By Cynthia Gross
On February 14, Pacing, the songwriting and recording project of Pittsburgh-based artist Katie McTigue, released their latest single, “The Family.” The quirky, highly engaging track is the lead single from the band’s forthcoming album, Hatemail.
“’The Family’ is narrated by a desperate young mafia-aspirant who wants to be a big shot, but can’t get people to take him seriously,” McTigue explains. “Accompanied by a 60’s-esque backing choir of cronies (voices in his head), he confesses his dream of taking out the Big Boss for good. That is, if he can manage to avoid shooting himself in the foot again. By the way, that snare is a champagne bottle popping.”
Indeed, the first lines of the song capture this colorful, nonchalant tone doused tastefully with humor and originality: “I got the worst intentions / But I sleep fine at night / N-n-n-knowing everybody thinks I’m fuckin around.” The brilliant chorus motif, “Tony I’m comin’ for you,” is one that will stay with listeners for a long time.
Lyrically, “The Family” explores the divide between who we thought we would be (our dreams) and who we are (our reality) with a lighthearted tone that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The song’s narrator introduces us to a motley cast of characters, including a “bakery boy” and “solider” who want to be “the big boss,” as well as a “sucker” who wants to be “a big shot” or at least “somebody.”
Pacing’s new single was recorded in McTigue’s home studio, the fortress of songitude, with her ex-music-theorist husband Ben and their two cats, who she notes are professional sound engineers themselves. Driven by a jangly guitar riff and upbeat drums, “The Family” is a fitting accompaniment to fun and good times. Fans of Julia Jacklin and Marika Hackman will identify with Pacing’s ability to create distinct creative compositions on their own terms.
Stay tuned for Pacing’s upcoming album scheduled for release later this year, which promises to have some exciting surprises in store. McTigue describes the eclectic collection as a big experiment in which “I get to try on a bunch of different characters and see what they have to say. Most of them are profane, self-obsessed, shameless, unreliable narrators…I guess a little it of the real me always manages to slip in.”
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Cynthia Gross is a freelance writer and award-winning spiritual pop artist based in Maryland. With more than a decade of experience as an executive ghostwriter, she understands the power of each individual’s voice to create positive, meaningful change.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
