Little Scream – “One Lost Time”

Little Scream – “One Lost Time”

Little Scream’s new album, Speed Queen, is out next week. Lauren Sprengelmeyer has shared three songs from it so far — “Dear Leader,” “Still Life,” and “Disco Ball” — and today she’s putting out another single, “One Lost Time.” It’s spacey and textured, the guitars layered in a deep rumble that evolves into a driving wiggle in the chorus.

Sprengelmeyer has taken the release of this track to talk about why her album’s liner notes reflect that it was recorded on indigenous land. Here’s what she said in a statement:

On Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving, I wanted to explain why I chose to mention the indigenous territories that Speed Queen was recorded on. I am fortunate enough to live in a community where land acknowledgements have become so common that there is skepticism about their value. Many indigenous people point out that they let settler culture off the hook by offering a means of lip service without action. I take this to heart. There is a difference between truth and reconciliation. And mentioning a truth is far from reconciling it.

I acknowledge this, and yet I still included mention of these places by name in my album credits. It’s a small and imperfect gesture towards truth.

I know that my record is going to go to many different places. Places like my hometown in the American Midwest where acknowledging the indigenous history of the land isn’t commonplace. Places in Europe that don’t have the same history of settler culture, and who might not think about the implications of it in North America. Even the act of writing the acknowledgement forced me to sit down and educate myself about the most basic histories of Montreal, the Ottawa region, and Vancouver Island. It got me closer to thinking about the privileges I’ve had living and working on this land. It didn’t get me closer to figuring out what reconciliation might look like. But it did get me closer to knowing I will support it however I can.

Listen below.

Speed Queen is out 10/25 via Merge. Pre-order it here.

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