After steeping for three years, the debut EP from the NYC post-punk band—a project based on the friends’ “propensity for excessive silliness”—has arrived, along with a music video featuring suited shenanigans and encouraging you to quit your shitty job
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It’s 2:48 p.m. on a Wednesday which means that it’s quite likely you’re either at work, just getting off work, or getting ready to go work.
And, depending on the nature of that work, maybe hiding and/or crying in the fetal position or in the bathroom.
It’s okay: most jobs just aren’t the greatest. Whether you’re pushing paper or pouring drinks… scooping ice cream or scrubbing toilets… working the computer or working the counter or working the corner… uggggh. Employment is kiiiiiind of a fuckin’ drag, right?
But here’s the great news: Freedom (though prob not financial!) is right at your fingertips. All you have to do is… quit your job.
Say buh-bye to your boss, catch ya never to your coworkers and kiss my ass to capitalism! (For now!) There’s far more fun to be had when you’re permanently punched-out, and true happiness is nothing but a two-week notice away…
At least, that’s the belief held by best friends and collaborators (+ your new career counselors) Natalie Field and Danielle Salomon of post-punk project Hot Tea, who are inviting you to join them in this life-affirming ~liberation~ with their official anthem for the funemployed—a song titled what else but “Quit Your Job.”
And now, eight months following the song’s release, I’m extremely stoked to premiere the video for it here!
“I quit my job cuz I really didn’t like it…”
In the music video, the two friends frolic in suits, swinging, shooting hoops and demonstrating all the delightful times to be had when you’re always off the clock as throughout the song they list the previous gigs they’ve had—and then quit—at movie theaters, record stores, youth hostels… the list goes on.
When asked for an explanation of the video, the artists kept it as simple as the lyrics themselves:
“This video was shot on an iphone with the intention of portraying that perhaps all that is standing in the way of fun is quitting your deng job!”
Got it? Good! But we’re not done quite yet. In addition to the video, the band is also releasing an EP, years in the making, that—a day ahead of its release—I’m also hyped to debut here!
From Hot Tea, this is Sip Sip.
Sip Sip features five songs with “lyrics based on true tales of their friendship,” and the record is not just a body of work, but essentially a collection of past conversations—a record of experiences, situations and frustrations both individual and mutual that the two friends have discussed with each other and then, drawing on what they describe as a “shared propensity for silliness,” sculpted into songs.
Ahead of the release, Natalie and Danielle shared their thoughts on each of the tracks, which collectively address universally relatable feelings through very specific personal anecdotes, while primarily hitting on two major themes: the often aggravating (and sometimes bizarre) aspects of their work and the frequently hilarious (and clearly loving) nature of their friendship.
Sip Sip—TRACK BY TRACK
“How’s It Goin?“
“Having worked in the service industry for many years, we are very familiar with being asked how we are doing one thousand times per day. It’s exhausting and I (Danielle) think we all need to STOP ONCE AND FOR ALL LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE. Or if ask a less personal question- anything but the dreaded “how’s it going, no really how ARE you?”
“It’s Always Late“
“There was a time when I (Danielle) lived in Germany and it was super frustrating because all of my friends were on the west coast. It was a very lonely time, and the eight hour time difference made it feel more isolating.”
“Larry“
“It can be especially difficult to place people when you have a job in nightlife or the service industry. This is a true story that happened to Natalie, where she spent an entire evening with someone who clearly knew her, trying to figure out where they had met. One morning she rushed into the cafe where I was working and said “you have no idea what happened to me last night.” The tale she wove was the story of “Larry.” So the song is basically me doing an impression of her telling me that story.”
“Quit Your Job“
“We have cycled through some pretty wacky jobs so this song could easily be fifteen minutes long. Each member has at least one verse, and the song is constantly evolving, depending on who is playing with us. One message remains clear, quit your job if you don’t like it.”
“Haus”
“This song is an ode to my (Natalie’s) childhood home which Danielle never got to see and never will because it was sold. She will never swim in my pool.”
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The band also sent over some background on the making of the EP and gave some love to the talented people who made it possible:
“We started this band in 2019 and wrote most of these songs then,” the band said of the album. “We made some extremely lofi home recordings in 2020 but it feels great to finally have recordings of these songs that we are proud of. Thank you to Eamon Ford for writing and playing some amazing bass parts and recording these songs for us at Livingrooms and to Justin Ford for writing and playing the drum parts. Their work has really elevated this EP. After steeping for three years, Sip Sip is at long last ready to serve.”
GET SERVED TOMORROW NIGHT! Experience Sip Sip liiiiive at the Hot Tea release show (7/27) with Gorgeous, Soft Yes and Vic Sin at Rubulad (a DM-4-Address situation).
Quit your job, grab your pals and, please, put your pinkies up—
I have a feeling this is gonna be a very fun one.
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Follow Hot Tea at @hot_tea_nyc, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image, provided by the band: Michael Madrid