Talented songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist James Palko has had a hand in a run of great records recently, ranging from his smooth, horn-laden take on the ‘70s as Jimmy Montague to an excellent pair of swan song albums from Taking Meds and Perspective, a Lovely Hand to Hold. It was the end of those last two bands that sent Palko on the search for a new creative outlet that became the first Pretty Rude EP, initially put out in 2021 (but updated with new artwork last year). It seemed like the EP might just be a one-off, but, as Palko tells it, Pretty Rude started to grow into something else:
“Going into the studio to make the record felt like that’s why I like doing this. And the very fact that, in order to process my bands ending, I dealt with it by demoing and writing new songs, it’s pretty clear that I’m not ready to hang it up.”
Today, the band released their first new song since that EP, a fun rager called “Debbie & Lynn” that works as a good primer on the Pretty Rude sound with the scuzzy guitars, slick lead lines, flourishes from the keys, and a heel-turn bridge, all held down by Palko’s strong vocals and the hooky melody. On the track, Palko said:
“‘Debbie & Lynn’ are two flight attendants I pulled from a Billy Collins poem ‘Traveling Alone’ and tried to give new life to. The song itself is about trying to move on and yet still carrying with you all your baggage that makes you who you are. The idea that there is ‘No Vacation’ from yourself and you can be prone to repeat self-destructive tendencies if you’re not careful. And as Collins is only guessing at the lives of the people in his poem, another passenger on the plane reaches out to Debbie & Lynn for help to right this plane, or his life, gone awry.”
“Debbie & Lynn” also comes with the announcement of Pretty Rude’s signing to SideOneDummy Records, with a full-length debut slated for May. Check out the boozy, fun video for “Debbie & Lynn” below.
