Braids shares two new tracks from the Shadow Offering sessions, including one inspired by Sailor Moon (listen here)

Braids photo by Mélissa Gamache.

Montreal trio Braids has shared two new tracks recorded during the sessions for their latest album, Shadow Offering.

“Slayer Moon” and “2020” are two shimmering slabs of electro-pop, offering up a welcome mix of dancefloor-ready rhythms with just enough melancholy that seems appropriate for these times.

The band had the following to say about the inspiration behind “Slayer Moon”:

“Slayer Moon is inspired by a Sailor Moon phone case I bought in Tokyo, at 3 am while on tour in Japan. Growing up I was obsessed with Sailor Moon, particularly with the ability to magically transform from a normal girl into a full-on mystical and powerful Sailor Scout, battle-ready to combat the evil forces of the world.”

“2020” was actually written back in 2017, years before anyone had any inkling of what the terrible year would have in store for the world:

“‘2020’ was written sometime in 2017, after a long period of being alone – in an abstract sense of the word – while reaching for fleeting physical closeness. I was with friends, but my heart was lonely and longing for companionship, my body confused with the unfamiliarity of new and shallow encounters. I had been meditating a lot during this time “tracing a line through the centre of my body” – a process of inward-looking that I veer towards when I take the time to sit. I titled the song ‘2020’, in 2020. Revisiting the song’s lyrics through the eyes of our present reality struck a chord with me. I felt as close to the song as when I had first written it. I find that I am asking myself similar questions while in this pandemic, without my friends, my family, my familiar structures.”

Steam the new Braids songs here, and check out a recent YouTube live set of the band performing both new tracks below.