New York based punk queens T-Rextasy reveal the music video for their new single Girl, Friend, out 6/20 on Danger Collective. This is the band’s first release since their critically-acclaimed debut, “Jurassic Punk” (2016) that earned praise from Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone and NPR Music.
T-Rextasy performed over 100 gigs in 2017 and will bring their spectacular and theatrical show to 30 cities in North America this summer. The band will donate part of their merchandise earnings to various organizations supporting LGBTQ+ rightsand reproductive justice.
The quirky and evocative film for Girl, Friend, powered by unbridled riffs and whimsical lyrics, finds T-Rextasy members Annie, Ebun, Lyris and Vera in their colorful “Pool of Luv”, hoping to snag the hearts of passersby.
The video for Girl, Friend was co-directed by Annie Fidoten and Emily Cohn and shot in Inspiration Point in Washington Heights.
 WATCH GIRL, FRIEND HERE
While the Dino Dames are lounging in an inviting posture, they soon realize that the visitors aren’t enamored of them and prefer building their own romance in their “Pool of Luv”. As Annie explains: “The video for Girl, Friend is centered around the forlorn cupids of T-Rextasy, who have decided to set up a match-making scheme to facilitate queer summer love, but end up more and more devastated as everyone finds a match except themselves.”
Despite a joyful narrative, the video evokes the realities individuals face upon questioning their sexual orientation and embracing it. At first, the “Pool of Luv” is a radiant and blissful place, where protagonists hope to explore and experience their blossoming queerness. But then, a watershed ensues, and members of T-Rextasy are left aside.
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Annie had this to say about it: “The concept of the video was centered around something we’ve chatted about on long stretches of tour driving– the myth of instant queer love. There’s this funny idea sometimes that it’s “easier” to be gay, that the minute you come out you just u-haul yourself up, find your love, live your dream etc. A lot of the songs we’ve been writing try to look at the messy edges of it all, all the fumbles and false starts and scary moments of trying to be your “real” self. That’s what I was trying to get at in making this video.”
For Annie, self-discovery is a process and “doesn’t stop when you come out as gay. People think that it’s easier once you claim it, but it’s not true; your problems don’t simply vanish.”
Committed to intersectional feminism and the power of community, the group mobilizes their live act and social media platforms to raise awareness on issues such as prison abolition, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive justice. On previous tours, they have donated part of their merchandise earnings to the following organizations:Â Make the Road New York, CLPP, Planned Parenthood, Black Student Alliance @ University of Virginia, Black and Pink, Black Mama’s Bail Out.
During their sets, the group acknowledges the indigenous communities originating from each city and land they are performing upon. Annie adds: “Our songs are not all political. But our actions are; without action, it means very little.”
The band intentionally curate inclusive bills for every performance. Lyris explains their process:”We are trying to build a network through touring by connecting with bands and aiming to do our part in upholding resources that support bands that are not cis white men.”
This summer, T-Rextasy will take their rapturous live show on an extensive 30-date tour. They are colorful fashionistas who’s stage presence is undeniable: charismatic and scenic, they are as generous on stage as they are in their lives. A tireless band, enthralling unanimous and diverse crowds, they played 100 sets in 2017 alone, making stops at festivals like SXSW and Brooklyn’s Northside Festival. Spectacular antics, neon ensembles, synchronized dancing, and audience participation make their show memorable: part performance art, part carnival act, part rock gig.
The first T-Rextasy LP, “Jurassic Punk“, released on May 20, 2016 on Father/Daughter Records, earned praise from Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone who included “Gap Yr Boiz” in his Top 25 Songs of 2016 and dubbed them “Hyper-verbal rock & roll goddesses”. NPR Music said “The music of T-Rextasy is an impeccable combination of sarcastic, swaggering humor and timeless pop-punk grooves,” adding, “T-Rextasy delivers flawless punk-rock guitar riffs and snappy ska-infused bass lines embedded in intentional, radical politics.”
Girl, Friend is out 6/20 on Danger Collective.
T-REXTASYÂ SUMMER TOUR DATES
7/26- Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Park Brewery
7/27 – Cambridge, MA – The Lilypad
7/28 – Burlington, VT – Sidebar
7/29 – Montreal, QC – Casa De Popolo
7/30 – Hamilton, ON – The Casbah
7/31 – Toronto, ON – Baby G
8/01 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s
8/02 – Chicago, IL – Grandmaster Warehouse
8/03 – St Louis, MO – Foam
8/04 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
8/06 – Denver, CO – Your Mom’s House
8/07 – Fort Collins, CO – Surf 7
8/08 – SLC, UT – The Underground
8/09 – Boise, ID – Funky Taco
8/11 – Seattle, WA – Black Lodge
8/12 – Vancouver, BC – Stylus Records
8/13 – Portland, OR – TBD
8/15 – Reno, NV – The Holland Project
8/16 – San Francisco, CA – TBD
8/18 – Los Angeles, CA – The Smell
8/19 – Phoenix, AZ – The Lunchbox
8/21 – Austin, TX – Cheer Up Charlie’s
8/22 – Dallas, TX – Transit Bicycle Co.
8/23 – Little Rock, AK – Stickyz
8/24 – Nashville, TN – Two Boots
8/25 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn
8/27 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
8/28 – Washington, DC – TBD
8/29 – Philadelphia, PA – Everybody Hits
8/30 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere (Zone One)
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