Keen followers of this site will recall our admiration for Houston indie-poppers Rose Ette; Bug Bites is the solo project of the band’s singer/guitarist, Daniela Hernandez along with a variety of close friends and collaborators including Rose Ette bandmate, Jessica Baldauf. Although Daniela only started playing live under the Bug Bites moniker back in July, they’ve already opened for the likes of Dressy Bessy, The Paranoyds and Bleached. Today we’re premiering the latest Bug Bites offering, new single, See You Alone.

Daniela cites a heavy influence of the 90’s alt-rock scene on her sound, which combines bright melodies with a darker, grungier and more driving quality. See You Alone enters with the locked tight rhythm section with a Strokes-like snare heavy drum beat, and a gorgeous bass-line, before a jangle of fuzzy guitars and Daniela’s gently gorgeous vocal melodies crash into earshot. From there it takes in sashaying 60’s pop choruses and more driving verses, resplendent with bombastic, Rilo Kiley-like guitar riffing.

Lyrically, the track seems to flick between hope and reality, Daniela wanting to string things back to the simple honest truth, yet knowing the past often gets in the way, “hold so tight, squeeze the life out, you can’t hear it but it’s so loud, you get by, but I don’t know how”. This feeling that things won’t change is hammered home in the chorus, “can you shed a part of yourself you’ve never known, I’d tell you but you won’t”. It’s a message delivered not so much with sadness as it is with acceptance, asking, “why can’t we wipe the slate clean?”, while being resigned to the fact it won’t ever happen.

Perfect indie-pop, with all the jangling guitar, swooning melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics you could possibly want, Bug Bites might just be our new favourite band.

See You Alone is out now. Click HERE for more information on Bug Bites.