ANNIE HARDY

LORD CUM INTO MY LIFE – OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Annie Hardy is the outspoken, boundary pushing visionary and lead vocalist from renowned and widely revered grunge/punk band Giant Drag with whom she attained massive global success.

Some successes for Giant Drag include their cover of “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak being used in a commercial for Nip/Tuck on the FX Network and some of their original works having been featured on television shows including The L-Word, Jericho and the movie A Love Song for Bobby Long starring Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta.

Giant Drag were fast-tracked to “it-band” status with salivatory praise from Spin, NME, and Billboard, comparing them to such indie-rock heavyweights as Nirvana, the Breeders, and My Bloody Valentine.

In 2020, while Annie Hardy was in London prior to shooting the horror film Dashcam, in which she starred, she recorded material for Giant Drag’s studio album at The Libertines’ recording studio, The Albion Rooms in Margate. The material was recorded with Jamie Reynolds, formerly of the Klaxons.

In June 2022, Giant Drag, featuring Annie Hardy and drummer Collin Deatherage, released the track “Devil Inside”, which had previously been recorded for their EP Band Car; the track was featured as a promotional single for Dashcam movie.

Annie Hardy also provided guest vocals on the song “Pink Cellphone” from the 2006 Deftones album Saturday Night Wrist. On April 26, 2007, Annie Hardy performed the song “Just Like Honey” onstage with The Jesus and Mary Chain for their reunion show the day before Coachella.

The band released their first EP ‘Lemona’ in 2005 on UK tastemaker label ‘Wichita Records’ which led to a record deal with ‘Kickball/Interscope’ who later went on to release ‘Hearts and Unicorns’ for the band, to much critical acclaim from the likes of NME, Pitchfork and The Guardian to name but a few.

Annie and Giant Drag then took a break from the limelight before deciding to make a comeback in 2013 and self-release ‘Waking Up Is Hard to Do’ with a vinyl release by Canadian DIY label ‘Yeah! Right Records’.

Annie’s first solo LP ‘RULES’ (Full Psycho/Yeah! Right Records) was recorded and released by her after she suffered extreme personal tragedy, following the death of her infant son aged just a few days old from SIDS and while Annie was already understandably in the depths of grief for her baby boy, her partner and her son’s father, battle rapper Cadalack Ron aka Robert Paulson also tragically passed. Perhaps unsurprisingly ‘Rules’ is a heavy listen but she and producer Joe Cardamone truly make suffering into art form with this release. The record boasts an array of musical guests including DJ Bonebrake (the drummer of Los Angeles historic punk band X), Don Bolles (The Germs), Stephen McBean (Black Mountain, Pink Mountaintops) and Petra Hayden (That Dog) to name just a few.

Present day Annie Hardy is vibrating at a different rate. 2021 found her starring in the Blumhouse horror film Dashcam directed by Rob Savage and producing her own show Band Car (the internet’s number one live improvised music show broadcast from a moving vehicle).

Annie Hardy has gathered her thoughts and her inner strength to rediscover her sass and energy and has decided that the time is now right to release brand new music. She has commented on her self induced hiatus from the industry by saying:

“Before now it seemed utterly pointless [to make and release new music] due to the state of affairs in the music industry, but then I remembered that the point is to do it for my fans, all 12 of them, to get my music out there and it’s not even me. It’s through me, for me and for others”.

Annie’s latest release “Lord Cum Into My Life” finds her frankly and honestly talking/singing, about elements in her life which she feels are missing and how she and others try to fill those voids with bad decisions and actions that lead them to paths of ultimate destruction. Being mindful and observing holy people and how their lives are fulfilled by God, led Annie to delve deeper into the subject matter giving it her own unique spin and turn of phrase.

‘Lord Cum Into My Life’ is a song for everyone seeking a God-like presence in their lives whether they’re religious or not, to sustain and fulfil their inner strength, power and belief to carry them forward and onto a higher, peaceful, pain free plain no matter what life’s despicable fate life throws your way.

Musically this song is… something else.

What do we have?

Well first of all, the sound is retro as anything, a ripple in the Force tells me that the instrumental is from a portable keyboard possibly 1988-89 vintage. I really hope I’m right because that’s what I grew up on, that’s how I played keyboard – if I’m wrong I need to get hold of Annie’s sound library.

Ridiculous.

Lyrically, the song touches territory that isn’t usually covered in songs even in the underground scene usually but hey, Annie is from a grunge punk background – anti establishment – so there’s no fear here.

“Lord cum into my…life” the meaningful pause is not by accident in my opinion neither is the double entendre in the spelling. It’s a song that for me just lands! It had me from the retro keyboard.

To eBay I go for a Yamaha PSS 680!

Annie has said of the track:

“I was coming out of a stagnant period where I was allowing myself to be part of one of these situationship type things where someone who is living out of their fear-programmed head vs the heart-centre where truth comes from is at war within themselves. I had to put an end to the entire friendship to restore balance within myself and as soon as I did I pressed record and this song came out in one fluid movement. I was aware that in life we tend to be distracted by things that don’t matter. The only thing that matters is our connection to God which is the energy of all creation and truth and love. When we live from the heart, things like creativity are effortless.”

Today (Monday 23rd October 2023) sees Annie releasing the official music video to the track which we here at The Songbird are absolutely delighted to be able to offer the exclusive premiere of.

The music video sees Annie perhaps talking to herself at times with her image being portrayed back and forth almost in a mirror like fashion with a celestial cloud like mood light ever present. Perhaps the intention here is to mimic herself as the artist as both a God-like character and the devil at the same time, something that is perhaps present in us all?

Things then take on a darker, moodier stance as Annie is seen in the bath, could this be to symbolise her baptism or it could be a vision of her death. Is it the end or simply the beginning?

Overall, the video is a genius move to push forward something that is entirely simple in its creation meaning that its impact is all the more forceful. You can’t help but be drawn in and watch every little intricate detail of this video as Annie’s child-like, heavenly vocals are delivered in a totally hypnotic fashion.

You can watch the official music video for ‘Lord Cum Into My Life’ here now.