TGIF BFFS 🎉🎉🎉
Get ready to ~feel those feelings~ (Outer Shapes’ motto) as we serve up a bonus RIDER courtesy of the NYC alt-queer duo, whose new song “FREEWAY” is OUT NOW!
Of the new track, lead singer and bassist Laura Shkouratoff says: “‘FREEWAY’ 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 that’s been avoided until now.”
Outer Shapes drummer C Santos adds: “‘FREEWAY’ is our greatest accomplishment yet. We’re reshaping ourselves and making it clear that we are ready to face any challenges. We’re 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.”
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 instruments—including some very tasteful tuba—between the two artists.
Don’t miss your chance to feel those feelings *live* when the duo hits the Alphaville stage TOMORROW NIGHT with Anna Fox Rochinski + Tuesday’s 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 band’s Fans Only (*not* OnlyFans) lifestyle.
Have a great weekend <3
OUTER SHAPES’ TOP 10
1. Studio Bed
Studio Bed is the best fucking thing we’ve 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 it’s fine, and now our bedroom has a couch so we don’t know what to call it. It’s 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 (I’m 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. They’re expensive. They’re not exciting. But we can’t live without ‘em.
4. At least $4 worth of heads-up pennies
That’s 400 of them, in case you don’t know math. We pick up any we find on the street. Abe Lincoln’s little head is always shining at us right when we need the reminder to keep going. We’ve 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). It’s our little sign from the universe that we’re still doin’ 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 phone’s microphone.
7. Nicki Minaj Live Performance MTV VMA 2023 (Full)
It’s been taken off of YouTube but I have the plug for a Facebook link. Rihanna’s 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. It’s part of the fun.
9. Fans
ACs are too loud so the studio/our apartment is Fans Only. It’s 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. It’s 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. It’s 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.