Track-by-Track: Keep for Cheap Shells Out Creative Independence Behind ‘Big Grass’

Embracing their Midwest cinematic independence, Keep for Cheap recently released their highly anticipated sophomore album, Big Grass. This nine-track “prairie-rock” record is a testament to the band’s independence and creative evolution. With fronting members Kate Malanaphy and Autumn Vagle, Keep for Cheap brings forth playful yet poignant music with their distinctive blend of indie rock and country licks, paired with heartfelt melodies, teasing themes of evolving youth, queer love, and a yearning for a deeper connection. The final single, “Life Is Like This,” serves as both the heart of the album and its emotional climax, asking the poignant question: “Are we doing our best at reaching to one another?”

Over five years in the making, Big Grass explores complex themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the desire for a better future. From the bright optimism of “FedEx” to the existential reflections of “Cyberspace,” each track layers personal growth and emotional depth. Produced by Abe Anderson, the album blends Wednesday’s dark, atmospheric sound with Sheryl Crow’s soulful energy. It delivers a unique musical experience that mirrors the band’s journey through quarter-life crises, fleeting nostalgia, and the challenges of finding meaning in an ever-changing world.

With the many themes echoing throughout the record, Vagle lays bare the creative inspiration behind the album with a Track-by-Track rundown.

1. “FedEx”

“Getting stuck in a snowbank in North Dakota made our 2023 spring tour arguably the most memorable one. That event, along with general observation of American society in the news and on the road, inspired this heater. The song is ultimately about trying to find the wonder in life through the dread about our country further unraveling and people succumbing to fear and hatred.”

2. “Yours/Mine”

“A song about seeing yourself in someone you love, and wanting to know them more deeply. Musically, it mirrors a love that stays steady but flares in intensity.”

3. “Lakehouse”

“When my parents moved from our childhood home on Lake Vermilion in Northern Minnesota, this song was born out of conflicting sadness and gratefulness. Fun fact— this song was recorded and released in the fall of 2023 before the LP came together. Then we worked with the same engineer (Abe Anderson) on the rest of the project!”

4. “Dark”

“This is a self-critical song about the habit of consuming dark media, like horror and true crime. I’m not sure how to explain the way I seek out these stories of the worst things a human can go through. My heart breaks for survivors of those stories and my head wonders how the perpetrators became so cruel. It’s like the animal in me needs to know what it might need to defend itself from.”

5. “Cyberspace”

“Where does human waste go in Cyberspace? Regarding the culture of being online, we all take in and leave behind a lot. The larger question of whether it will last and how it will affect our world sits alongside the doubt that it’s a sustainable way to connect with the world as artists. There have been many meaningful connections made between people online, but it’s easy to get too dependent on this form of community that just does not feel as fulfilling as a real personal connection.”

6. “Talking Mushrooms”

“Inspired by that fungi documentary on Netflix, this song marvels at nature’s connections and ways of communicating and sharing resources. It’s easy to lose sight of our connection with the natural world. But when you see how different organisms can ‘understand’ each other (even the brainless ones) and work together, it can ground and inspire you.”

Cover Art for ‘Big Grass’ by Kate Malanaphy

7. “Ski-Doo”

“The absolute endless beauty and small pocket-of-the-world charm of the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota has always inspired me. The freedom I’ve had to grow and change since moving to the Twin Cities allows me to process how I really feel about the people and places I spent time with growing up. The wonder and gratitude I feel will always outweigh the fears or aches left over from adolescence, and it will always feel like home!”

8. “Begging”

“Clawing, giving everything, yearning to be wholly known, and laying in those feelings of wanting more and more.”

9. “Life Is Like This”

“This one is a poignant, easy-paced, expansive closer to the record. Reminiscent, yet pushing forward, it wraps up the themes of the record concisely in the lines: ‘Oh, when you finally feel things changing” and “Are we doing our best at reaching to one another?’”