THICK have released their new single, “Heavy Metal.”
The track is a feminist anthem confronting the everyday violence of living in a body shaped by legislation and medical systems, with each verse drawing on their experiences with attacks on bodily autonomy, limited access to health care, lack of mental health support, and the growing reality of active-shooter drills in schools.
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“This song started as a verse or two after the Berkeley study came out about heavy metals being found in tampons and snowballed into a larger indictment of the systemic violations that we carry around every day,” the band say. “The violence and neglect we experience is a predictable result of systems that don’t see us as people, but objects to be exploited.
“You see it in the imbalance of consequences: Survivors of rape are often shunned if they go public or carry the weight of assault alone; a woman carries the full burden of contraception, health risks, and medical costs around conception, putting money into insurance companies’ pockets while bodily autonomy continues to be challenged and eliminated in some states. Teachers are responsible for protecting kids from school shooters, while pharma companies see an opportunity for profit in the degradation of our mental health.
“We’re sold the idea that we can subvert the system with consumer choices, as if the main fix for a broken system is trying harder inside it. The real issue is who benefits when people are too broke and too tired to push back.”
Next week, they’ll play a show at the Broadway in Brooklyn, with support from Big Girl and Cotillion.
