Stylish. Powerful. Self-loving. Triumphant. Anthemic. These are just some choice words to describe Ex-Girlfriend’s Renegades, the debut single from the self-confessed punk rock queen of Brighton’s drag scene.
Over the years, Ex-Girlfriend has travelled down numerous musical avenues, operating in the outfit They Say Fall from 2010 until 2019 (also known as Bad Machines from 2017 onwards). Wanting to find their feet towards making music and art that expressed their queerness, Ex-Girlfriend departed the band and sought solace in Brighton where they adopted their alias from the titular No Doubt song, as well as a pink hair dye with a similar name from Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams.
As well as drag, Ex-Girlfriend has always had a substantial and dedicated love for emo music, something that they proclaim to have tapped into who they are outside of drag. After five years of musical gestation, the Ex-Girlfriend project seems to have kicked off into high gear after the collaborative meeting of themself and Will Fox, clicking together instantly as they both had similar outlooks on music creation and artistic vision.
All of the music that Ex-Girlfriend wrote with their band seemed to have a more serious viewpoint, leading to them wanting to open up towards their love of pop punk party songs, something that plays out excitingly on Renegades. The song immediately kicks into action like a true pop punk gem from the likes of Paramore or Green Day, with some weighty production in the
instrumental backdrop that reminds one of ‘WORRY.’ / ‘NO DREAM’-era Jeff Rosenstock. Ex-Girlfriend’s passionate lead vocals carry the song and its message of self-love and welcoming arms.
Also on this track, Ex-Girlfriend is joined by fellow Brighton artist Alex Fincher, whose vocals add a balanced gut-punch to the song’s proceedings from the second verse. Let’s also not forget the cool production choices of Will Fox, who creates and releases tension faultlessly in the form of a one-chord bridge, as well as a sound palette that pays homage to the iconic
pop punk styles of the 2000s, as well as adapting around the influences of Ex-Girlfriend such as Cassyette, Deftones, Fightstar and Finch.
The track’s chorus has a stellar pop power to it, with its bookend lyric of “this is our nation and you’re all invited” being at the very core of Ex-Girlfriend’s message: embracing your own unique qualities and manifesting your own destiny as an artist, as a drag queen and as a musician. Even the music video to this track encapsulates the song’s power perfectly, with a detailed story of escaping the trappings of everyday life and seizing the day from whatever perils come your way.
Renegades is available to stream and purchase everywhere on August 30. Ex-Girlfriend is opening for Nova Twins at Revenge on August 30 for the first live performance of Renegades, tickets HERE
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