Music

LOS ANGELES INDIE POP ROCK RISING STAR HALO KITSCH RETURNS WITH DEFIANT NEW SINGLE ‘I WAS A VIRGIN (ON DRUGS)’

Nov 24, 2023 @ 10:47 am By Perry Johnson

Marking the one-year anniversary of her critically acclaimed debut EP With You (In Mind), which was championed by the likes of Earmilk, Notion, and Metal Magazine, and helped her garner over two million global streams, Los Angeles indie pop rock singer, songwriter and musician HALO KITSCH is proud to release her deeply personal and fearless new single titled ‘I was a virgin (on drugs)’. Written by Halo herself, and produced and engineered by Ben Zelico, who has also worked with Aly & AJ, Overcoats, and Nasty Cherry, among others, ‘I was a virgin (on drugs)’ is a haunting story about a boy who nearly ruined a girl. The blistering track screams anger, anguish, and regret, as it sees Halo exploring her first experience with drugs and wrestling with her feelings towards the boy who gave them to her.

Stream/Download “I was a Virgin (On drugs)” HERE

Driven by searing guitar arrangements and infectious drum patterns, and held together by Halo Kitsch’s evocatively piercing vocal performance, and her provocative songwriting, which saw her reach the semi-finals of American Songwriter’s Song Contest in 2022, ‘i was a virgin (on drugs)’ is inspired by a line that Halo heard when she decided to rewatch the first Avatar movie late last year, where actress Michelle Rodriguez calls the human race “daisy cutters” as they start to invade Pandora. The phrase ‘DAISY CUTTER’ echoed in Halo’s head for weeks as she wondered why it resonated so deeply with her – the destruction of something innocent. It was obvious that she was the daisy, and as the defiantly liberating song for Halo reveals, this daisy is not getting cut down without a fight.

Sharing her inspiration for writing ‘i was a virgin (on drugs)’, Halo Kitsch says, “Bottom line, this is a story about a boy who nearly frickin’ ruined a girl. But the good news is, and the strength resonating through the song is… I’m still here, I’m just mad as hell. So, he failed. I think everyone’s been the daisy before, whether it was life, circumstance, or relationships that tried to cut them down. I found forgiveness for myself in this song when I finally admitted that I wasn’t the only one at fault, that in some way, I’d fallen victim and still came out alive on the other side. I’m not really sure what tool someone would use to cut down a daisy… Scissors? A lawn mower? But it felt more to me like my antagonist was using a chain saw. My wish for this song is that it hands the chainsaw back to my listeners.”

Speaking about the creative process behind ‘I was a virgin (on drugs)’ and how the track came together, Halo shares, “I remember bringing it to Ben, packing around his coffee table with the idea. It’s difficult to explain, but what he sent back to me sounded how that first high felt – a sudden distorted surge, pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, electrifying, and almost in a weird sort of way, uncomfortable. I honestly thought for a second that it was totally crazy, but I loved it. It reminded me of creating ‘A Hit of You (A Bit of You)’ with him, when I had told him that I wanted the post-chorus to feel like a high and a comedown. The final result here honestly feels like if the sound of MGK and Kesha had a baby, and I could not be more obsessed with it, I definitely want to ride in this lane more often.”