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Big city life Out May 23 on Escho
Smerz return to share the final preview of their long-awaited new album Big city life, out May 23rd on Escho. “Feisty” is about partying after a breakup – letting go, almost post-heartache, free to do as you please. Offbeat disco hi-hat drama met with cool yet sweetly accented vocals, this single’s music video follows Smerz for a night out on the town in Oslo.
The initiation into Big city life is through singles “A thousand lies,” “You got time and I got money” and “Roll the dice.” Framed by Smerz’ signature voices and the bold minimalism that defines them, Big city life is a collection of moments and feelings gathered by Henriette and Catharina over the past four years. There are stories – both lived and imagined – of apathy, loneliness, talking to yourself, love and full-blown, almost manic freedom. Together, they form a sonic rite of passage, documenting transition in many forms, through both song and production.
“Feisty” follows “A thousand lies,” “You got time and I got money” and “Roll the dice,” all of which together present the album’s multiple dimensions of love, loneliness, apathy, solitude and almost manic freedom. Listening to Big city life is to enter a friendly maze or view a familiar collage. It’s the energy of two teenagers whispering a song in their bedroom, afraid to break the moment. It’s grown, and earned too, with its extroverted and shiny energy, the kind of unhinged freedom where you abandon all caution.
On Big city life, Smerz embodies the vibrating tension, that in-between space where awkwardness and confidence crash into each other and reveal something that has always existed.
Smerz
Big city life
Escho
23 May 2025
Tracklist:
Big city life
But I do
Roll the dice
What
Feisty
A thousand lies
Close
You got time and I got money
Big dreams
Street style
Imagine this
Dreams
Easy
Connect with Smerz:
Smerz’ critically acclaimed debut album Believer (2021) had The FACE saying “Smerz have created a lane all their own.” Always evolving, they continue shaping both underground and mainstream soundscapes—from the conceptual pop of ALLINA (2024) to their production work on NewJeans’ Get Up EP (2023). Their longtime NTS residency has served as a playground for their expansive influences, showcasing friends and music they admire while seamlessly blending everything from Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin to footwork pioneer RP Boo. Occasionally stepping into theater, film, and museums, from their choir piece at the MUNCH Museum to fashion runway soundtracks, throughout their work, Smerz have been known for their ability to seamlessly navigate and create boundless sonic worlds. Big city life unfolds in the real world.
