Progress Report: Giant Drag
Twice a week, Jessica Suarez's Progress Report updates you on what your favorite bands have been doing. Or not doing.
NAME: Giant Drag
PROGRESS REPORT: Completing work on the Swan Song EP, recorded at Sunset Lodge Recording in Los Angeles; beginning work on untitled full-length album.
Nothing bums out Giant Drag mainwoman Annie Hardy. She hunts out the upsides everywhere--"You Fuck Like My Dad" excluded, maybe. Hardy's applying that same dark humor from her albums to her current condition. Right now the formidable frontwoman is stuck at home a lot with a lot of pain and "overall bummerness" that makes it hard to move. Hardy thought the aches were tour injuries, caused by loading and unloading equipment, but it didn't go away even after Giant Drag wrapped up their tour. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that can make you feel sore and aching all over. "Basically I'm in dull to gnarly pain all the time, and I'm supposed to be doing physical therapy three times a week but can't afford it," Hardy says. "But it's not terminal cancer so I try not to bitch about it too much."
In the meantime she's been prepping Giant Drag's Swan Song EP. There's no release date because Hardy's self-releasing the album (Giant Drag were dropped from Interscope in 2007). Some of the money for Swan Song came from The Giant Drag Relief Fund, a Paypal account where fans can donate money to the band to help cover recording, something she's grateful for. "People get to actually be a part of the making of this album, which wouldn't happen without them," she says. Hardy is good at stretching money and opportunities. Most of the tracks on the Swan Song EP were recorded when Swarovski Crystal and Tank Magazine commissioned Giant Drag for a three-minute track. She came out with the song she needed, "Stuff To Live For," and three other songs as well. Swan Song was mastered back in June, exactly three years since Giant Drag finished mastering Hearts And Unicorns. Her songwriting's changed just slightly since then. "Besides the last song, I think the main difference is they aren't as crowded with so many tracks as the album, [they're] more bare bones. Still heavier though. And longer," she says. "They haven't changed because I didn't want them to, but they will be re-recorded for the album. And then I will mighty morph them, Power Rangers-style."
Former drummer Micah Calabrese came back to do the EP recording, but Hardy is Giant Drag's lone member for now. She's got a long list of people to work with for the next full length though: producer and Maroon 5 bassist Mickey Madden, [producer] Dave Jerden, The Icarus Line's Joe Cardamone. Right now any donations go toward the next full length LP, but Hardy wants to eventually tour again, too. "I just need one of those French-fry-converted vans, and then I'm off to look for Ameeeerica and hopefully Canada. The overseas stuff will be hard to do on my own, but I have to make it happen, even if I swim there," she says. "I'm sure everything will work out the way it's supposed to, it always does."
Tracklist for Swan Song EP:
1. "Swan Song"
2. "Stuff To Live For"
3. "White Baby"
4. "Heart Carl"
Here's the world premiere of "Stuff To Live For":
Hardy is currently deciding between these two images for the cover art. Maye you can help her choose one.
She's gone blond ("So far I am not having more fun") and cut her hair (and sold it) since the Swan Song cover shoot, which would make re-shoots impossible.
Here's Giant Drag covering Madonna from a few years back.
Giant Drag - "Oh Father" (MP3)
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Posted at 5:02 PM by Jessica in MP3, Progress Report
Tags: Giant Drag
Get these sick kids a union!
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Oh, the first one, obvs. She's just too freaking hot not to have her pretty mug on the cover. The topless part is nice too...
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I agree. I think she's worried about it looking too much like the cover to Hearts & Unicorns, but I like the continuity. And the ridiculously long hair.
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I adore giant drag and annie is fucking fantastic live. I love this new song, I cant wait!
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Melikes this band.
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Progress report on the Rentals, please.
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I think it'd be nice to know what Aloha is doing.
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First image for sure.
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The first one, of course!
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Although Annie is cute I prefer the 2nd one.
It's a bit mysterious I guess
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Obviously nobody told Annie that talented and pretty women no longer have to pose for photos semi-naked to sell their records.
Score = -1
First picture. "dang man" on her fingers is the clincher.
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This progress report brought to you by the woman who calls female musicians "tampon rock." RETROGRESSIVE!
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