Why I’m attending Sidney Gish’s “Filming School” next semester

Since the release of her second album, No Dogs Allowed in 2017, I have been obsessed with Sidney Gish; her weird lyricism and sweet, yet intentional melodies were enough to capture the heart of a closetedly-alternative 16-year-old, and Gish has kept me and so many others on a short leash in the four years following her last release of new music. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, however, this all changed with the release of Gish’s new singles, “Filming School” and “MFSOTSOTR.”

First, a couple of distinctions between this release and some of Gish’s others—this single is the first one that Gish has produced under a label. While Ed Buys Houses and No Dogs Allowed were self-released, “Filming School” was put out by Sub Pop Records, a company that champions indie artists like Beach House and Weyes Blood despite their modest slogan, “We’re not the best, but we’re pretty good.” This step toward becoming a more established musician may have been inspired by Gish’s recent graduation from Northeastern University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music industry.

Gish’s education makes the title of “Filming School” even more quintessentially Gish—the self-aware irony of poking fun at pursuing an education in the arts is one that Gish replicates in some of her earlier classics, from “Imposter Syndrome” to “Sin Triangle.” Gish doubles down on this joking nature in the lyrics themselves, repeating again and again, “On occasion, there will be plot points, on occasion, there will be art, on occasion, there will be long pretentious things to tell apart from real content.” Gish sings into existence the frustration we all face with film bros—how do we tell the difference between genuinely good movies and the movies everyone wants us to believe are amazing? How good is Pulp Fiction, really?

These lyrics are accompanied, of course, by endearing and upbeat melodies, mimicking many of the feel-good rhythms that make up songs like “Homecoming Serf” and “Hexagons and Other Fun Materials” on Ed Buys Houses. Overall, “Filming School” gives hope to the Sidney Gish fans who have long awaited new music, ringing true to the originality and fun, quirky nature of Gish’s past sound.

“MFSOTSOTR” emulates this same Gish-ish vibe, though the lyrics are much sparser and the rhythm more upbeat. Without too much textual content, Gish’s repetition of the song’s abbreviated title, “I look so motherfucking stupid on the side of the road,” indicates a return to the apathy and frustration Gish’s lyrics direct towards change and coming of age. More rock-driven than “Filming School,” “MFSOTSOTR” is sure to remind listeners of songs like “Buckets of Fun” and “!Ed Buys Houses!” from Ed Buys Houses.

These two new songs, which mostly mirror Gish’s earlier sound on her 2016 album Ed Buys Houses, reveal an exciting newfound commitment to Gish’s musical career and a continued expansion into the wonderfully weird indie genre. I am personally excited to see what else my high school celebrity crush does this year, and hope that this new release means Gish might finally go on tour!