Poking my head above the parapet to share a track I’m a little bit in love with at the moment… taken from the upcoming Bloodbag EP (due 28th October via 7476) the track is Sleeptight from IMOGEN. Transitioning from the tender piano-ballads and acoustic numbers of her earlier releases, she’s experienced somewhat of a musical and personal rebirth – the tracks, videos, performance and image all combining to present us with a powerhouse to be reckoned with.
Following complex surgery for a condition she was born with, Imogen became temporarily infirm, and the experience inspired her to investigate the agency that women have over their own bodies and health. Title track Bloodbag and follow-up Lioncub looked at questions of identity and bodily dissociation.
On the new track, she shares: “Sleeptight deals with the societal treatment of women’s bodies and the reluctance we have to believe women’s accounts of misconduct. The premise being ‘if you don’t believe me, I hope it haunts you.’ It was a conscious decision to set this anger against a big pop track. I guess I found the easiest way to process and deliver the message was to create something that people could dance and lose themselves to. My favorite pop songs are often like Trojan horses. In ‘Sleeptight’ I want people to be able to find empowerment and release. It’s definitely one of my favorite tracks to perform live.”
IMOGEN plays an EP launch show at Bermondsey Social Club on 27th October – tickets here.