Daisy Grenade has So Much To Say and they aren’t holding back this time. The Brooklyn alt-pop duo’s third EP reimagines their signature glitter-coated angst into an unfiltered explosion of maturity and experimentation.
Consisting of Keaton Whittaker and Dani Nigro, the duo consistently reinvents the definition of punk — one nightmarish, chaotic and unhinged truth about girlhood at a time. Pulling inspiration from an array of artists including Fall Out Boy, boygenius, and Charli XCX, the pair tells an authentically raw story of femininity, fame and heartbreak throughout So Much To Say’s five tracks.
Prior to the EP’s release, the duo also unveiled their 18-minute short film, which brings their storytelling abilities to the next level. Shot over the course of four days in Nigro’s grandparents’ house, the film carefully unfolds the overarching story behind So Much To Say through intricate music videos for all five songs. In a post shared to Instagram, Daisy Grenade wrote,
“This was a complete labor of love, 5 videos shot in 4 days. We both directed videos for the first time (bombshell by Dani and it must be me by Keat) which was terrifying, but so worth it to be able to see our visions realized. We wanted to drop the entire film early so it could be enjoyed as it’s meant to, all together in totality. We hope you’ll mull it over and watch it approximately 1 million times.”
“A Beautiful Woman Is A Weapon, I Guess That’s Why They Call Her A Bombshell” brings Daisy Grenade’s sickeningly sweet rage front and center right from the start. The duo offers a playfully brutal perspective on femininity, painting women as breathtakingly lethal beings. The rowdy track mirrors the earworm-worthy pop-punk sound of their 2023 Cult Classic EP, but with a more mature, razor-sharp precision. Whittaker pierces through in the second verse as she sings, “Bombshell? I’m a switchblade straight to the throat / Saint of the end, a godless antidote.”
If your name is “Emily,” you might have some unfinished business with Daisy Grenade to take care of. The fan favorite was previously leaked by the duo in their official Discord server months before being revealed as track two on So Much To Say. “Emily” confronts resurfaced feelings of bitterness and envy for the picture-perfect person who wronged them in the past through searing guitar riffs and gritted teeth. The visuals for the track portray the push and pull of each girl’s attitude toward their arch-nemesis, with Nigro seeking revenge while Whittaker adopts a deranged sense of adoration.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined Nirvana with Charli XCX’s BRAT era? If so, “Girls Are So Lucky” is exactly what you’ve been searching for. The EP’s lead single is an “ode to the working girls” through its satirical take on the alleged “glamorous” experience of touring and existing as a woman in a male-dominated industry.
The track opens with a stripped back guitar, blending grunge undertones and glitchy synths before exploding into a full-blown 2012 dubstep-inspired breakdown by the end. The lyrics confront the misguided view of touring life, detailing the never-ending misogyny, little financial gain, and energy drink-powered nights the pair endures in different cities. Despite the less-than-luxurious moments on the road, the pair still feels lucky for all of the hard work it took to get to this step of their career as they sing, “Can’t pay our rent, we don’t give a damn / So lucky, girls are so lucky.”
Co-written with The Wonder Years’ Dan Campbell, “Rent To Own” signals a shift toward more emotional, vulnerable territory for So Much To Say’s final two songs. The melancholic anthem navigates the quiet ache of yearning for a committed relationship with someone who doesn’t want the same through the use of the rent-to-own metaphor. “My judgment is cooked like a radiator on a 2001 Honda Civic” and “Shut my mouth when I smile / Wire my jaw if it means that you’ll stay for a while” portray the fragile desperation Whittaker and Nigro experience as they cling to their one-sided hope.
The visuals for “Rent To Own” in the EP’s short film echo the feeling of being stuck in this stagnant connection through haunting blue hues and illusions of still imagery. The song ends with the duo surrendering to the reality of the situation in front of them, realizing this person will never care enough even to do something as simple and common as texting them when they get home.
“It Must Be Me” captures the complicated depth of lingering insecurities in the aftermath of a failed relationship. The emotional finale is loud and vulnerable as every lyric pierces through the listener’s ears with raw devastation. Daisy Grenade processes the grief by blaming themselves for the breakup, reducing all the issues that led to its end to only their own flaws.
The track is a gut-wrenching representation of how frightening it feels to lose sight of your worth in a relationship that’s not meant for you. The duo nails the growth of realizing that it wasn’t solely your fault in the slightest, as the chorus pivots from “I’m safe, you’re always sorry / Missed the invite to your party,” to “I’m safe, and I’m not sorry / Saw the pictures, fuck your party.” The impactful ending lands as a reclamation of their confidence and self-respect, showing that there’s power in moving on and not being defined by the past.
So Much To Say proves itself as a raw turning point in Daisy Grenade’s craft. The new EP thoughtfully repackages their angsty alt-pop identity with a matured authenticity and attention to detail. Each element reflects their evolution into more self-assured and skilled artists, transitioning from one of the scene’s most promising new acts to leaders of its next generation. While the duo has already said so much with this project, Daisy Grenade’s story is nowhere near its end.
Daisy Grenade makes their headlining debut this week, beginning with a stop in Pittsburgh, PA, on May 19. The duo is set to close out their already largely sold-out run with their biggest hometown show to date at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on June 19. Remaining tickets for these shows can be found here.
Keep up with Daisy Grenade: Website // Instagram // TikTok // X // YouTube
