Watch The Beths perform at The Current Day Party in Austin, Texas
March 15, 2021
Scrolling through the track titles of the Beths' debut album Future Me Hates Me can feel a bit like peering through the journal of a 20-something year-old. Titles like "Future Me Hates Me," "Happy Unhappy," and "You Wouldn't Like Me" showcase Elizabeth Stokes's stream-of-consciousness approach to songwriting and penchant for intimately personal lyrics.
Singer/guitarist Stokes, guitarist Jonathon Pearce, bassist Ben Sinclair, and drummer Ivan Luketina all studied jazz as at New Zealand's University of Auckland. Now, the quartet make loud, cathartic songs about overthinking and navigating adulthood. Stokes quit her day job teaching trumpet lessons to tour the world as the frontperson of the indie pop band.
The Beths take inspiration from classic rock groups like the Rolling Stones and the Modern Lovers as well as indie rock bands like Rilo Kiley. Future Me Hates Me combines jangly guitar riffs and uptempo drum beats to create a wash of energetic pop.
The Beths recorded their debut album, Future Me Hates Me, in guitarist Jonathon Pearce's studio in Auckland. After its release in August 2018, the album quickly garnered attention, making it onto many year-end lists (including a few from The Current's staff). The band embarked on an extensive world tour to support the album, which includes a number of dates with Minneapolis indie rockers Bad Bad Hats.
Much of the band's material draws from personal experiences, including the band's name (Stokes says that she was watching Gilmore Girls in the band's early days and compares naming the project after herself to character Lorelai Gilmore's decision to give her daughter her own name). But despite the Beths' intimate lyrics, Stokes rarely elaborates on her music's subject matter in interviews, preferring to let her music speak for itself.
– Colleen Cowie
Song By Song
Songs Played
"Future Me Hates Me"
"Happy Unhappy"
"Uptown Girl"
"Not Running"
"You Wouldn't Like Me"
"River Run: Lvl 1"
"Whatever"
All songs are from the Beths' 2018 album, Future Me Hates Me, available on Carpark Records.
Video Credits
Video Director: Erik Stromstad
Camera operators: Mary Mathis, Patrick Galbreath
Audio: Veronica Rodriguez
External Link
The Beths - official site
