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Stereo Six: GRLwood Runs Down Her All-Time Favourite Songs

After a trilogy of albums in 2024, GRLwood joins us for a Stereo Six feature, sharing six of her most influential songs.

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GRLwood, photo by Maggie Friedman
GRLwood, photo by Maggie Friedman

As GRLwood wraps up 2024 and reflects on the year that was, they can look back extremely fondly. This has been the most creative and productive period of the duo’s career, with not one, not two, but three album releases. August saw the release of BLOOD, followed by SWEAT in October, and now the trilogy has been completed with the release of TEARS earlier this month. All three albums were masterminded by GRLwood founder Rej Forester, a creative challenge for them but one that they relished. TEARS carries forth many of the themes of its predecessors, including betrayal, which is a topic that weaves its way through these albums. TEARS is also something of a musical departure for GRLwood. It’s perhaps Forester’s most “musical” album, with pronounced electronic and pop influences found throughout.

Forester wanted the writings of these albums to be as free and uninhibited as possible. They allowed their inspirations to guide the songwriting, with songs about their neurodivergence and confronting the sexism of a male-dominated music industry. Forester also discusses the stereotypes and microaggressions that accompany being openly queer. They channel their pain, anger, and disappointment into a three-part body of work that Forester hopes will serve as a portfolio of sorts.

About five years ago, GRLwood joined us for a Women of Rock feature to discuss some of their most significant female influences. We are pleased to have Forester join us again today for a Stereo Six to hash out six particularly influential songs to them.

“Everything I’ve ever consumed has influenced who I am and why I do what I do. So, in saying that, everything is all at once and nothing in particular. I don’t model myself after anything intentionally, so my work isn’t genre-locked, and each track is so different from the next. This trilogy, BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS, is a culmination of all my influences and inspiration. Sonically, the albums are wildly different but still feel 100 percent me.”

THE BLOOD ALBUM:

1. Björk – “Pagan Poetry” (2001, Elekta Records)

“Björk is an incredible example of using your voice as an instrument. She has inspired me to experiment and stretch my vocal capabilities; I truly sing to my end range.”

2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Tick” (2003, Interscope Records)

“I love that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs can be both aggressive and accessible. They have these catchy melodies underneath Karen O’s blood-curdling scream. You don’t have to be rough or soft; you can do both at the same time.”

THE SWEAT ALBUM:

3. Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For” (2023, Interscope Records, Atlantic Records, Darkroom)

“‘Meow meow meow meow’ meme version of ‘What Was I Made For’ by Billie Eilish.

“I love this. It’s a meme because some of the tracks are very silly and authentic to me. I am neurodivergent and live with both Tourettes and OCD, and I decided to address that in these albums. On the SWEAT album, I wrote the non-sensical psych-rock song ‘Drive.’ It’s how the inside of my brain feels all day, every day, every second. And I can’t change it, I can’t turn it off. Hello, welcome to my house, it’s a wacky one…and I love it.”

4. The B-52’s – “Rock Lobster” (2023, DB, Warner Bros. Records, Island Records)

“There are some pretty heavy themes of poverty and betrayal on these albums, so I had to lighten it up and make some happy feel-good songs like ‘Weekend’ and ‘Love it Fire’ just to have fun, which is why I love ‘Rock Lobster.’ It is a very catchy song about something so silly…a spine-clawless lobster. It’s about pure melody and having fun. Not about being the song of the summer or the next viral algorithm track.”

THE TEARS ALBUM:

5. Madonna – “Ray of Light” (1998, Maverick Records, Warner Bros. Records)

“So TEARS is a big left turn from what people know GRLwood for, and I love it! This album is packed with pop, hip-hop, and electronic influences. I love ‘Ray of Light’ by Madonna. It was very formative for me as a 10 or 11-year-old. I loved the ethereal and beautiful aspect of it, and when this album came out, it was also a big departure from the kind of music I knew her for.”

6. Britney Spears – “Oops… I Did It Again” (2000, Jive Records)

“Britney Spears’ albums from New Millennia, Oops… I Did It Again, to Britney, and In the Zone, were albums I grew up on and they are classics. So many jams and hits on these… how can you not love it? These were informative for me as a young-in and you can hear some super yummy pop hooks all over TEARS.”

Born in 2003, V13 was a socio-political website that morphed into PureGrainAudio in 2005 and spent 15 years developing into one of Canada's (and the world’s) leading music sites. On the eve of the site’s 15th anniversary, a full relaunch and rebrand took us back to our roots and opened the door to a full suite of Music, Entertainment, and cultural content.

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