Based in Jersey City, America’s Sweetheart are a female-fronted indie pop band that bring gorgeous sonic earworms to the rest of the US and the wider world. Latest single, ‘Reject Beach’, has a dreamy, retro vibe, taking the listener on a journey back to a time when life was gentler, and worries were something other people had.
A standout track from America’s Sweetheart’s upcoming third album, ‘One Of A Kind’, ‘Reject Beach’ is guitar led with laid back vocals, and calls to mind the likes of Jefferson Airplane, with a psychedelic rhythm that lets us escape from our worries and problems.
That’s not to say the band haven’t had plenty of worries and problems. Their promising career path was halted by terminal illness following the recording of the album, with founding member, singer, and guitarist, Valerie “Val” Germain, diagnosed with a very rare cancer. Nonetheless she kept recording throughout her treatment, and her parting wish to co-founder, vocalist, and bassist, Anastasia “Stace” Kinsella, was to “Finish the album”. Stace kept her promise, and in early 2024, along with co-writer Godfrey Diamond (the legendary NYC based producer who’s worked with such greats as Lou Reed, Etta James, and Frank Sinatra), obtained the funds via crowdsourcing in order to return to the studio and finish it.
‘Reject Beach’ is the first of three tracks from the album, each accompanied by a video. ‘Reject Beach’ is somewhat tinged with a bittersweetness as we feel the sisterhood between the bandmates, showing footage from their gigs in and around New York City, serving as a tribute to their deeply loved and cherished singer, guitarist, and friend.
“Val and I grew up together in this band. She loved writing songs with me and she loved America’s Sweetheart, so she was like, “Let’s play.” Nothing would have happened without that,” Stace says. “There’s a big deafening space left by her.”
Watch the music video below for ‘Reject Beach’, and give a hug to those who are nearest and dearest to you. Find out more about America’s Sweetheart and their music online on Bandcamp, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
