Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards’ “Corduroy” Tells the Tale of a Tryhard (premiere)

Bitter Better is a culmination of influences, at once expanding Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards’ sound as well as the standard base for indie-folk sensibilities. Throughout, the band is working to one-up their previous efforts on expanding public perception of the flexibility of string instrumentation, invoking elements of classical, pop-driven, and roots-laden playing into their fold. The enchanting, spacey arrangement of “Corduroy” exemplifies this adventurous spirit. It’s a song that, per the band’s word, is about a “hipster who tries too hard”.

Laura Cortese goes on to tell PopMatters, “I wrote this song with Jeni Magana. We were thinking about all the ways that people try so hard to look like they’re not trying, and whether all the energy spent on image serves us. We liked the idea of someone who tries too hard, but their friends and lovers see right through them and love them anyway. Director Luke Zvara was willing to try his luck and take a hammer to some mirrors so we could play with reflection and persona for this video. We were able to film in a creepy old house in Watertown, Massachusetts, that some friends had recently purchased.”

Bitter Better is out on 1 May via Compass.

TOUR DATES

# DATES WITH THE MOUNTAIN GOATS

Thu, 16 Apr – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall

Fri, 17 Apr – Hopewell, NJ – Hopewell Theater,

Fri, 24 Apr – Cambridge, MA – Club Passim – 2 CD RELEASE shows at 7PM and 9:30PM

Wed, 26 Feb – Gent, Belgium – De Centrale

Sun, 1 Mar – Gent, Belgium – De Centrale

Thu, 5 Mar – Gent, Belgium – Trefpunt

Thu, 2 Apr – Gent, Belgium – Trefpunt

Sun, 26 Apr – The Orange Peel Asheville, NC #

Mon, 27 Apr – Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA #

Tue, 28 Apr – Saturn Birmingham, AL #

Thu, 30 Apr – Paper Tiger San Antonio, TX#

Fri, 1 May – Mohawk Austin Austin, TX #

Sun, 3 May – White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX#

Wed, 6 May – Meow Wolf Santa Fe, NM #

Thu, 7 May – Meow Wolf Santa Fe, NM #

Fri, 8 May – Bluebird Theater Denver, CO #

Sat, 9 May – Bluebird Theater Denver, CO #

Sun, 10 May – Washington’s Fort Collins, CO #

Wed, 13 May – Evanston SPACE Evanston, IL #

Thu, 14 May – Evanston SPACE Evanston, IL #

Fri, 15 May – Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI #

Sat, 16 May – Majestic Theatre Detroit, MI #

Thu, 13 Aug – Reeth Memorial Hall Reeth, United Kingdom

Sat, 15 Aug – The Greystones Sheffield, United Kingdom

Sun, 16 Aug – Caroline Street Social Club Shipley, United Kingdom