Poliça at Village Underground

14^th February 2020

Jessica Wall

Shot by Arianna Cavalensi

Jessica Wall Shot by Arianna Cavalensi

14 February 2020

In 2018, Poliça’s lead singer Channy Leaneagh slipped while clearing ice from the roof of her home in Minneapolis and broke a vertebra, damaging her spine. Her subsequent time spent bed-bound informs the feel and lyrics of the band’s fifth album, When We Stay Alive. The lyrics reflect on a brush with death and reclaiming one’s body after such a catastrophic accident, as on the affecting Be Again. The menacing Driving creates a soundscape appropriate for such weighty topics: just-out-of-reach vocals and pressing synths create an eerie and ambiguous feel. 

The cinematic and defiant Forget Me Now “is letting off some steam,” Leaneagh explains during a consummate performance at Village Underground. “It’s about recognizing a pattern of choosing people who can’t love you how you wish to be loved. It’s still remaining very grateful, counting blessings day and night; but don’t confuse being at peace with being a pushover. I think I wrote these words while angry-shovelling this winter. How does it go? ‘Choose a liar once and that’s the liar’s fault; choose a liar three times and it seems maybe I like liars?’ All the songs are about me and none of them are; this isn’t an excerpt from my diary but it has been many times.” 

The detachment in Poliça’s signature mixture of alt-R&B, electronica and distorted indie both highlights and contrasts with their deeply personal lyrics. Leaneagh is newly raw when wrestling with her post-injury demons, as on the glossy Feel Life: “Screaming at death / ‘Why won’t you stick?’ / To feel I’ve failed, and I felt it,” she sings gracefully, despite the audible fear lingering on her tongue. Her voice alternates between coos and a mournful lilt, coming to terms with a life-changing event. The lyrics, although raw, when brushed with Poliça’s instrumentation create the uncanny sense of a world just beyond reach.

Jessica Wall
Photos: Arianna Cavalensi

For further information and future events visit Poliça’s website here.

Watch the video for Driving here: