Fake Dad Cultivate Space to Flourish on New EP “Yerba Mala”

Fake Dad — the project of Los Angeles artists Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford — has finally unveiled their newest collection with the release of their kaleidoscopic indie-pop EP Yerba Mala. Across five radiant tracks, the duo vocalizes the bittersweet growing pains that come with self-betterment. For Varona, that also meant embracing her status as a first-gen Latinx and incorporating that piece of her identity into the band’s music.

The EP’s title originates from a Spanish phrase that her mother would say while gardening, used in reference to the weeds and vines that needed to be uprooted before new flora could thrive. True to that effort, the songs on Yerba Mala serve as Fake Dad‘s attempt to cultivate and nurture a healthy space for themselves to flourish.

On the exuberant code-switching opener “So Dramatic!” they embrace tongue-in-cheek their capacity for melodrama. Weaving in and out of their Spanish-English lyricism with infectious vivaciousness as they transform accusatory claims of exaggeration into relished theatricality.

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Then there’s the deliriously hypnotic “Fashion Girl,” a high-voltage hyperpop track that sees the duo confronting the collateral damage caused by the fashion industry. One told through the lens of an ex-friend who refused to recognize its deteriorating effects on their mental and physical health — all the while syncing their cries to transfixing electro-rock anthemics.

“Souvenir Store” turns their buoyant pop inward as gauzy electric guitars and ebullient sonics soundtrack the constant anxieties and cycles of coping that make every day a singular challenge. “Take the pills, / Still it won’t make it all go away,” she coos against the track’s gleaming melodics. “Try to chill / Cause freakout’s like my little kid.”

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Then there’s the bedroom pop simmering “I Like the Beach” — a song that genuinely displays Fake Dad’s penchant and exquisite talent for shape-shifting between genres. Led by an earnest and heady beat, Varona sinks deep into an engrossing introspection, one that grows more and more enthralling as Ford drizzles on glowing riffs and electronica.

Yerba Mala ends on a high note with the weightless and breezy romancer “Momento.” Emerging from the thicket of weeds that choke their growth, the song finds Fake Dad savoring the instances in which they’re allowed to bask in the sunshine of another’s love. Savoring that euphoria in much the same way, their listeners cherish and revel in the emotional iridescence of their music.

Words: Steven Ward

Visit Fake Dad on their website, TikTok, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.

Listen to Yerba Mala the new EP from Fake Dad.