Tiffany Sammy has been a staple of the New England indie scene for two years now, releasing what she calls "soft punk" under the name TIFFY. Her debut EP, last year's Fire Sale, was a catchy but not entirely conventional mix of early riot grrrl and lo-fi pop, written from and about the disappointment, frustration, and social isolation those genres were spawned from. Her new single, "Something For Nothing," premiering above, is another step forward for the SoCal-born singer-songwriter, mixing her catchiest melodies yet with some surf-inflected guitars and intentionally off-balance guitars.
“'Something For Nothing' is the first song I wrote immediately after the production of Fire Sale was done," TIFFY said in a statement. "Writing it felt like a release of this pent-up energy because I used working on my EP to avoid dealing with my emotions and things going on at the time. I find the term ‘something for nothing’ interesting because it encompasses several ideas: power dynamics, intentions, varying emotions, in a simple phrase. We all want to get something for nothing, or we end up exerting all this effort and it’s for nothing. Aside from vocals, I focused a lot on the guitar arrangement, weaving through different textures and tones in performance to convey distinction in these emotions. I wanted to express the blend of longing, explosiveness, passiveness, and frustration that presents itself when viewing our relationships this way."
TIFFY is donating 100% of all digital sales, merch, and 7” sales through the end of June to directly to The Loveland Foundation, an organization that provides mental health resources to communities of color, and especially for black womxn "Please continue to show up where you’re able, donate, petition, talk, listen, and learn further about these issues of systematic racism and injustice," she said. "I have a lot of learning still to do myself and to be more active. Thank you to all the friends who continuously share resources on education and the next steps to make towards change. This is an extensive list of resources that’s been shared."
Listen to "Something for Nothing" at the top of the page via Bandcamp.
Thumbnail image: Karina Fontaine.