Becca Harvey was working as a cashier at an East Atlanta bakery when the coronavirus pandemic forced her out of work. With an abundance of idle time, she set about finishing the music she had begun writing under the moniker girlpuppy a year earlier, and by the middle of May, “For You” — a breezy, soft-focus love song she wrote with her multi-instrumentalist partner (John Michael Young formerly of Lunar Vacation) — found its way onto playlists and into the ears of thousands of listeners.
It didn’t take long for Harvey, only a few months shy of 22, to follow up on her success. A breakup shortly after “For You”’s release unleashed a font of new music: downcast, lovelorn songs aided by production from Marshall Vore, a close friend of Harvey’s and frequent collaborator with indie darling Phoebe Bridgers. Today, girlpuppy is announcing her signing to Royal Mountain Records (Wild Pink, Alvvays, PACKS) to release her debut EP Swan, and premiering its first single “As Much As I Can”.
“This is a love song to the people in my life that make unconditional love the most difficult,” Harvey explains. “I use the verses to recognize our differences, but also to recognize that we have a lot of shared experiences. I think a lot of it has to do with generational differences, the friction that it causes, and coming to terms with it.
“Lyrically, this is one of my favorite songs I’ve written. It was one of the first times that I wrote something in the moment and realized after the fact that it was exactly what I wanted to say. It’s not meant to be hateful. It’s honest and was my opportunity to exercise vulnerability. It’s a love song.”
Because her career began during the pandemic girlpuppy is yet to play a live show. However in September she will play her first live shows on tour with The Districts, and will be appearing at Chicago’s RiotFest with further live dates to be announced.
