Gracie and Rachel deliver folk-pop for the future on "WTF"

Produced in collaboration with Benjamin Lazar Davis (Maya Hawke, Okkervil River, Joan As Police Woman), “WTF” sees the pair explore the feeling of hopelessness, and the sense of falling into a rut that you just can’t, despite all your might, fight your way out of.

Anchored by a smooth percussion line throughout, Gracie and Rachel’s vocals soar melodically over the minimal instrumentation, with the eventual addition of strong plucked strings levelling up the sense of catharsis as the track crescendos. Hearing the duo harmoniously sing “what the fuck” at each other really is something truly unexpected, which emphasises the true emotion and power behind the choice of language even more. The use of baroque instrumentation throughout also brings with it a certain sense of delicacy along with its dynamism, which is almost instantly crushed as you zone in on the lyrics and the sense of lethargy that comes with moments of hardship and depression.

“We wanted to explore a feeling of cyclical stickiness in the verses, and expand into a sort of sensory release of catharsis in the choruses,” the duo explain. “We hope there's some humour found in singing the words "what the fuck" angelically... This is the first time we're using guitar in a song, so beware. It's the wave of impatience to wonder how to leave, the exclamation point to not, and the wonder why you didn't or when you will.”

The single is accompanied by a bizarre super 8 video, filmed by Julia Margo Ross, which sees the band chased across fields by a brightly hooded figure, before escaping in a car towards a glittering new horizon.

“WTF” comes as Gracie and Rachel announced that they are set to join DIY feminist icon Ani DiFranco on her European headline tour this month, alongside the news they have recently been picked up by DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. These recent announcements follow previous support tours with the likes of Tori Amos, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus. With a long-awaited third album on the horizon, “WTF” is a gorgeous re-introduction to the Gracie and Rachel’s discography, and a reminder of the power they hold within.