Palejoy – What A Sad Little Life, Jane (2025)
While the skies of Scotland may be grey and rainy, their music scene is anything but. From the honey-soaked charm of Paolo Nutini to the energy of Biffy Clyro, Scotland wins your heart with evocative music, but it isn’t just the big names bringing all the action. With bounding energy tightly packed in enthusiastic, high-voltage melodies and a strong kick of raw passion, Aberdeen’s Palejoy are quickly becoming a force in the UK alternative rock scene.
Following their well-received singles ‘Next Goal Wins’ and ‘Max Payne Au Chocolat’, Palejoy dive into the alternative rock sounds of the 90s/2000s with ‘What A Sad Little Life, Jane’. Produced, mixed and mastered by Mark Morrow, ‘What A Sad Little Life, Jane’ retains the passion and energy of previous material; however, a heavier, weightier force exists in the track. A concoction of crashing drums, bold bass and soaring guitar, each instrument brings a powerful twinkling thread of colour to the sonic tapestry. The drums’ feisty blue entwines with the bass’s rich greens, while the guitars dance across with spunky reds, and the vocals shimmer along in a golden glow – a tight-knit weave expressing the tight-knit camaraderie of the trio.
While already known for hard-hitting smack between the eyes rock music, ‘What A Sad Little Life, Jane’ has more vulnerable, fragile, and desperate sensitivity in the song. Bassist Jamie Reid takes centre stage as lead vocals, which might explain the ruggedness in the gruff voice. Moreover, the track is not only a chance for Reid’s rough tone, but is a true breakdown of angst, frustration and tragedy clearly lingering through the melody. Penned in the wake of Reid’s loss of his mother to cancer, ‘What A Sad Little Life, Jane’ “…dives headfirst into the pain, confusion and numbness of grief.”
I wouldn’t say the song has a sense of soothing, but in some way, its ferocity offers acceptance and understanding; a hand of kindness reaching out to help you through difficult times and struggles. In this way, there is sincerity and sentimentality in this brave, bold and brash single.
In addition to the single, Palejoy released an official lyric video for ‘What A Sad Little Life, Jane’. You can view the video below and/or on their YouTube channel.
Find out more about Palejoy on their Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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