Hand Habits
Greatest Weapon / Under The Water
PSY026 • Released: September 14, 2022
Other Editions
Liner Notes
“Greatest Weapon” b/w “Under the Water” is the latest release in Psychic Hotline’s Singles Series, which has previously featured new work from Anjimile, Bartees Strange with Finom and Eric Slick, Bon Iver and Ethan Gruska, Flock of Dimes, Uwade, and more. Today’s release comes from Hand Habits, the moniker of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Meg Duffy.
The A-side, “Greatest Weapon,” is about coming to grips with the dance of time. It was written with Ethan Gruska and recorded in his home studio in Los Angeles, and mixed with Joseph Lorge at Sound City Studios. The track also features Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso on background vocals.
“Under the Water,” its B-side, features Meath at the helm on vocals. She wrote the lyrics all in one go, about learning how to hold her head underwater when she was a kid was a moment of independence that she hadn’t been expecting. All of the sudden she was able to be completely alone in the pool, even when she was surrounded by people.
The pair of songs is the latest collaboration from the two longtime friends and collaborators, who recently made music together when Duffy joined the expanded Sylvan Esso live band on their WITH tour, and for the subsequent live album release WITH LOVE.
Contributors
- "Greatest Weapon"
- Lyrics and music written by Meg Duffy
- Additional writing by Ethan Gruska
- Meg Duffy - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, bass, piano, slide guitar
- Ethan Gruska - bass, fretless bass, keyboards, sampling, background vocals, percussion
- Barbara Gruska - drums and percussion
- Nick Sanborn Amelia Meath - additional vocals
- Will Maclellan - additional engineering
- Joseph Lorge - mixing
- Heba Kadry - mastering
- "Under The Water"
- Music and lyrics written by Meg Duffy Amelia Meath
- Meg Duffy - guitar
- Amelia Meath - vocals
- Nick Sanborn - additional engineering and mixing
- Heba Kadry - mastering
- Artwork by Marshall Rake Will Hackney