Have you, too, been sitting by your window, still stuck in isolation, dreaming of an all-girl punk song? One that would have fit seamlessly on Rock Band’s 2007 debut Wii console game along with the roster of Radiohead, Weezer, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like? Lucky for you, Lauran Hibberd, Suzy Shinn, and Lydia Night got together and gave us just that with new single, “How Am I Still Alive?“
Lauran Hibberd is an English singer/songwriter with her second EP on the way this summer. “How Am I Still Alive?” took me straight back to the early 2000’s when my MySpace profile picture was this gem:
“Stacy’s Mom” was the song on the Dr. Pepper commercials and my friend and I tried our very hardest to nail those harmonies on “All The Small Things” by blink-182 everyday after school. Work sucks, I know!!!! (did you do it???)
“How Am I Still Alive?” has all the grungy reverb, short staccato guitar strumming, and drum breakdowns going bananas that your little punk hearts (and mine) desire! And it’s not all about the boys!
Suzy Shinn — the co-writer of this absolute banger — is a producer who’s making a name for herself by producing for Panic! At the Disco (my OG fave) and Fall Out Boy, so this song isn’t a departure at all from her day-to-day projects.
Lydia Night, who is featured on the song, is the lead singer — and absolute goddess of my life — of The Regrettes. Please let it be known that I want to be Lydia Night when I grow up. ☺️
Put them all together and you have “How Am I Still Alive?”
After the first few lines that set up the end rhyme structure of the verses, we hear this bridge:
[ I’ve never really liked doing anything
I barely stood up when they threw me in the ring
I’ve never really wanted anyone at all
Apart from Michael when he fainted during football ]
Oof. I know so many people who can resonate with this. That third line, especially, hit me in the chest. We’re thrown on this earth, against our will, with barely any instructions and just let loose into the world with “figure out how to make money or you won’t survive. Oh, but also, there are no jobs, you can’t pay for school and you need a degree plus 5 years experience. kthanks, bye!”
“?????”
“One more thing, you must find a mate but everyone is terrible. But if you don’t, you will be Big Sad. Have fun!”
“…..???????”
After the first chorus, which mentions trousers in somebody’s shampoo (and I have questions), Lydia sings;
[ “Knock, knock. Go home.
I’d rather never answer
Than you stay too long
Crash, crash. I’m out–
You would still be smokin’
If the house burned down
I’m getting really good at talking to myself
I kinda noticed you were fuckin’ someone else” ]
Oof part II. On that note of people being terrible: they have no boundaries, are reckless and couldn’t care less, and have absolutely no regard for other people’s feelings. What was that about finding a mate?! I think the fuck not, thank you sooo much.
As they start to wrap up the song, Lauran and Lydia give us some harmonies that give me serious “Creep” by Radiohead vibes.
They close it out with some more about trousers in shampoo (sounds like someone needs a lesson on where to put their pants?) and then it starts all over because I’ve had this on repeat, quite lit-rally, all day. Head to your nearest streaming device and listen to “How Am I Still Alive?” right now! You won’t REGRETTE it. Heh. I had to.
kthanks, bye!!!!! xD
