Catholic Guilt Deliver Accidental Anthem for Pandemic via “A Boutique Affair” (premiere)

Melbourne’s Catholic Guilt release their second EP, This Is What Honesty Sounds Like, on 28 August via Wiretap Records. In the meantime, the group offer up “A Boutique Affair”, a blast of deeply melodic, highly energetic rock ‘n’ roll that taps into feelings of separation and isolation while also providing listeners with a sense of unbridled uplift.

Vocalist Brenton Harris notes, “The older we get, the harder it seems to be to make new friends, and the harder it seems to be to maintain older friendships. Neither phenomenon is necessarily anyone’s fault. It is likely a byproduct of aging, in that as careers, children, and other interests occupy our time, it becomes hard to keep in touch with old friends, especially those who are at a different stage of their life to you. While the lack of free time and avenues for social connection means it is less likely, we’ll find ways to make new friends.”

He adds, “There’ve been numerous psychological studies that show loneliness and social isolation can have an enormously destructive impact on our overall well-being, with many studies linking long term isolation to an increased likelihood of poor health and sadly, even premature death. It is an issue for both young and old, and something that, despite all of the communicative tools at our disposal, we as a society seem to be failing to address successfully.”

Of the accompanying clip, directed by James Nightingale, the singer adds, “We wanted to depict this sense of loneliness, isolation, and anxiety in a very realistic way, and we feel that the video achieves this while delivering a sense of optimism and hope. Just as these feelings follow people around daily, opportunities for new connections do too. We wanted to show that despite how difficult it can be, it can be worth it to step out of your comfort zone, outside of your fears, and try to connect with others. It won’t always work, but sometimes it will, and the friendships will be worth the bravery and effort.”