PHOTO: Paddy Burn
Canadian 'Queer rollerskate punks' Shiv and the Carvers release new single ahead of UK/EU tour
"Executionary", the new single from Toronto's Shiv and the Carvers, arrives before the band play a London date at Loud Women Fest LDN in September, with further stops in Brighton, Manchester, Leeds and other cities to follow. The rollerskate punks return home to play Second Summer Festival later that month.
The single pairs zippy guitar crunch, blown-out garage production, and snarled '90s melodies with lyrics that tackle intrusive thoughts. Bandleader Shiv Scott describes the song as a reflection on the way anxiety manufactures suffering before anything has actually gone wrong.
“The terror and shame that I feel over imagining the worst case scenario is the real punishment,” Scott said in a press statement. “Worrying only causes more suffering before the actual outcome occurs. I know this, but I love to punish myself before the world does.”
The accompanying video embraces lo-fi camcorder aesthetics, following Scott as she wakes in the aftermath of an all-night party, the band performing while bound by ropes that suggest invisible constraints.
Shiv and the Carvers have an impressive live CV accrued on the Canadian circuit, sharing bills with Viagra Boys, Lambrini Girls, and Getdown Services, and earning a slot at Bif Naked’s official Canadian Music Week showcase. The four-piece grew out of Scott’s fiercely DIY approach to writing and recording, and the addition of guitarist Nicky – whom Scott met through roller derby – cemented a chemistry that now drives their live shows.
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