originally published: 02/23/2022

(NEW YORK, NY) -- California based, indie-pop duo slenderbodies will release their upcoming album, simple shapes, due June 10. On February 23, the duo released double singles, “tiger balm (magenta)” and “i can’t make up my mind”.

'"tiger balm (magenta)' was written about wanting to find balance in love, consistency and comfort. magenta is a color that is in between hot and cold, so essentially a metaphor for finding a comfortable middle ground, or becoming a non-polarized version of oneself," said slenderbodies.

In discussing, "i can't make up my mind," they said, "exploring indecision. every facet of our lives were controlled by your decisions, and the thought of that can be overwhelming or overbearing at times. These extend even to choices like choosing the bed you sleep in which could help or hurt your health years down the line, or your simplest of hobbies becoming your career path or what you are known for, just because you decided to try it one day. Likewise, lack of choice can decide things for you sometimes."

The 16-track, progressive and punchy, dream-pop album includes plenty of lush percussive guitars, synth and fun grooves in the drums.. The album title is derived from its title track, tying the record together with the song lyrics: leaving a trail of simple shapes – a metaphor for leaving a trail of significant memories as life progresses.

“All we really have are the little moments, and this is at the core of the themes of escapism, joy, frustration and emotional coping that are at the core of this record,” said the duo. “the new album explores a theme of lack of authenticity through representing ourselves online. Our first single, ‘plastic parts’ was the genesis of this, and is further explored through the concept of the mannequins in our visual content. beyond that initial theme, we explore themes of staying present as a means to deal with difficult things in the world, and paying attention to the role that music plays in our lives to let us escape into another world. overall theme of looking for contentment and consistent comfort over explosive fleeting joys.”

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slenderbodies first emerged in 2016 with their mesmerizing eight-track EP, sotto voce taking its name from an Italian phrase meaning to speak softly but with emphasis. Recorded remotely with guitarist Benji Cormack living in Santa Cruz and singer/guitarist Max Vehuni residing in Los Angeles, the collection quickly caught fire on Spotify, where it racked up millions of streams without any label or radio support. The next year, the pair returned with a second EP, fabulist, which launched their following into the stratosphere as lead single “anemone” garnered more than 30 million plays across platforms. The duo soon found themselves onstage in front of massive crowds around the world, sharing bills with the likes of Mura Masa, Passion Pit, PVRIS, Milky Chance and also performing at Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza.

Their last EP, Soraya, examined the powerful impact of all the influential women in their lives and amassed nearly ten million streams. Soraya held true to all the elements that brought the falsetto-loving duo to acclaim since their debut song “anemone” racked up over 20 million streams. The Line Of Best Fit proclaimed that slenderbodies “conjure an immersive world” with their “genre-blurring” music, while Complex described their songs as “subtle but infectious,” and Billboard praised their “intimacy” and “daring.”

simple shapes tracklist

1. plastic parts

2. smilin

3. chamomile

4. i can’t make up my mind

5. tiger balm (magenta)

6. husky brown

7. miracle

8. opinion

9. fake milk

10. splash out

11. would you break my fall?