By Rebecca Marx
The debut EP by Lunch Duchess: My Mom Says I Have A Rich Inner Life came to me with an extreme level of anticipation, an anticipation fueled by the fact that the band originated from within the line up of several great established Twin Cities acts.
Is it a concern for me that a band formed in this way might create something that feels like a one off or a “side project”? It is a concern-can and does happen, but in this case after the first song I was over it.
Lunch Duchess’s sound is part Northwest indie rock and part experimental soul/pop, mostly the foursome will surprise you at every turn.
Lunch Duchess is bassist Ranelle Johnson of Bae Tigre (although Crystal Stockert from Catbath plays on the EP), Nicky Leingang (synth) of B.O.Y.F. and guitarist Matt Graves of the band Mrs. That leaves drummer and front woman Katharine Seggerman (Bae Tigre and B.O.Y.F.). Seggerman is a fearless drummer who I’ve seen play numerous times, and each time I was left with the impression that she was a front woman just waiting to emerge.
On My Mom Says I Have A Rich Inner Life, Seggerman not only emerges-she takes the reins with lead vocals ranging from utterly melodic to dissonant and fierce, leading you on a personal journey through her own triumphs and tribulations. The end result is an artist leaning into the music, and an audience that follows her deeper in, with each song.
The track “How You Love” is an ode to a narcissistic love left behind, complete with the tongue in cheek: “Do you still like it when I call you? Do you still like it when I call you out?”. The EP’s unconventional winner is “Gross”, a song awash with plucky synthesizer, urgent guitar and vocals that both wail and coo through lyrics that vacillate between self-deprecation and empowerment.
A good EP can be likened to a fantastic appetizer, a tantalizing bite that leaves you hungry for more. My Mom Says I Have A Rich Inner Life does just that, it takes chances and delivers a package that’s wrapped up all pretty with the big bow, though it might have been dropped more than once on its way to the party.
In other words, it feels real and candid-NOT put on. Nowadays, there is a lot about music that comes off as inauthentic and trite, why not give Lunch Duchess a chance to clean that right out of your head?
https://lunchduchessmusic.bandcamp.com/
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