“These toy soldiers / Emotional freeloaders / Will not get away with their crimes.”
These poignant lyrics ring heavy in indie pop rock group Sleepyhead‘s brand new single, “Hoping That You’re Lonely,” which hit streaming services today August 29th, 2024.
In “Hoping That You’re Lonely,” drummer and vocalist Rachael McNally longs for the simple dating pleasures like going to the movies, kissing in the car, and that innocent sugar-high feeling of being with someone you like. Opening with a wavy electric guitar riff from Chris O’Rourke that yearns in and of itself, McNally soon delivers her sweet vocals, as the song harnesses an upbeat, easy on the ears groove that plays to the human condition of finding our partner.
“Despite the fact that ‘Hoping That You’re Lonely’ sounds like a mean sentiment, it’s not meant to be at all,” says O’Rourke. “This song is meant to be hopeful, from the point of view of someone who has had some less-than-stellar, overly macho men in her life and is done with them. The hope is that there is someone better, and the narrator is hoping to fill a hole in that person’s life, too.”
The single is accompanied by a music video as well, further displaying the innocence and lightness of the track.
Originally formed by McNally, O’Rourke, and bassist Mike Galinsky in an NYU basement dorm in 1989, the group toured America and Europe throughout the nineties with other indie and alt groups such as Yo La Tengo, The Magnetic Zeros, and Dungbeetle among many others. In the more recent past and after a move to Boston along with a few lineup changes, the band released Wild Sometimes on the esteemed Carrot Top Records label, which unfortunately closed up shop in 2016.
Now, with a lineup including multi-instrumentalist Derek van Beever and bassist Ani Somasundaram, the band has found a new home with Dromedary, releasing “Hoping That You’re Lonely” b/w “Busted Lullaby” in advanced of a full-length coming in 2025.
“Hoping That You’re Lonely” is the first single and release since their 2022 album, New Alchemy. McNally’s tender vocals and the band’s upbeat indie instrumentals shine bright, reminiscent of the nostalgic sounds of the 90s, offering an appetizing taste of what’s to come.
Featured photo by Finn O’Rourke
