Sydney band 90ivy are taking me back to my angsty teenage years with their latest single “Tiffany.” If like me you loved nothing more than grungy, angry female-fronted acts like Alanis Morissette, Garbage, and PJ Harvey, you’re going to eat this up. And if you’re a fan of more modern acts like Middle Kids, The Beths, and Press Club, this one’s bound to resonate with you too.
Agnes O’Dwyer’s powerful vocals are heartbreaking, but you don’t have to feel too sorry for her. Rather than drawing on her own pain, she had some unlikely inspiration for the song during lockdown.
“Usually the story of the scorned woman is told one of two ways – either she is voiceless and passive or she is furious and directing her anger at “the other woman”. Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ is so genius to me because it doesn’t subscribe to these cliches. She sings praise to the other woman and simply begs her not to take her man. It inspired me to write a song that tells the story of infidelity that looks at the relationship breakdown and the faults of the two in the relationship, rather than placing blame on the other woman,” she explained. “The idea was also brought on by watching one too many trashy, melodramatic TV shows over lockdown – TV and movies inspire my songwriting a lot.”
90ivy are at the top of their game after honing their live show on stages with Teenage Dads, CLEWS, Obscura Hail, Jess Day, and more. See what they can do when they launch “Tiffany” with a hometown show at Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar on April 9.
Image used with permission from Habit Music Co; photo credit: Cath Connell