Americana Dream Pop singers, Boys Club For Girls, tackle the difficult subject of drug and alcohol addiction in ‘5 O’Clock Shadow’. The song is the latest track from their self-titled debut album.
Often those songs we listen to on the radio make us think that partying is great fun, and that to get the show started it’s necessary to get into drugs and alcohol. It’s pretty far from the truth, because once the party’s over, they reveal themselves to be more parasites than friends. What happens when your chosen vice, the thing you’ve wrapped your entire identity up in, is actually killing you?
Boys Club For Girls, comprising powerhouse singer songwriters Amie Miriello and Vanessa Olivarez, aren’t afraid to answer this question. In their new single, ‘5 O’Clock Shadow’, the latest single from their self-titled debut album, they take a stark look at the price of drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the effect of the depression and anxiety that goes hand in hand with substance abuse – not only on those with the problem, but also their friends and families. Their sound is part Americana, part country, part gossamer dream-pop; think Tori Amos crossed with Joni Mitchell, and add a helping of Stevie Nicks. Recording took place both before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic, at Blackbird Studio, Nashville, and Dark Horse Institute in Franklin, Tennessee, by producer Tim Craven, who is best known for his work with Josh Ritter, and Brothers Osborne.
The song’s message is poignant and bracing; the video that accompanies it is even more so. No punches are pulled it’s a stark reality check. Real people take to the stage, one by one, facing the camera holding a slate, with their simple yet powerful confessions written in chalk. The succinct messages contain searing comments about the pain, regret, and longing to escape from a life of addiction, depression, and anxiety. Keep watching right to the end though for some light. The video for ‘5 O’Clock Shadow’ is raising funds for the Nashville non-profit organisation, Fund Recovery, whose aim is to break the cycle of mental health issues by filling the funding gap for people between the struggle and their recovery.
You can watch the moving video for ‘5 O’Clock Shadow’ below, and find out more about Boys Club For Girls and their music online on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
