Los Angeles-based indie-rock duo Guyville, aka Kat Hamilton and Emily Hulslander, just dropped a brand-new single, “Should Have Never Dated,” a song about the downside of romance under certain circumstances.
Kat Hamilton explains, “We had both had bad experiences of dating music collaborators and bandmates. We both talked about how we wished we had kept those relationships platonic. This camaraderie is really the basis of our musical partnership. It was really fun for me to bring my queer experience to the track. It was a cool way to highlight the ways Emily and I had similar problems in mixing work with pleasure, regardless of the gender of our lovers.”
Guyville’s genesis occurred during a writing session in the Valley. The chemistry between Kat and Emily was evident immediately. In the space of a few hours, the pair wrote their first song.
A known quantity in L.A.’s songwriting scene, Emily had established herself as a tour de force but was having a hard time finding another writer she connected with. On her part, Kat was feeling dissatisfied as a writer. Yet once they got together, they discovered synchronization, the feeling of creative harmony.
Their debut single, “Nothing,” a blend of indie-rock, ‘90s girl anthems, and hints of Shania Twain, underscores their musical bond. A perfect post-breakup number, “Nothing” revels in the sensation of feeling positively zilch for your ex.
“Should Have Never Dated” opens on a thrumming guitar topped by a delicious voice, and then takes on hefty, rumbling percussion and thick guitars. For some reason, the tune conjures up suggestions of Hole, pulsing with gleaming colors and a contagious melody, along with sharp lyricism.
Kat and Emily’s voices complement each other like yin and yang, merging into radiant tones rife with go-getting energy.
Brimming with retro flavors, a potent rhythm, edgy glistening guitars, and vibrant coloration, with “Should Have Never Dated,” Guyville delivers impressive indie-rock
