“Is it bad I’ve made this about me?” sings Burry on their latest single, “3 Birthdays,” second-guessing their right to a special day all their own when there’s a familial tug-of-war at stake. Crooning away with the same melancholic and melodic anxiety that Jens Lekman chugs each morning, Burry picks away at a balancing point between isolation and commitment.
“‘3 Birthdays’ is about dealing with your parents’ divorce, and its effects, at any age,” said Burry (she/they). “It’s about spending every birthday and holiday trying to navigate your parents’ separate plans while wanting to make your own. Being nostalgic for a time when everyone was together.”
As anyone who has found themselves with an extended family knows, this territory inherently comes with complications. The bigger the family, the more complicated the compromise. Holidays are divided. Travel times are, at the very least, doubled. Priorities take a back a back seat. If your birthday happens to fall on an existing holiday, you are S.O.L.
Toss all that nonsense together with a pair of passive-aggressively feuding parents and it becomes immediately apparent why a strong streak of independence might be preferable.
Burry explains that the fallout of their parents’ divorce was a tough mess to handle alone, particularly with their older brother living in Vancouver.
“I’m so incredibly lucky to have two loving parents who care about me so much, but I miss when holidays brought our family together, instead of keeping us apart,” the said.
“This single illustrates spending birthdays driving to different towns, to make sure you spend time with both of them, while on the phone with your brother on the other side of the country, wishing you could have one party with everyone you love together in the room.”
“3 Birthdays” is the second single to be released off of Burry’s upcoming Yellow Paint EP, following their Van Gogh-inspired title track. Yellow Paint will be released, in full, on January 20, 2021.