https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU2509/S00304/horsegirl-release-digital-ep-julie-in-twos-and-announce-7.htm
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Horsegirl Release Digital EP Julie In Twos And Announce 7" |
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Earlier this year, Horsegirl— the New York-via-Chicago trio of best friends Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein, and Gigi Reece—released one of the year’s most lauded releases, Phonetics On and On, via Matador Records. Produced by Cate Le Bon, the album has already landed on mid-year best of 2025 lists from major publications, including Esquire, Stereogum, The Ringer, UPROXX, FLOOD, Paste, Rolling Stone, and more, with the latter crowning album as an “instant contender for any list of great albums.” The band has been touring extensively since the release, recently returning from an entirely sold out, first-ever Japanese tour.
One of the album’s standout songs is the “spare and stunning” (The Ringer) 'Julie.' Upon its release, Stereogum claimed “songs as great as this one suggest [Horsegirl’s debut] was only the beginning of their ascent.” Now, Horsegirl shine a brighter light on 'Julie' with the release of the digital EP, Julie In Twos, and announcement of a physical 7”, 'Two Julies,' now available for pre-order. Offering a deeper dive into the album’s centerpiece, the forthcoming physical 7” comprises two demos of 'Julie,' while today’s release also includes a demo of 'In Twos.'
A - Julie Demo 1
B - Julie Demo 2
“‘Julie’ had a long evolution with many working versions. We wanted to share some early recordings to provide insight on how much songs evolve during the process of making a record. This song describes the experience of infatuation and uncertainty—vulnerability takes a different shape in each version of the song. It was first written on an acoustic guitar, an instrument which was ultimately eliminated from the final recording. The song’s evolution reflects the playfulness of our recording session with Cate and our growth as songwriters while making Phonetics On and On.” - Horsegirl
Produced by Cate Le Bon and recorded at The Loft in Chicago, Horsegirl’s original and sonic home, Phonetics On and On explores the limits of the trio configuration— what if instead of filling out songs with distortion, they utilized the expanse that the three of them didn't occupy? This question is the guiding force behind the record, and the songs are a testament to experimenting with space and texture while maintaining a pop song at the core. It’s an album to dance to, as Reece’s dancing drum melodies and Lowenstein’s bright guitar leads direct your attention to the band’s chemistry and mastery of form.
“[A] springy, confidently minimalist sophomore album.” - New York Times
“Phonetics
On and On is a compulsively replayable record full of
arrestingly catchy, bare-
bones songwriting and
twee treasures.” - NPR
Music
"The beauty of the album is in how
every element contributes equally - there are no
lead
parts and nothing is pushed to the
background. Each voice and instrument occupies
an
equally important place in the mix."
- Wall Street Journal
“Fresh, alive, and reimagined with exquisite taste.” - Vanity Fair
“[Phonetics On and On] has
an affinity for stretching the distance between instruments
and
hypnotically fixating on a single musical
element” - Paste, “The Best Albums of 2025 So
Far”
“These kids know their history, but man
they are very much of the moment.” - Sound
Opinions
“Phonetics On and On still
brings the noise - and some moments of shredding - but is
subtler
than the group’s debut, clarifying
Horsegirl’s sound and refining its melodies across 11
tracks.”
-
Billboard
“Phonetics On and On is a
home-away-from-home album, capturing all the
freedom,
uncertainty, and change that comes with
the replanting of a flag.” -
Pitchfork
"Everything you’re hearing is absolutely necessary and precise […] this sophomore album for Matador Records is a triumph.” - Style Weekly
"You potentially have the finest 1992 album of 2025” - UPROXX, & "Steven Hyden’s Favourite Music of 2025 So Far”
“[Horsegirl] have already proven
their authenticity; with Phonetics On and On, they
move
beyond their influences, carving out a
distinct identity shaped through time and life
experience.”
- PopMatters, The Best Albums
of 2025 So Far
“[Phonetics On and On] is
a beautiful and chaotic coming-of-age story [...] a deeply
layered
album that rewards repeated
listens.” -
SPIN
“Perfectly-turned playground chants
whose seeming stream-of-consciousness is
so
convincing, I keep replaying them to catch the
sleight-of-hand, and because they’re so
damn
catchy.” -
Will Hermes, New Music + Old
Music
"What Phonetics On and On proves,
among other things, is just how deserving this
Matador-
signed band is of such effusive hype.”
- FLOOD, The Best Albums of 2025 (So
Far)
"Phonetics On and On is the product
of so much hard work and refinement, but damn if
it
doesn’t feel like a brilliant song falls out
every time one of these three shrugs.” -
Stereogum, “The 50 Best Albums of 2025 So
Far”
“One of the most promising bands of the early-’20s.” - Brooklyn Vegan, “Best Albums of 2025 So Far”
"Pulsing and propulsive. . .[‘Switch Over’] is hooky but laconic, a next step forward for a band with a long road ahead.” - Esquire, “The 17 Best Songs of 2025 (So Far)”
“[Phonetics On and On] is simply a triumphant indie rock effort.” - Aquarium Drunkard, “Midyear Review”
Horsegirl is a band of best friends; being around them you can see that love in their eyes and it is always a joyous thing to witness. It’s a love that is ever-present in Phonetics On and On as tenderness reverberates back and forth across the recording. It’s hard to imagine these songs being written by anyone but these three. Horsegirl writes with an unanticipated honesty, leading us through scenes of girlhood and youth. These are the moments of their lives.
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