Originating in Los Angeles, queer Boston-based rock duo Mediocre announced their Dangerbird Records debut EP and lead single “To Know You’re Screwed is to Know a Lot” to critical acclaim Today, Piper Torrison (She/They) and Keely Martin (She/Her) are thrilled to share new album cut “Pop Song Baby” and official video. The punchy upbeat immediacy of “Pop Song Baby” is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, at once expertly disguising and underlining the song’s meaningful lyrics which are delivered with a resigned sarcasm and ‘90s alt-rock melancholy. The band shares, “We wanted to write a song that our teenage selves would blast in our bedrooms. As femme musicians growing up in a predominantly male music scene, we pulled from our frustrations of being underestimated and pigeon-holed into certain archetypes. This song and video explores those pressures.”

When you call your project Mediocre, you’re not exactly setting yourself up for success. But the duo of Martin and Torrison take their huge talents in stride, using self-deprecation to deflect from the anxiety of the spotlight. With Piper on guitar and Keely on bass with Jake Pavlica of the band Street Play on drums, Joe Reinhart of Hop Along and Algernon Cadwallader, produced, engineered, and mixed at the LA Dangerbird Studio in May 2022. The result is a punchy, catchy, pure record that seamlessly blends elements of 90s garage rock, angular post punk and brooding indie pop.

Photo Courtesy: Ginger Port