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Photo:  Connor Meany

Today sees New Jersey punk band Pollyanna premiering their high octane anthem for “Mars.” The single, the second release from their upcoming album Slime, out June 17, is a raw and unfiltered piece of art full of visceral screams and unyielding instrumentation that aims to inspire people to break free from the box built up around themselves.

The track opens with fuzzy vocals, provided by lead singer Jill Beckett, begging to be taken away “from all of these / empty souls surrounding me.” Listeners are then catapulted into a brash sonic space filled with raging guitar riffs and intense, mosh-inducing rhythm sections. Tension and anxiety build as the singer continues to describe feeling trapped with disingenuous and judgemental people. “My favorite musical moment in the song is the bridge, says bassist Brandon Bolton. "It’s unlike anything we’ve done to this point. We take a break from the anxiety-riddled vocals and screeching guitars to breathe for a second before Jill comes back in screaming.”

The “Mars” music video, directed by Connor Meany, is chaos incarnate in the best way possible. It perfectly captures the track’s tension and intensity with quick and engaging cuts of a wild, claustrophobic house party. Scenes of the band performing the song in a basement juxtapose sets of people crying in bathtubs or passed out on the floor, guests throwing up mysterious green goo, and a man in a makeshift balaclava watching the chaos unfold.

“This video was so much fun to work on!’ The director Connor Meany really helped me flesh out the concept of ‘it’s a house show but a dream’ and turn it into a reality.” says Bolton. “The song is about being anxious around people and how healthy coping mechanisms aren’t always the easiest. So a dream is an easy way to exaggerate situations and make the viewer also have a sense of confusion, which was also challenging. Wanting it to make sense by not making sense. Luckily we had a great director and crew and some amazing friends to help us make this happen! The most fun part was when me and Jack sprayed painted a dildo.”

“Mars” is just one song from Pollyanna’s upcoming debut full-length album, Slime. According to Bolton, listeners can expect almost a completely different sound from the band’s previous loud, power-pop-rock leaning work. “It’s gritty, it’s heavy, it’s loud, it’s abrasive, it’s explicit, and it’s super honest. This album shows more aggression than all of our last releases and has a lot more punk influence. So brace yourselves for a full listen once it’s out on June 17th!"

Watch the  "Mars" video below: