Warpaint’s first new music since 2016, Lilys is a hair-raising auditory journey that will have you reaching for the loop button.
Los Angeles indie-rock band Warpaint have emerged from their five-year hiatus with the release of their hypnotic new single Lilys, which made its debut for HBO’s new dark comedy series Made for Love. The release marks the start of a new era for the group.
Despite quarantine consigning the quartet to different parts of the world, Warpaint have been able to come together and create something truly iconic, coupling driving rhythms with a dark, twisted attitude that’s impossible to ignore. Lilys is perfect proof that the long wait since their 2016 release Heads Up has been entirely worth it, and that Warpaint are not a band that will be easily forgotten.
While the track is indisputably Warpaint, the band discusses it as a change of pace writing-wise:
“This track started as an experiment. We were messing around with synth sounds and trying for something textural and almost atonal at times. It wasn’t intended to make its way to our album sessions. But after some mining and editing it became a really nice bed for a melody.”
“It’s one of those things that just flows out without much thought. It’s so sweetly satisfying when that happens!”
The textural comparison between the droning and chaotic synths and the whispery vocals make for a track capable of putting the listener into a slow-motion trance. The soothing harmonies draw you into an atmosphere that’s ominous and foreboding.
There aren’t many artists that are able to make such a dark vibration of emotion so intriguing, yet Warpaint have done it without flaw.
Lilys was written to feature in HBO’s Made for Love, a series that follows the narrative of Hazel Green, whose tech pioneer husband Byron creates a brain implant that allows married couples to share their thoughts.
The Black Mirror-esque tone of the series is complemented perfectly by the dystopian ambience that oozes from Warpaint’s new track, effectively setting the tone for the series.
Lilys is now available via Virgin Music Australia and can be streamed or purchased here.
