• News

• All

May 20, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Joona Paavola

Next month, Finnish garage pop trio Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? are set to return with their forthcoming third album, Maine Coon. The band’s latest album sees them solidifying their self-described “Flower-garage” sound, mashing together vintage pop songcraft, fervent punk and garage rock hooks, and synth-laden sonics for an irresistible combination. The band have already teased the record with their early singles, “In Tangerine” and “Pool,” and now they’re back with another new single “Troglodyte,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Troglodyte” closes the band’s forthcoming album in explosive style, opening up with a colorful organ hook before launching into a pinning power pop love song. The band lock into tight three-part harmonies, bolstering vocalist Susse Stemma-Sihvola’s emotive performance as the song runs through scuzzy pop hooks and a cathartic sing-along chorus.

For all of the track’s bright pop hooks though, it also is one of the band’s most ambitious structurally, with the track falling out in the mid-section and building into an extended organ solo. Songwriter Ekku Lintunen explains, “The song itself does not twitch nor spin all over the place, and the time signature beats neatly in basic eight, but you might say that this is the Fondas in their most progressive mode. You know, in that Pink Floydish style.”

“On the last day of recording producer Lauri Elorantas’ dog Saimi gave me these peeks of pity while I was struggling to manage tracking some harmony vocals. After dozens of failed takes and “damn-it - fuck - shits” I was really longing for Susse to be there to get the job done. But she had already left back home. No wonder she is under the name “Stemma” (i.e. “harmony”) on my phone. It’s a crooked lovehymn for a spouse, a mate, or a pet.”

Listen to the track below, out everywhere now. Maine Coon is out June 3rd via Vild Recordings.