Atlanta’s best-kept secret, husband-and-wife duo Silk Daisys, is finally busting out of the garage and straight into your ears with their debut single, “It’s A Laugh”, which landed August 8th. It’s the sound of indie rock remembering why it fell in love with hooks and 12-strings in the first place.
Frontman James Abercrombie is wielding his Rickenbacker like a weapon. The core of “It’s A Laugh” is that glorious, sun-drenched 12-string riff. And just when you think it can’t get any better, Abercrombie rips into a solo that’s pure guitar magic – a moment he calls bringing “a touch of upbeat Cure” to the party. But the engine doesn’t run on guitar alone. Enter Karla Jean Davis. Making her studio debut (a fact that blows the mind given the result), Karla’s vocals hit like the perfect counterpunch to James’s six-string fury. You can hear The Go-Go’s sass all over this thing, maybe even a touch of Elastica’s too-cool-for-school vibe (especially when that ending hits). Karla completely owns this track. Her performance nails that sweet spot where indie-pop joy and melancholy dance together on a tightrope.
And that ending! Oh man, that ending. Karla came up with the sudden, jarring “ha ha ha ha” – and it’s absolutely brilliant. Talk about the perfect punctuation mark on a song about being the sad clown who keeps on smiling. James wanted a happy-sounding tune about feeling down, and these two knocked it out of the park with smarts, energy, and not a whiff of cheese.
The recording vibe bleeds through the speakers. This was a family affair, cut fast and loose at Atlanta’s Standard Electric Recorders with producer Damon Moon (Bathe Alone, Sleepers Club). You can hear the joy: handclaps featuring their 8-year-old daughter Ora and friend Andrew, the geeked-out energy of their intense two-week “music camp” album session. The mix by Troy Stains (Mattiel) and master by Ride’s Mark Gardener gives it just enough polish without scrubbing away that beautiful rough edge.
Sure, Silk Daisys are rolling into the scene in their 40s, but they’re bouncing around like kids with the skills of road-tested pros. James started writing love songs to Karla, then Karla discovered she could absolutely wail. What comes out? Music that feels alive, real, and ready to burst. Who needs to chase whatever’s trending? “It’s A Laugh” is on all platforms now, check it out.