Frigs Wrote A Harrowing Rock Song About Dudes Who Get Away With Rape

What would you do if they said they found me?

November 03, 2016
Frigs Wrote A Harrowing Rock Song About Dudes Who Get Away With Rape Caitlin McLafferty

Bri Salmena is the tough voice and thoughtful lyricist you hear over tangled swells of guitars on Frigs's "Chest." The Toronto four-piece — formerly known as Dirty Frigs — is taking a stance with this new track, premiering today on The FADER: It's about the Brock Turner rape case that made international news earlier this year after Buzzfeed published the victim's detailed impact statement, in response to the accused's six-month sentence.

ADVERTISEMENT

The song's power doesn't just come from it's lyrics — Stay asleep as you spoil me — but the band's focused songwriting. Salmena's vocal emphasis flips between gruff and sweet, and the pace moves from militant, atonal power rock to a woozy, notably powerless standstill, before picking back up again. Here's what Salmena told The FADER about making "Chest" in an email:

"Chest" was written shortly after our UK tour. We felt re-energized as a band and this song felt like a breakthrough, sonically and structurally. At the time I think I was suffering a little bit of post-tour depression and was spending weeks obsessing over the Brock Turner rape case. I was really angry and decided I needed to channel that frustration lyrically into this song. Anger over passive sentencing, victim blaming, and white male privilege. I was just pissed and wanted to ask what it would take for people to start realizing how backwards this whole thing was; releasing a white, privileged, rapist while continuing to incarcerate hundreds of people of color over lesser crimes. Selfishly, this song is me dealing with those things."

ADVERTISEMENT
Tour Dates

Nov 17 - Montreal QC - Cafe Cleopatra (M for Montreal)
Nov 18 - Montreal QC - Savoy du Metropolis (M for Montreal)
Nov 21 - Boston MA - Zuzu
Nov 22 - Brooklyn NY - Silent Barn
Nov 23 - New York NY - Elvis Guesthouse
Nov 27 - Baltimore MD - The Crown
Nov 28 - Athens OH - House Show
Nov 29 - Cincinnati OH - Northside Yacht Club
Nov 30 - Chicago IL - The Hideout
Dec 2 - Hamilton ON - This Ain't Hollywood
Dec 3 - Guelph ON - Van Gogh's Ear
Dec 7 - Toronto ON - Horseshoe Tavern

ADVERTISEMENT
Frigs Wrote A Harrowing Rock Song About Dudes Who Get Away With Rape