Nitida Atkinson and Esther Henderson want listeners to know that it's not all about the fancy cars and material things. Don't Thank Me, Spank Me!'s 'Hey Woman' is certainly not shy in its anti-capitalist messaging.
“'Hey Woman' is a big f... you to rich housewives who live in a bubble of pretty things, low-fat lattes, status anxiety, big cars and cappo husbands,” Nitida and Esther say. “We’re saying, what are you gonna do with all your fancy stuff when you die? Because you can’t take it all through the pearly gates. Don’t get us wrong, we love beautiful things and we love making money. We’re just trying to say, don’t misplace your manners inside that giant Gucci handbag, whoever you are. You can be rich without being a douchebag.”
The grittiness of this track goes beyond just what's presented in its sine waves and extends to its creation – 'Hey Woman' was recorded around one microphone and features acoustic guitar sounds reminiscent of Ween.
“It’s a bit more on the garage end of our spectrum. We love the energy of 'Hey Woman', it’s such a fun track to play live and to get what we get from playing it live. Hopefully when people hear it they jump in the nearest shopping trolley with their bestie and roll around recklessly dinging up all the Porsche Cayenne SUVs in their neighbourhood.”
It's a little ditty full of sass and honesty, packaged into three punchy minutes. FROOTY is super excited to be premiering the track ahead of its release (29 February). Enjoy.
For the uninitiated, Don't Thank Me, Spank Me! combine sublime songwriting, good hair, and matching Fender Mustangs to create their output. They've grown a cult following in Melbourne, playing with acts like Cong Josie, Blonde Revolver, Bad Dreems and Jazz Party. Their debut single 'Habitual' dropped in 2020.
The pair had a lot of fun recording this new track, from its cheeky lyrics to its production, but one particular moment was a core memory in the creative process.
“When we were recording the outro background vocals we were yelling 'cents!' and 'woof' at each other, trying to get the perfect take and listening back to how good each one was, laughing at how stupid hearing ourselves say 'woof' a hundred times is and critically analysing which takes really got the right 'woof' across.”
The track's lyrics put reasonable questions to listeners, with no room for sugar-coating – the first words of verse one being “Hey woman! What you gonna do with that fancy car when you are dead?”
The release of 'Hey Woman' comes as the duo prep to release their debut, self-titled, independent album in late May. They've got one parting message they'd like to send to those who feel 'Hey Woman' might just be about them.
“We just want to say to all the rich ladies who are nice, 'Hey Woman' isn’t inspired by you. But for all the cashed up private school social climbing f... heads, this track is for you. Hopefully this track reaches you with warm regards from us.”
Don't Thank Me, Spank Me! play Brunswick Music Festival Night Bowls on 5 March, and The Gum Ball Festival (Hunter Valley) 26 April. Their self-titled debut album is released 24 May.
