like the walls are closing in, and it purposefully draws our attention to a specific point: the centre of the picture. It’s the feeling of being confined. I wanted to use the cinematography as an analogy, making the viewer pay attention to only the details I want them to see while obscuring their view of the big picture”.
Softcult will celebrate the release of Year of the Snake supporting Teenage Wrist on a West Coast US Tour, followed by a headline tour in the UK. Check their website for more info.
Watch “Gaslight” below, and stay up to date with Softcult via their socials.