Parquet Courts have debuted a brand new single, ‘Watching Strangers Smile,’ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. This follows the release of Sympathy For Life, their new album available now on Rough Trade Records / Remote Control Records. ‘Watching Strangers Smile’ came out of the same sessions the band did with Rodaidh McDonald for Sympathy for Life. The Ellen performance puts A. Savage’s fiery vocal performance at the forefront, once again cementing them as one of the most lauded indie bands of the last decade and giving a taste of what to expect on their spring 2022 North American tour. ‘Watching Strangers Smile’ is now available on all streaming services.
“Interestingly enough, this song is the b-side to the Black Widow Spider single, which was released only in Japan via Big Love Records,” says A. Savage. “The music was recorded during the sessions for Sympathy for Life, but it was left unfinished. I recorded the vocals on my own to sort of keep from going stir crazy that first lockdown summer. Apologies to my neighbours for the long afternoon spent screaming these vocals in my bedroom.”