Songwriters Melina Duterte and Ellen Kempner have already made a name for themselves in the indie spotlight as the vocalists of their respective projects Jay Som and Palehound, both of which released excellent 2019 LPs. Now expanding on their sound, Kempner and Duterte have joined forces to blend their songwriting and explore themes of queerness and lust with their newly formed band Bachelor.
Alongside the announcement of the new musical project, Bachelor shared the bass-heavy single “Anything At All.” Each of the songwriter’s distinct styles can be heard on the track, combining playful elements with the anxious tension of screeching guitars.
In a joint statement, the two musicians said, “We’re so excited to finally share this song with y’all and announce our new band! We’ve been dear friends and huge fans of each other for years and were lucky enough to get to work together in January 2020 before quarantine. We feel that ‘Anything At All’ is an even blend of our tastes and writing styles and to release it feels very hopeful and joyous to us.”
Echoing their statement, Kempner praised Duterte’s in a heartfelt post to Instagram. “‘Anything At All’ is out today and we could not be happier to share it with y’all,” she wrote. “I have been Jay Som’s number one fan since I first heard ‘Ghost’ years ago, Melina inspires me with everything she does and is one of my closest friends who i feel a deep connection with, both personally and musically.”
Listen to “Anything At All” above.