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Nov 16, 2021 By Joey Arnone Photography by Todd Fisher

Chicago-based rock trio Horsegirl have shared a video for their new single “Billy.” The song will be available on 7-inch vinyl, with a cover of Minutemen’s “History Lesson, Pt. 2” as a B-side, on March 25 via Matador. The trio have also announced a March 2022 U.S. tour. Watch the “Billy” video and view the full list of dates below.

The trio discuss creating the song and video in a press release: “There was a period last year where the three of us spent every day together writing and recording. It was during this time, when we practically lived in Penelope’s basement, that ‘Billy’ was written. Penelope had recently read about Nick Drake’s alternate tunings prompting her to detune her guitar, while Nora overlaid a rhythmic vocal line detailing the life of a fictional character, Billy. At the time, we had been listening to a lot of New Zealand underground bands (’80s/’90s Flying Nun). With that scrappiness in mind, we worked the rest of the song out through improvising together, and ‘Billy’ quickly fell into place.

“‘Billy’ is our first release with a label, and it feels particularly special that it is with Matador, whom we have admired since we were young. After a year of hard work, we are very happy to finally share music, especially with those who have uplifted Horsegirl in the last year. We feel so thankful to have been able to record this song with John Agnello, whose work we adore, at Electrical Audio, a Chicago institution. Recording this song was a dream experience for us, and John has become a very trusted mentor.

“We shot the ‘Billy’ music video with our friends on a rainy Chicago day and feel particularly thankful for everyone who danced the twist with us, and those who gave us their apartment, camera equipment, film expertise, and feedback. This video is a love letter to our city and friends. The song is a love letter to past music scenes we wish we could have witnessed. Please listen to ‘Billy’ in your kitchen with a group of good friends and dance along—we can’t wait to share it with you.”

Earlier this year, the trio shared a 7-inch vinyl release for their single “Ballroom Dance Scene.”

Horsegirl 2022 Tour Dates:

Wed. March 16 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
Thu. March 17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
Sat. March 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Sun. March 20 - Washington, DC @ DC9
Tue. March 22 - New York, NY @ Market Hotel

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