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Apr 19, 2024 By Caleb Campbell

Fans last heard from London indie punk outfit Fresh with their 2022 album, Raise Hell, their third full-length release following their 2017 self-titled debut and 2019 sophomore record, Withdraw. Those records occupied a restless space, feeling at turns biting, joyous, fuzzy, and propulsive, knit together by nervy guitar lines and frontwoman Kathryn Woods’ cathartic lyrical voice. That formula was equally in place when they returned last month with a new single, “Merch Girl.” That track was the title track for their new three-song EP, which is out everywhere today via Specialist Subject.

Of the single, Woods explains “’Merch Girl’ is about living in that space between wanting something and achieving something. It’s kind of a character song, about somebody that is involved in music - but not in the way that they want to be, and they’re frustrated by that. At the beginning of the song, they’re watching from the sidelines, but as the song progresses they make the decision to create their own art. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, drawing from clichés of the wallflower, the sidekick, but ultimately it’s empowering and a reflection on the ways that we come into our own as women artists.”

Accompanying “Merch Girl,” the EP also includes a quiet acoustic B-side, “Easy,” and a cover of Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time.” Woods says of the former track, “‘Easy’ is about getting too far in your own head to make things simple for yourself. You’ve built up a load of defences and they might have helped at the time, but now they’re getting in the way. You’re kind of at an impasse.” Clocking in at just over a minute, it is a ramshackle folk-tinged sing-along that showcases a different sort of vulnerability than Fresh’s usual driving punk fare. Similarly, the band’s version of “Long Long Time” lets Woods’ vocals sprawl and soar, fully inhabiting the emotion behind the heart-rending ballad.

Check out the EP below, out everywhere now via Specialist Subject. The band are also embarking on a US tour this summer, with both headline dates and shows supporting Los Campesinos! Check out the upcoming dates below.