NO - Art Punk temper tantrum
A bratty ballad about Consent in this land of The greed and home of the crazed.
Song: NO
Release date: Nov. 15th 2024
Band: Pleeay
FFO: Special Interest, Patriarchy, Delilah Bon, Penelope Scott
LISTEN TO “NO”
The Story
“NO” is the track to blast in your headphones while taking a break from family during the holidays…or after a tough day of work…or ANY situation where personal boundaries are crossed. Communicating boundaries is not easy, but it’s how we grow in our relationships to others and ourselves. The song “NO” begins with a kick in the solar plexus - a reality check in the form of a banshee wail. The verses take you on a tour through the valley of lost souls resolving into choruses that raise you up to claim a brand new sense of strength.
“NO” leaves you with a firm stance to stop prioritizing the expectations of others over one’s own experience. Ultimately, taking care of ourselves allows us to show up for the ones we love.
The nuts and Bolts
“NO” opens with a wretched scream that drops swiftly into a highly danceable nightmare of bass, drums, and synth arpeggios. The lyrics of each verse take you through the relentless monotony of being chained to other people’s expectations. The choruses rip through that detritus to to illuminate the goal: empowerment. With a powerful high pitch and exultant punctuations from the drums and bass, the chorus asserts, “I’ve got to STOP making myself small, after all it's not their call.” These assertions are elevated by sudden moments of silence to drive the point home.
Recorded in a fit of giggles and glee at Women’s Audio Mission in San Francisco with engineer Arielle Flinkman and consulting producer Christina Cerza (HotGothGF). Lovingly mastered by Jessica Thompson.
The Band
PLEEAY is a trio of Bay Area art punks (2 queers and 1 unrelenting ally) wheeling and squealing in San Francisco. PLEEAY double-dares ya’ll to resist conformity, choose consciousness over convenience, and live loudly with compassion.
PLEEAY recently opened for the Pussy Riot in San Francisco, and played with the Special Interest for a special party at Stanford University (they’re Ivy League, honey!). PLEEAY and lit up the City Hall mainstage of SF Pride alongside N3PTUNE + RSTY, Commando, and Billy Porter - using the platform to advocate for public divestment from war and weaponry. Most recently, PLEEAY was voted runner up as “Best Band of the Bay” in 48Hills’s annual reader poll just after Fantastic Negrito (we bow down).
More about “NO”
BIG PICTURE
“NO” is the first single from PLEEAY’s upcoming EP “Wealth and Hellness Vol.1”. It’s a 3-EP project that picks apart and moves through the challenges of being human. With the of release “NO”, Pleeay is slamming its two feet deep into the soil to leave a permanent impression.
THE VIBE
What we consent to, who we consent to, and why we consent has the power to shape our self-image. Without a resounding YES, it’s a NO. But sometimes, an earth-splintering HELL NO is absolutely necessary to let our stance be known.
Silly lil Similie
If this song was a film, it would be a documentary about women and queers in the labor movement. You couldn’t find it on any streaming services but your cool aunt has the DVD.
“NO” Cover Art
Photos by: Sloane Kanter
Quotes from the band about “NO”
“It’s about boundaries and protecting your energy. We all stop playing at the same time throughout the song. That’s our way of saying “no'' to things that don't serve us. It also just feels good.”
— Pete, bass guitar
“Everyone gets fed up, everyone gets angry. Most of the time, we’re told to hold it in and get over it. This song is about standing up for yourself, knowing what your needs are, and prioritizing them. In most situations that starts with two letters: N. O.”
— Castle, VOX/LYRICS
“It’s a treatise on bodily autonomy. Come at me like that and you're gonna get sliced up!”