Press Release: “Flowers” (single)

PREVIEW / PRE-RELEASE - NOT FOR PUBLIC SHARING ⬇️

Randle Browning EXPLORES complicated relationship dynamics, power, in “Flowers,” first single off EP

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September 15, 2023 — Today Randle Browning debuts “Flowers,” the first single off her forthcoming EP, Bad Desire (2024). Browning’s 2022 single “Need This” explored the complicated nature of close friendships, how they can sustain us at the same time as they can cause pain. 

“Flowers” takes up similar questions about relationships and connection, but focuses instead on a romantic relationship. “This is a moody, angsty song about power and relationships,” Browning says, “I wrote this when I was struggling to reconcile my feelings about a person with the way the structures of our relationship made me feel. You could say it’s about struggling to relate to masculinity.”

But Browning turns a tough question into a playful and energetic indie rock groove. “I wanted this track to be an opportunity to rock out a little. I was playing with the idea of the wilting flower, kind of turning it on its head. What if even while seeming to accept a certain role in my relationship, I actually have more sway than it looks like from the outside. I hoped to capture that cool, sometimes bratty energy that indie rockers do so well.” The raw and straightforward vocals in “Flowers” harken back to early Liz Phair, while the clean guitar and well-rounded mix sit alongside beloved indie artists like Lucy Dacus or Julia Jacklin. 

“It was important to me to give listeners a somewhat straightforward indie rock song on this EP, something they can put on in the car and bop to, but I love the quirky elements that make it different,” Browning says. “I wanted a song that was sometimes delicate, but not afraid to get a little angry.”

Listeners will notice parallels to Browning’s 2022 release, “Need This,” including a complex rhythm guitar part weaving a steady thread and a strong emphasis on vocal harmony. “Flowers” is solidly an indie rock track, but it maintains its ties to the singer-songwriter style, with its perceptive and grounded lyricism.

Browning recorded “Flowers” in New York’s Hudson Valley, with close friend and collaborator Noele Flowers, who also produced the project. “Making music with Noele is a dream,” Browning says, “We know each other so well and there is deep love and connection between us — that carries over into the music. Noele tends to zero in on sounds that will compliment and showcase my work, rather than dress it up or bury it. I especially love the unconventional touches we land on, like the improvised background vocals in this track.” Although Browning often writes about Flowers, the track name is coincidental. Jackson Hoffman of BAD contributes drums and Tim Kim plays bass.

Browning has been living and making music in New York City since 2016, and now she is breaking out as an independent solo artist in her own right. “When my daughter was born in 2019,” Browning says, “it snapped my art into a new focus. I wanted my daughter to see me do the work I want to and to feel she can do the same. This EP is all about building the life you want with close friends and family, even when it takes work.”

Browning hasn’t announced the release date for the full EP, but she has teased two more singles for the fall.

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Contact: browning.randle@gmail.com

Downloadable version of this press release here