[Cover photo credit to Andres Amaya]

Canadian Folk/Country duo The Goddamsels, featuring Mallory Chipman and Freddi MacDougall, are gearing up to release their full-length debut this Spring, with the track “Better Than” out today as a first taste. The song seeks “an escape from hectic modern life.” Meanwhile, The Goddamsels will be kicking off a UK/Irish tour this month.

Following the 2023 release of their debut EP Wayward Daughter, their self-titled album will arrive via Alberta- based Royalty Records.

“Better Than” is about “envisioning ‘something better than’ the constant grind and hustle that many of us can get caught up in, especially those situations that prioritize productivity over personal connection.”

The track was recorded at Edmonton’s Riverdale Records with The Goddamsels’ Juno Award-nominated producer Scott Franchuk (Corb Lund, Del Barber, Mike Plume, Scenic Route To Alaska). “Better Than” also features Kyle Shabada on acoustic guitar, Brett Hansen on electric guitars, Murray Wood on bass, Shea Connor on drums and Ryan Funk on pedal steel.

As Freddi MacDougall explains:

In my interpretation, the choruses speak to feeling lost in that hustle, and paint the image of a sense of drowning. The pre-chorus speaks to a ‘head above water’ moment where we realize what an alternative could look or feel like, with the chorus illustrating what that ‘better than’ experience could be, even if it might just be a fantasy.

Mallory Chipman adds:

What inspired us to write ‘Better Than’ was feeling that we ourselves were caught in that sort of whirlpool, which also inspired the single artwork. I think we were both longing for a slower pace of life that embodies a certain peace, quietness and simplicity.