Palehound Shares “Worthy” in Anticipation of Upcoming LP Black Friday

Raw guitar strumming and rolling percussion start off new single, “Worthy,” from Boston-based indie rock band, Palehound, a tender song speaking to body empowerment and the scars of self-loathing. Ellen Kempner’s voice slowly comes in during the intro, a reverent whisper of personal confessions and honest reflection.

Over three minutes, Kempner details her romantic partnership and unlearning body shame in the face of acceptance. Thoughtful and unrestrained, she sings “And I’ve won over your mother, darling, and I’ve won over your sister too. And I won over your father, darling, and I still don’t feel worthy of you.”

Kempner explains about the track, “It's about years of being conditioned to hate my body and the shock of finding someone who isn't telling me to change. Choosing to believe the person who believes in you is a wild journey especially when it correlates with ebb and flow of a partnership. The video, directed by Robert Kolodny, is a continuation of the video for "Aaron." It's the same characters but in this one I am mask-less and talking my way towards my companion, our shrinking distance represented by a string that ties us together.”

Involved within indie rock territory since the release of their first EP, Bent Nail, Palehound has gained notoriety for their salient voice and eloquent, revealing lyrics. Black Friday will be their third full-length album, the first after 2017’s A Place I’ll Always Go and Dry Food from 2015.

In anticipation of the new album, Palehound released “Aaron” in April, a homage to Kempner’s trans partner during his transition process, an overarching theme of attaining a peaceful solace in your own skin. The track begins with delicately intoned lyrics, like a captivating lullaby. “Your mother wanted to name you Aaron, but her body built you as a different man.” Over and over again the phrase “I can, Aaron, I can” repeats. Kempner’s message shines through in this repetition of his name.

The honesty and genuine emotion in each track cast a gorgeous hue over Black Friday. In moments of staring at her thighs in a bathroom mirror to watching her lover’s body shake as he sings his truth, Kempner manages to create these pieces of vulnerability and love that echo for anyone that listens.

“Making music’s always been a therapeutic thing for me—that’s such a big part of the reason why I do it in the first place,” says Kempner. “What I always want to do with my songs is to help people heal in some way, or come to some new understanding about whatever it is that they’re going through. Even if it’s just hearing a song and feeling less alone than they were before, that would mean so much to me.”

Black Friday is set to release June 7th through Polyvinyl Record Co. Palehound will go out on a North American tour with Big Thief this fall.

Tour Dates

10/11: New York, NY | Webster Hall

10/12: Burlington, VT | Higher Ground Ballroom

10/13: Boston, MA | Wilbur Theatre

10/15: Montreal, QC | Le Tulipe

10/16: Toronto, ON | Phoenix Concert Theatre

10/18: Chicago, IL | Metro

10/21: Minneapolis, MN | First Avenue

10/24: Portland | Crystal Ballroom

10/25: Vancouver, BC | Vogue Theatre

10/26: Seattle, WA | Moore Theatre