IAN SWEET has a new album on the way. SUCKER is out November 3rd via Polyvinyl, and the indie pop artist is celebrating the announcement with its lead single “Your Spit.”
IAN SWEET — aka Jilian Medford — began working on SUCKER last fall, as she was processing the severance of a “COVID relationship.” Fueled by a new sense of freedom, she embarked on a road trip from Los Angeles to The Outlier Inn, an artist residency in New York’s Catskills. “I was feeling very stuck in L.A. and was trying to get comfortable with spending more time alone again,” she recalls in a statement. “I went there not knowing exactly what I wanted to do or make, but I knew I wanted to explore and get out of my comfort zone. I forced myself to make things on the spot, in the moment and not overthink it too much.”
“Your Spit” feels just as breezy and carefree as a road trip with no particular route in mind. It’s a simple pop tune at its core, though its slightly fuzzy production and Medford’s indelible charm keep it feeling fresh: “Why don’t you kiss me like you mean it?/ Kiss me like you’re leaving/ Your spit tastes different,” she coos in the track’s sticky chorus.
“‘Your Spit’ is about the joy and fear that surrounds new relationships,” Medford adds. “The excitement that’s also accompanied by doubt. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say the song is just mostly about making out.” Fair!
“Your Spit” also arrives with a smooch-heavy music video, featuring Saturday Night Live breakout stars Sarah Sherman and Martin Herlihy. Watch that below, and then keep scrolling to see the album artwork and details for SUCKER (pre-orders are ongoing).
Last year, IAN SWEET shared the surprise EP STAR STUFF. Her last proper LP was 2021’s Show Me How You Disappear.
SUCKER Artwork:
SUCKER Tracklist:
08/11 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre #
08/12 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre #
08/17. – Los Angeles, CA @ Skirball Cultural Center
08/22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere – Rooftop $
11/09 – London, UK @ Pitchfork Music Festival London
# = w/ Please Don’t Destroy
# = w/ Why Bonnie