Throughout the last fifteen years, Beach Fossils have steadily earned their stature as one of the most definitive and enduring bands of the 2010s New York underground, consistently reaching new listeners as their sound has grown from the DIY solo project of Dustin Payseur to an influential four-piece dream pop band, self-produced and self-released.

Bunny (2023) continues the stunning evolution of Beach Fossils’ sound, pulling elements from the jangly melancholy of the self-titled debut Beach Fossils (2010) and What a Pleasure (2011), the gritty, post-punk inspired tracks from Clash the Truth (2013), and the lush arrangements of Somersault (2017). Throughout, Payseur is joined by core band members Tommy Davidson (guitar), Jack Doyle Smith (bass), and Anton Hochheim (drums).

Through tone and mood, Beach Fossils communicate a coming-of-age narrative of self-discovery. Payseur’s slice-of-life lyrics reflect on depression, love, adventure, loss, mistakes, New York City, friendships coming and going — a mélange of granular pieces in the process of continuing to find yourself.

Becca Harvey approached Sweetness, her second girlpuppy album, with a newfound creative independence. Unlike her 2022 debut When I’m Alone, where she often deferred to collaborators, Sweetness was built entirely from her own lyrical and melodic ideas. Emerging from a relationship where she felt sidelined, she embraced a more personal, texturally rich sound, crafting a record about pushing back against self-doubt.

Harvey started by recording acapella voice memos, and, together with producer/co-writer Alex Farrar and additional collaborators, she found a balance between shoegaze, dream-pop, and early-2000s pop-rock. Sweetness pulses with distorted guitars and poison-sweet-hooks laced with both defiance and longing.

Lyrically, Sweetness is sharp and evocative, drawing from influences like Leonard Cohen and Avril Lavigne. Harvey captures heartbreak in vivid snapshots—on “I Just Do!,” she reminisces about making her partner’s friends laugh, while “I Was Her Too” humorously questions a cryptic song dedication from an ex. In “Windows,” she nods to Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs,” emphasizing how personal interpretation shapes meaning.

At its core, Sweetness is about self-discovery—finding your voice, standing by it, and defining what matters on your own terms. With a mix of wit, catharsis, and towering melodies, Harvey cements herself as one of indie pop’s most compelling new voices.