Eliza Edens’ “Death Drive” began with something they read by fellow singer/songwriter Laura Marling about Freud’s concept of the death drive—the notion that we all possess a primal inclination toward dangerous, destructive behavior as a way to release tension. The Brooklyn-based artist took the theory and ran with it, weaving personal brushes with danger and trauma into a sturdy indie-rock anti-anthem.
“The song was inspired by a Substack article I read by Laura,” says Edens. “I was trying to tap into my love of pop/punk as a child with the way I sang it, and I wrote twin guitar lines on the solos as an homage to some of the guitar-playing in that music. Jacob Drab’s final playing on it added the perfect edge and sheen to the track.”
“Death Drive” is an apt teaser to the album that shares its name. The songs were written during an especially tough period for Edens, whose mother was living with dementia and would die in September 2024. At the same time, Edens was exploring their queerness for the first time. Grief coincided with desire, and a growing awareness of mortality collided with an impulse to live more intensely.
Working with longtime collaborators Dexter Wolfe and Pat Keen, Edens initially planned to track the album live at Spillway Sounds in West Hurley, N.Y., before the sessions carried over the following year to Wolfe’s home studio in Minneapolis. The results certainly don’t lack punch, thanks to the beefy guitars and driving percussion. And there’s bongos on every track—a joke that became a rule. While the album title may insinuate a pull toward destruction, on “Death Drive,” it comes dressed as the sort of irresistible earworm Edens might’ve dug as a kid.
“The more intense sadness you feel, the more intense joy you feel,” says Edens . “Life just becomes richer.”
We’re proud to premiere Eliza Edens’ “Death Drive.” Look for their new LP on October 23 via First City Artists.
—Hobart Rowland