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Nov 11, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by GRLwood

Louisville-based duo GRLwood have made their name on a bracing and instantly magnetic style of indie punk, hearkening equally to ‘90s riot grrrl touchstones and to hooky surf-tinged power pop. The band, led by singer/songwriter Rej Forester and drummer Mia Morris, last made waves with their 2020 EP, I Need To Get Off My Phone, and their latest effort, last year’s Roommate Wanted EP.

This year, they’ve been teasing new music with a pair of singles, “The Rent” and “Kid Bruises,” and today they’re back with another new track, “Keep It Average.”

“Keep It Average” slides into a similar lane as “Kid Bruises”, showing off a more plaintive side to band, but steadily unfolding new layers of howling catharsis. After opening on spacey winding guitar lines, Forester joins with a emotive punk drawl, reflecting on the constant pull to hide, blend in, and “keep it average.” However, the band keep it anything but average, ratcheting up the melodic tension until it explodes in searing bursts of guitar, thundering drums, and a climactic throat-shredding growl from Forester.

Forester says of the song, “Sometimes being yourself is the hardest thing to do. Maybe who you really are is who you were before you started considering society’s rules. maybe you’ve been searching for yourself, or maybe you’ve been yourself all along and just lost sight of you. This song is for those who feel their story is man vs self, or man vs world is a reflection of man vs self, more like.”

Meanwhile, the accompanying video sees a dejected protagonist clad in a chicken suit learn to accept being different, delivering an amazing dance performance only be pelted by eggs. The band simply say of the video, “Sometimes you’re the chicken, sometimes you’re the egg.”

Check out the song and video below, out everywhere now.