Horsegirl

Horsegirl — the New York-via-Chicago trio of best friends Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein, and Gigi Reece — announce their second album, Phonetics On and On, out February 14th, 2025 via Matador Records, a Chicago record release show and spring tour, and release lead single/video, “2468.” Produced by Cate Le Bon and recorded at The Loft in Chicago, the band’s original and sonic home, Phonetics On and On is an exploration of the lines between pop, minimalism, and playful experimentation.

Since the release of 2022’s Versions of Modern Performance, “one of the most confident debuts of the year” (Vulture), much has changed for Horsegirl. In the fall of that year, the three relocated to New York City, where Penelope and Nora were to attend NYU— this was the first time the trio had written music outside of Penelope’s parents’ basement. The band’s new environment is reflected in the sonic fabric of the record. Through this time of unparalleled change, the band turns inward. 

When Horsegirl returned to Chicago to record in January 2024, they found a focus and intimacy in the studio that can only arise when it’s simply too cold to step outside. Le Bon led them into new, bright, clear, sonic territories, highlighting the inventive nature of these songs. New tools help bring this world to life; violins, synths, and gamelan tiles are all woven into the record. The 11 songs experiment with space and texture while maintaining a pop song at the core. All the while, a confident simplicity brings the band’s songwriting ability to the forefront.

Lead single “2468” is one of the shining examples of experimentation on Phonetics On and On. Horsegirl explores Raincoats-like violin parts and kinetic percussion, building stealthily towards a head-spinning motorik crescendo. Written almost entirely in the studio, “2468” stands as an achieved byproduct of rewriting and rearranging, adding and subtracting, flash-moments of instability, and embracing the unexpected result. The song’s video, directed by writer and filmmaker Eliza Callahan and choreographed by Alexa West, plays on a rhythmic series of quietly humorous, hyper-specific instructional games. 

It’s hard to imagine any of these songs being written by anyone but Nora, Penelope, and Gigi. Horsegirl write with unanticipated honesty, leading us through scenes of girlhood and youth. These are moments of their lives. The indelible truth is that Horsegirl is a band of best friends; being around them you can see that love in their eyes and it is always a joyous thing to witness. It’s a love that is ever-present in Phonetics On and On as tenderness reverberates back and forth across the recording.