New York-based duo Um, Jennifer? produce raw and reeling indie-rock that wrestles with everything from the fickleness of femininity to the fringes of romantic obsession. The project of friends Elijah Scarpati and Fig Regan, their visceral and intense anthems tint the lens through which they explore the monolithic realms of gender, sexuality, and trans identity. If you happen to be in New York this spring, we highly recommend catching the pair at the release show for their debut EP The Girl Class.
A birthday party for a mutual friend in Brooklyn sowed the seeds for the birth of Um, Jennifer? and thrust the pair into each other’s social orbits. Not long after Scarpati started dating a friend of Regan’s — or as one of their bios bluntly phrases it: “Leah wanted to hook up with Fig’s friend. Now they make music together.” The two soon became fast friends and even faster collaborators, writing what would become the band’s first three songs over text.
Somewhere along the way they invented the tongue-in-cheek lore behind their chosen moniker — a sly nod to actor Jennifer Coolidge — that characterizes the band’s general aura of irreverent glee. Their debut “single,” or at least their first upload onto streaming platforms, was “Jennifer Journals,” an audio clip they created in a hopeless attempt to acquire the essential comma of their band name. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain, and like the spirit of J. Coolidge the punctuation remains attached only in spirit.
Their first proper single was “Girl Class,” a rollicking mockery of patriarchal expectations for femininity that thoughtfully reckons with the dilemma faced by trans individuals attempting to adhere to the many facets of gender. The razored wit and coy impishness with which they write their songs lend themselves naturally to both musings on identity and the unfiltered messiness of relationships.
Inspired by the provocative writings of Dennis Cooper, they released the emotionally virulent “Cut Me Open,” a track that thunders with fanatical and macabre passion. To kick off the new year they shared a jangly and joyously desirous new song in the form of “Glamour Girl.” Its gruff but dreamy sonics caterwauling within the delusional charm that wafts around soon-to-be ex-lovers. The music video, directed by Scarpati, imagines that puppy-dog naivety with a ribald flair that only Um, Jennifer? can summon.
When their new EP finally arrives expect it to launch the duo on a one-way path toward the limelight — or at the very least earn them enough clout to finally get their comma. We also suspect their “Jennifer’s Body”-themed release show at The Sultan Room in New York is going to be one for the books so don’t miss it if you’re in the neighborhood!
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Words: Steven Ward
The Girl Class EP is out on April 5th via Final Girl Records.
Visit Um, Jennifer? on their Bandcamp, TikTok, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Watch the music video for “Glamour Girl” the new single from Um, Jennifer? below!
Um, Jennifer?
The Girl Class
Final Girl Records
April 5th, 2024
1. Girl Class
2. Glamour Girl
3. Jazz Machine
4. Sweet Until I’m Not
5. Cut Me Open
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