Austin isn’t exactly known as a hotbed for retro-leaning, indie-pop bands, but here we are with “Change,” the latest single from March And Beauty. Headed by husband-and-wife duo Tim and Terri Dittmar, the quartet is comprised of alum from various other Austin acts that made a regional impact one way or the other—in particular, Annabella and Bo Bud Greene.
Produced by the band, “Change” (a lush, tuneful new-wave/alt-rock throwback) was engineered by Louie Lino (New Pornographers, Nada Surf). For Terri Dittmar, the tune was a wonderful takeaway from Dave Madden’s 11:59 Songwriting Group.
“The songwriting prompt was l’esprit de l’escalier, a phrase coined by an 18th-century French philosopher, Denis Diderot,” says Tim. “It translates to ‘the spirit of the staircase’ and refers to the predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late—the agony of doing nothing much at all. Terri had all the inspiration she needed, living in a state where civil rights are slowly being stripped away by a minority of religious zealots.”
“Many of us tend to get overwhelmed and, in turn, apathetic when it comes to politics,” says Terri. “I felt compelled to write ‘Change,’ considering the current socio-political climate. I know what they’re doing is wrong. We can no longer sit back and allow a minority group to dictate what we can and cannot do with our own bodies. We live in a democracy, but it’s a fragile construct. Please vote in November like your life depends on it—because it just might this time.”
We’re proud to premiere March And Beauty’s “Change.”
—Hobart Rowland
