Canadian twin duo Softcult jumpstart their year with “Shortest Fuse,” a colossal fusion of swooping melodic hooks, ethereal shoegaze guitars and heavy, grunge undertones; it’s the band’s ultimate criticism of capitalist society and the chokehold it has on low-income households.
Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn dedicate their creative forces to storytelling with a purpose; across their young but lush discography, the two tackle issues most are afraid to even comment on. As a result, they’ve built this intricate, self-sustaining universe around their art that stands for something bigger than any one of us alone.
Of the inspiration behind the new track, Softcult comment: “Capitalism seems to be designed to keep underprivileged people toiling in a never ending cycle of debt and poverty where their labor is underpaid in order to profit their employers. The benefits of capitalism are rarely equally distributed, accruing wealth to a very small percentage of the population. Built on the notion of greed, benefitting only by paying workers less than what their labor is worth, it’s difficult to not become disenfranchised with capitalism when you exist in this reality and see no end in sight. We can’t become complicit in a system that is designed to keep us down.”
On this next collection of songs (release date still to be announced), siblings Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn shine a more brilliant light than ever before on the many complexities of human existence.
Though they’re still yet to release their debut album, Softcult are already carving out a signature sound with their enthralling, celestial shoegaze bliss interlaced with impassioned lyrical calls, opening conversations about gender equality, violence, climate change, corporate greed and much more.
“Shortest Fuse” follows the ethereal bliss of “Heaven“ and “Haunt You Still“, which found the duo unpacking the lingering impact we each inevitably have in our past relationships and friendships.
Born in the studio, Softcult are building their own universe. With Phoenix running point on production, engineering, and artwork, Mercedes directing/editing their videos, and both writing astoundingly-intimate lyrics about self-empowerment amidst social, political, and environmental collapse, the duo is about as DIY as it gets. They create and produce their own zine called SCripture, and are active participants in their Softcult Discord server, a safe online community for their fans, as spotlighted by AltPress.
2023 took Softcult all over the world, including the US, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan. They’ve supported bands like Movements and Mannequin Pussy, and played SXSW and countless festivals across the UK. They start 2024 with their first US headline tour — starting next month with Superbloom and Glixen, and continue in the summer with new dates just announced today with Present. as support.
Softcult live dates:
Feb 08 – Rockwood Music Hall Boston, Boston MA*
Feb 09 – Mercury Lounge, New York NY*
Feb 10 – Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia PA*
Feb 13 – Black Cat, Washington DC*
Feb 14 – Neighborhood Theatre (Side Stage), Charlotte NC*
Feb 16 – New World Tampa, Tampa FL^
Feb 17 – Conduit, Winter Park FL
Feb 18 – The Masquerade (Purgatory), Atlanta GA^
Feb 20 – The End, Nashville TN^
Feb 21 – Rumba Café, Columbus OH^
Feb 22 – Preserving Underground, New Kensington PA^
Feb 23 – Mohawk Place, Buffalo NY^
Jun 27 – The Sanctuary, Detroit~
Jun 29 – Cobra Lounge, Chicago~
Jun 30 – Record Bar, Kansas City~
Jul 02 – Bluebird Theater, Denver~
Jul 03 – Soundwell, Salt Lake City~
Jul 05 – The Pearl, Vancouver~
Jul 06 – Madame Lou’s, Seattle~
Jul 07 – Mission Theater, Portland~
Jul 09 – The Starlet Room, Sacramento~
Jul 10 – Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco~
Jul 12 – The Echo, Los Angeles~
Jul 13 – Voodoo Room, San Diego~
Jul 14 – The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix~
Jul 17 – Paper Tiger, San Antonio~
Jul 19 – The Ballroom, Austin~
Jul 20 – Club Dada, Dallas~
Jul 21 – Beer City Music Hall, Oklahoma City~
Jul 22 – Blueberry Hill, St. Louis~
Jul 23 – Mahall’s, Lakewood~
* with Superbloom
^ with Glixen
~ with Present
