“It’s thanks to this self-possessed, obsessive, overthinking ego that’s constantly craving validation and sympathy I started writing all these songs in the first place and that’s how I know I’m a Pisces” sings No, It’s Fine.’s Cailen Pygott on “Pisces•Gemini•Libra.” The song is an absolutely barrage of self-flagellation that somehow still very clearly a ridiculous amount of fun.
“Pisces•Gemini•Libra” gets released as a video today, along with a second helping of its b-side, “YaYaYas.”
A touch autobiographical—if you go in for that sort of thing — “Pisces•Gemini•Libra” plays out with Pygott arriving at his present-day form through a coincidental positioning of the planets at the moment of his birth. It also happens to be an easy way for people to pass the buck on a lot of their problems—though, as a Libra, I wouldn’t know anything about that.
With a close listen to the lyrics, it becomes clear that the relentlessly cheery vibe of the song barely masks the turmoil beneath.
“The real lesson here is to surround yourself with people who just have your best interests in mind, and to maybe actually listen to them sometimes,” says Pygott. “The music video was inspired by Murder, She Wrote because, much like how Jessica Fletcher’s idyllic self distracts from several grisly murders every week, the poppier form of ‘Pisces’ covers up the real themes of isolation, depression, and whether or not a lack of leafy greens in your diet is leading to an iron deficiency.”
“YaYaYas” is anything but autobiographical. It’s a lightning-quick ode to Karen O of the New York-based rock trio of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with a history lesson thrown in.
“The music industry is weird. One day you’re a well-respected and revered indie-electronic-punk art star, and the next Kelly Clarkson releases a Dr. Luke (ew)-produced pop anthem modeled after one of your most popular songs,” said Pygott. “Then, nearly fifteen years later, the guy from Vampire Weekend tweets a modified version of the lyrics of the same song, and sings it over a beat that he later sells to Beyonce. ‘YaYaYas’ is about how weird it is that that happened to Karen O.”
“Of course, there’s some hyperbole in here,” said Pygott. “I do NOT think ‘Maps‘ is the only song of hers anyone remembers anymore – I regularly sing along to every song on ‘Fever to Tell’ – but I do find it bonkers that it’s probably one of her most recognized and lucrative songs, based on these reimaginings. ‘YaYaYas’ is also a tribute to her songwriting which has been so influential on me for the last fifteen years.”
Despite both songs having a dark edge to them, Pygott grins through it all (it’s probably the Pisces in him) to capture the fun-at-all-costs approach to the post-punk music of the mid-2000s. It seems perfectly timed for a re-emergence as a generation of people look to regress but can’t leave their woes totally unattended.