The closer of their fantastic LP Blouse Club – which is released tomorrow via Alcopop! Records – ‘Domestic Bliss’ is a grungy, frustrated and burning ode to how relationships can end not through explosive rows, but through silent mundanity. Whilst settling down, getting a mortgage and quietly living out the remainder of your days in an unassuming street may be the ultimate game plan for most couples, ‘Domestic Bliss’ perfectly encapsulates how such banality can lead to the erosion of love to the point where only apathy remains.
The song itself perfectly encapsulates this sense of frustration. As Alanah Smith vividly bellows forth the just four lines that compose the lyrics for this song, Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks and Ciara King escalate from gingerly caressing their respective instruments prior to full-on assaulting them, vividly interpreting this slow-burn of loveless atrophy. The climax, a wall of noise featuring a Henry hoover and unchained scream before silence, makes the frustration and rage palatable and immediately relatable to anyone who has found themselves in relationships such as one explored. Watch the video – featuring the Henry itself – exclusively below
“This song started out as a bit of a joke, an excuse to have a sit down mid-set”, states Smith on the track. “We like to say it’s our ballad. It’s a very guttural expression of an unhappy relationship. There are only four lines in the whole song, but I would like to think they say a lot: “Domestic bliss, who’s doing the dishes? Clean the house, spread the filth.” A lot of us yearn to settle down, but sometimes the reality isn’t as great as the expectations. Emotional labour piles up as much as the dishes do and you start to become resentful. You ask for some help and it’s “I’ll do it later”, every minor argument chipping away until there’s no love left. No massive end-it-all argument, just slow dissolution.”
“We knew it would be the perfect album closer, we just needed to add the outro. Beth, Bev and Ciara get more chaotic as the song goes on, which is like a sonic interpretation of the breakdown of a relationship. Eventually I just break, vocally. I think there are a lot of people who will feel that scream on a personal level. “There’s an extra layer in that we used Henry the Hoover in the studio. It was another joke that we took too far that ended up being the perfect addition both musically and thematically, seemingly blending right in with the guitar and bass, like a secret extra pedal.”
“The video also started as a bit of a joke: The song itself is so dark in contrast to the cheeky expression on the very famous vacuum we used. That vacuum became a bit of a running gag with us, we still say hello every time we see one. This was once again another video where we had no budget, but my brain was saying “David Lynch”. Bev came over to my house and we set up the corner of the room with a black bed sheet and the vacuum (rebranded as Baby). A slow zoom in on Baby’s eyes as one marigold gloved-hand turns it on to perform. A slow zoom out and its job is done.”