Wild Moccasins, a four-piece band from Houston, makes ridiculously catchy indie that's bolstered by lead singer Zahira Gutierrez' soaring vocals. I was introduced to the group a couple weeks ago and haven't been able to stop listening to them since; their latest single, "No Muse," off their forthcoming LP Look Together, is an intoxicating blend of shimmering guitar, Gutierrez's half-submerged vocals, and retro-sounding synths. And when the drums kick in, it makes me want to get up and dance.
This glowing production, though, masks a song with more serious meaning. "'No Muse' is about feeling like men use women as muses in the wrong context," Gutierrez writes via email. "A lot of women have had the experience of being taken advantage of or had men in power try to take control of what they do, so this song encourages women to be their own muses." To keep in line with that that mission, Gutierrez hired a female cinematographer, Rachel Bays, in order to remove "any sort of male gaze." The resulting video features beautiful and delicate solo scenes of Gutierrez that feel simultaneously vulnerable and empowering; as she sings she stares straight into the camera, commanding attention. Watch it above.
Arturo Olmos