Photo by Jackson Montgomery Schwartz
In a very short amount of time, Benjamin Violet’s project Pelvis Wrestley has become a darling of the Austin scene, with a self-described combination of “glam senselessness and country sensibility” making the music and the aesthetic stand out as the city’s own pastel drenched response to Orville Peck. Joined by Santiago Dietche (Daphne Tunes), Sarah Schultz (Sun June), Behnam Arzaghi and Hannah McVay, Violet has been hard at work on a debut LP titled Vortexas Vorever, which will explore a story of “heartbreak, healing and personal reconstruction.” Today we’re bringing you the premiere of one of our personal favorite songs from the Pelvis Wrestley canon, “Susanna,” a soaring electro-ballad where a rumbling guitar riff and Violet’s tender, aching voice rise up out of a mass of arpeggiating synths and ’80s pop beats. With its forlorn melody and lyrical exploration of its titular feminine influence and savior, “Susanna” recalls Magnetic Fields by way of New Order, and we suspect it will be a last minute addition to your year end best of playlists (we know it has already occupied prime real estate on ours), so give it a listen below and then join Pelvis Wrestley tonight, December 17th at Cheer Up Charlie’s for the release show!