The iconic West Coast punk Alice Bag will release a self-titled solo album later this month by way of Don Giovanni, and we’ve already heard two of its singles: “No Means No” and “Poison Seed.” Both of those songs are spitfire punk anthems with a political edge; one condemns the proliferation of rape culture, while the other criticizes the poisonous business practices of Monsanto. This new single, “He’s So Sorry,” focuses on domestic violence, and Bag wrote the following statement about the way it relates to her childhood:

“He’s So Sorry” is a song of both urgency and agency.
Nobody should risk their life waiting for an abuser to change their ways.

I grew up around domestic violence, so when a good friend of mine asked me for help and advice, I recognized that she was in an abusive situation. Our conversations inspired this song.

When I was growing up, my father would frequently beat my mother. I would often go to school wondering if my mother would still be alive when I got home. My mother would tell me that she stayed with my father for my sake because I needed to have a mother and a father. It was a different time and a different set of values.

As a child, I hated my father for beating my mother and I felt anger and frustration at my mother’s inability to leave. My mother WAS NOT to blame for the abuse – that is unequivocal – but she did fail to recognize that she had the power to leave the situation. She was tethered by the fear that she wouldn’t be able to survive financially and by what I imagine was societal and familial pressure to stay in a dysfunctional marriage.

The song was released along with a Marisé Samitier-directed video. The clip contains graphic depictions of violence; watch below.

Alice Bag is out 6/24 via Don Giovanni.