Girlpool, the Los Angeles duo comprised of Avery Tucker (he/him) and Harmony Tividad (she/her), announce their new album, Forgiveness, out April 29th via ANTI-. The announcement comes with an Amalia Irons-directed video for the album’s lead single “Lie Love Lullaby.”

“‘Lie Love Lullaby’ is a song about a time where I felt that my innocence affected my ability to choose a person who was good for me,” says Tucker. “In the past, it’s been painful to choose somebody that didn’t believe in me, and I think the most painful part was that I allowed myself to pick a person that didn’t recognize my entirety. I wrote this song wondering, did I recognize it myself? If I had the wherewithal to tolerate their minimizing perspective?” 

Forgiveness, which finds the duo embracing weirdo-pop decadence without sacrificing the poetic curiosity that has always made their music so absorbing, is also their slickest and most ambitious album to date. It’s filled with idiosyncratic and provocative gestures that simultaneously support and complicate the emotionally intricate material. With its unique blend of introspective earworms and surreal party music, Forgiveness reaches beyond the loosely sketched parameters of “indie rock,” challenging any preconceived notions of what a Girlpool album can or should be.

To support their vision of a sound at the intersection of Hollywood futurism and post-grunge sincerity, Girlpool enlisted help from producer Yves Rothman (Yves Tumor, Miya Folick). While they had conversations with other potential collaborators, Rothman’s genuine enthusiasm for crafting music at that crossroads — freaky and fucked-up, but also heartfelt and grounded — helped seal the deal. Rothman’s input on Forgiveness marked the first time Harmony and Avery allowed someone all the way inside their intimate, borderline telepathic approach to song-making — a pure partnership that has remained constant, even as the music has evolved.

Photo Courtesy: Amalia Irons