Chase Petra has been on a tear this year. Earlier this spring, the band released Lullabies for Dogs, a masterclass in existential indie rock. Since then, they’ve toured with Free Throw, PUP, Origami Angel, and Saturdays At Your Place, on top of full US and UK headline tours. Now, the band continues their busy year with Famous, the electric B-side to the delicate We Were Friends, released in July of this year.
On “Famous,” Chase Petra creates a fun, flippant reflection on the celebrity industrial complex with a brilliant guest verse from Sweet Pill’s Zayna Youssef. Mixed by Vince Ratti and mastered by Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip, the song is an absolute force.
Lyricist Allen writes, “It feels as if the idea of ‘discovering yourself’ as an individual has been misshapen and perhaps even degraded into a different process altogether. Instead of “who are you?” the question has become “what’s your brand?” Rather than partaking in a journey of self-discovery for the sake of discovering the self, we reach for easily digestible labels and images in order to market ourselves. In 1973, artist Richard Serra said, “if the service is free, you’re the product.” This assertion has never felt more true than it does to me right now!! Our song “Famous,” is an admission of such: that I am one of many who has fallen for the ruse that recognition, fame, and acclaim can provide a sense of completion to a person; can make them feel whole. The song is also a revelation though. It’s a palm to the forehead, like oh my god, of course that’s not true. I’ve been duped!”