Yuppy farm
Bread in the kitchen
Pissing on your dreams and wishes
Automatic returns, hitting the airwaves hard with their latest single, Is It Now?, the spirited herald of their forthcoming album via Stones Throw. Eschewing past practices, the LA trio ventures boldly into new territory, hooking up with Loren Humphrey (Cameron Winter, Nice As Fuck, Arctic Monkeys) to expand their distinct breed of minimalist, dance-ready “deviant pop,” reverberating with echoes of the Delta 5, Liliput, Ladytron, the Breeders, Le Tigre, and Gossip.
Fresh off the touring cycle for 2022’s Excess, each band member wandered off to explore diverse pursuits: Izzy Glaudini sharpened her production prowess, Halle Saxon Gaines immersed herself in the intricate world of botany, and Lola Dompé swapped city life for country air, horses, and marriage. The individual journeys fed back into the trio’s collective energy, adding depth and richness to their infectious beats.
At its core, Is It Now? champions authenticity in the face of rampant consumerism and oppressive conformity. The song’s call-and-response chorus feels like a tug-of-war between rebellion and mainstream indoctrination, a joyful yet incisive critique of societal pressures. Its lyrical backbone holds firm against superficiality, pulling apart the tension between genuine self-expression and the stranglehold of capitalist expectations.
“The thing I think about the most on a day-to-day basis is: how do you have a sense of joy while the world seems to be collapsing, and you feel so powerless?” ponders Glaudini. “I feel like, as American citizens, we have a responsibility to pull the levers to stop the machine. ‘Is It Now?’ is about trying to not feel like a victim in this environment. It’s important to still feel a sense of joy, even amongst all the horrible shit going on in the world.”
The playful visual accompaniment, helmed by directors Nicola and Juliana Giraffe, situates Automatic in a gleefully absurd warehouse scenario brimming with cardboard clutter. Giant telephones, bored expressions juxtaposed against playful Monkees-esque antics amplify the bright, buoyant tone, leaving viewers grinning at the delightful absurdity of it all. It’s a breezy yet pointed romp, perfectly encapsulating Automatic’s knack for blending wit, whimsy, and subversive flair.
Watch the video for “Is It Now?” below:
Automatic hits the road in North America for a co-headlining tour with Sextile this Autumn; see dates below.
Automatic on tour:
- Sep 16 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
- Sep 17 Denver, CO – Meow Wolf Denver
- Sep 19 Chicago, IL – Outset
- Sep 20 Detroit, MI – Tangent Gallery
- Sep 21 Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground
- Sep 23 Montreal, QC – Théâtre Fairmount
- Sep 24 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
- Sep 25 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
- Sep 26 Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry @ The Fillmore
- Sep 27 Washington, DC – Black Cat
- Sep 29 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
- Sep 30 Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records
- Oct 1 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
- Oct 3 Dallas, TX – Studio at The Factory
- Oct 4 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
- Oct 5 Austin, TX – Mohawk (Outside)
- Oct 6 El Paso, TX – The Lowbrow Palace
- Oct 8 Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
- Oct 9 Las Vegas, NV – Swan Dive
- Oct 10 San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
- Oct 11 Los Angeles, CA – The Novo
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