Hailing from Atlanta, this indie-pop four-piece are about to release their debut full-length record and have blessed us with the adorably left-of-center “Shrug” as a teaser. Songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists Grace Repasky and Maggie Geeslin founded Lunar Vacation at the tender age of 16, later expanding into a four-piece with the addition of Matteo DeLurgio on synth and Connor Dowd on percussion.
While the title of the single may evoke apathy, “Shrug” is about growing and learning while discovering and expressing our identities. Repasky said about the song in a statement:
“I look back now and realize that this song was a pivotal moment in delving into self-identity and ultimately identifying as a non-binary person. The more I tried to fit into a box, the more I felt out of place. Reconstructing thinking patterns and unlearning a binary outlook is a lifelong journey, and I think ‘Shrug’ is a documented beginning for me.”
Ironically, or perhaps deliberately, the track is founded on a binary guitar progression, alternating between two dazed chords throughout the verses, and increasing in complexity once the chorus hits. Repasky’s vocals lend light-hearted ease to the song, with lyrics that imply an empowering sense of being okay with uncertainty:
Good or bad, it's hard to say
I look around at all the paint
Playing safe
Feels like now it's all the same
I figured out I don't like grey
Their debut full-length will follow a pair of EPs, 2017’s Swell and 2018’s Artificial Flavors.
