THE RIDER: Outer Shapes' Top 10
The band on studio beds, bathtub haircuts and the karmic power of 400(+) pennies
TGIF BFFS đđđ
Get ready to ~feel those feelings~ (Outer Shapesâ motto) as we serve up a bonus RIDER courtesy of the NYC alt-queer duo, whose new song âFREEWAYâ is OUT NOW!
Of the new track, lead singer and bassist Laura Shkouratoff says: ââFREEWAYâ is a song about a broken relationship in my life that I fear will never be fixed, about regretting things in the past, telling people what they want to hear, and sitting in a truth thatâs been avoided until now.â
Outer Shapes drummer C Santos adds: ââFREEWAYâ is our greatest accomplishment yet. Weâre reshaping ourselves and making it clear that we are ready to face any challenges. Weâre carving a unique space for ourselves within the male-dominated genre that we grew up on. Amplifying the long-silenced voices that need to be heard is the essence of the alternative and DIY music scene.â
On the live front, Outer Shapes (also a couple <3) serve up an energy-packed live show that combines costumes, projections and a whopping five instrumentsâincluding some very tasteful tubaâbetween the two artists.
Donât miss your chance to feel those feelings *live* when the duo hits the Alphaville stage TOMORROW NIGHT with Anna Fox Rochinski + Tuesdayâs Atlanta-based SETLIST star Meghan Dowlen (you can read her Top 10 here).
Then please proceed for a RIDER that features a cat named Mr. Vibes, one key Nicki Minaj vid and the bandâs Fans Only (*not* OnlyFans) lifestyle.
Have a great weekend <3
OUTER SHAPESâ TOP 10
1. Studio Bed
Studio Bed is the best fucking thing weâve ever done for ourselves. We moved our bed into our music studio like three months ago and our lives changed. Comfy, soft, cozy. Wake up? Music. Go to bed? Music. Music all day. Music dreams. Soft music blankets. Maybe we miss having nightstands but itâs fine, and now our bedroom has a couch so we donât know what to call it. Itâs been The Lounge for now but we know we can do better.
2. Being sad
Being sad is underrated. The big feelings are where all the good stuff happens. We like to sit in it and figure out how to make it art. (Being anxious is overrated and gets us nowhere. Not on the list.)
3. Cords
This one is all C, no me (Iâm Laura). C is the one who plugs everything in. C always has a reason we have to buy a new cord. We have at least 50 different types of cords. Theyâre expensive. Theyâre not exciting. But we canât live without âem.
4. At least $4 worth of heads-up pennies
Thatâs 400 of them, in case you donât know math. We pick up any we find on the street. Abe Lincolnâs little head is always shining at us right when we need the reminder to keep going. Weâve gotten into a lot of situations to make sure they end up in our pockets, stopped mid-bike ride to circle back, put down the tuba on the way to a show to grab one. Laura showed up to a tattoo appointment with one she found on Canal that needed some deep cleaning to even be able to tell if it was heads-up or not (it was). Itâs our little sign from the universe that weâre still doinâ good. We keep them on a little altar, let their energies collect next to the tarot cards. If anyone wants to make a music video with this concept please let us know.
5. Mr. Vibes and Drizzle
Our cats. Best served on Studio Bed. One angel, one menace, all vibes.
6. Prospect Park
A day without Prospect Park is a day not lived for Outer Shapes. Frustration walks while we work on music are the key to success. Half my voice memos are me mumbling the last missing part of our song into my phoneâs microphone.
7. Nicki Minaj Live Performance MTV VMA 2023 (Full)
Itâs been taken off of YouTube but I have the plug for a Facebook link. Rihannaâs half-time performance does the trick, too. Sometimes you just need to watch a badass performance. It reminds you you can do anything.
8. Bathtub haircuts
Paying money for haircuts is dumb. It grows back too fast. We do hair dye, too. Bleaching is for the fire escape. Let us know what you need but know it will come out different every time. Itâs part of the fun.
9. Fans
ACs are too loud so the studio/our apartment is Fans Only. Itâs kind of fun to be Like That. We really get the full summer experience. Sweaty but fun. Our band fans are even cooler. We do not have an OnlyFans.
10. An entire art studio inside the music studio inside our apartment
From screenprinting to zinemaking to sewing projects to murals, my art supplies and desk take up a big corner of the studio. Itâs been so fun to work on the visual aspects of the band, designing merch, animating canvases, creating album covers, and making our stage fits. We love having a sunny, plant-filled room that just feels like a nest with everything we need in it. Itâs home.
Top 10 written + provided by Outer Shapes. Follow the band at @outershapes, grab music on Bandcamp and add their songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image provided by the band.