Living with anxiety and ready to scrub your brain clean of all the moments you wish you could just forget? Breakup Shoes’ latest single “Brainwash” captures that feeling with striking clarity.
Formed in 2015 by close high school friends, the band has spent the last decade evolving into its current lineup — vocalist and guitarist Nick Zawisa, drummer Matthew Witsoe, bassist Michael Montiel, and guitarist Michael Cully — shaped in part by Phoenix’s DIY show culture and extensive U.S. touring with acts like Summer Salt, WILLIS, Phoneboy, and more.
The single is a precursor to their upcoming album, Standing Still, produced by Charlie Brand of Miniature Tigers and set to drop on October 10th.
In true indie rock fashion, “Brainwash” opens with a crash of guitar, whirling pads, and a minimal drumbeat—laying the perfect foundation for Zawisa’s clean, clear vocals, which carry a sweetness reminiscent of Ben Gibbard, frontman of The Postal Service.
The accompanying video is shot mostly in black and white and features b-roll of the band hanging out across various vistas—from crashing waves to NYC views in Brooklyn. It’s carefree and unforced, perfectly matching the track’s tone.
The chorus is addictive, easy to nod along to, and anchored by highly relatable lyrics: “There’s so much I’d like to forget. Clear my head, a blank slate will be fine, so I can start over instead.”
About “Brainwash,” Zawisa explains: “‘Brainwash’ is a song rooted in self-loathing. Although it’s adorned in upbeat, indie-sleaze inspired, catchy-pop sounds; at its core it’s about wishing you could erase your memories to take another stab at becoming a ‘better’ version of yourself (whatever that means). Whether it’s ridding yourself of bad habits or certain personality traits we’ve internalized, the lyrics romanticize the idea of beginning again.”
It’s the kind of track you throw on while working through your stuff—jamming out alone in your bedroom or chain-smoking cigarettes on a night drive. Whatever your brand of self-criticism is, “Brainwash” paints the perfect backdrop for it.
A strong entry point into their artistry, the single sets the tone for what’s to come in October.
