by Tom Alexander (@___alexd)
“I wish I was Dolly Parton,” sings Little Musket’s Catherine Conley. That lyric, pulled from the first track of Little Musket’s upcoming debut record, is a hell of a way to announce your punk band to the world. After all, at first blush, Dolly Parton is about as un-punk as you can get, until you actually consider the prospects – Parton has made a career being an iconoclast, ignoring trends and doing her own thing for decades now. Face it, you would not be surprised if you saw Dolly Parton on stage wearing a pair of converses, a pair of doc martens, or a pair of cowboy boots. Her confidence is inspiring and, just listen to me now, I want to be Dolly Parton; Little Musket has convinced me.
Pulling from autobiographical elements of her life, Conley structures the song in a delightful way. The first verse follows a modern day narrator down on her luck, catching every bad break. As the stress builds, she fantasizes of having Dolly Parton as a friend, as being Dolly Parton. The second verse, then, becomes a childhood ode to Parton, recounting what it is like to see her as an aspirational, larger-than-life figure, and then inserting yourself into that kind of life with all of its charm, confidence, and ambition. The song is a self-deprecating blast, fast, loud, and fun.
Hailing from Boston, Little Musket started out as the songwriting vehicle for Catherine Conley but has expanded into a full-fledged four piece. You can expect a big sound with a direct, personal point-of-view. Little Musket’s upcoming debut record, Fever Blister, is being released by Dadstache Records, the same folks who brought you the beautiful Calicoco record and the fun and buzzy self-titled Fuzzrod album. Little Musket falls somewhere between those two poles, with their own jagged brand of power pop. They’re poised to be your next favorite band with their melody-forward grungy rock-and-roll.
Fever Blister drops July 19th, so get your pre-order in now.