PVRIS are back with “Dead Weight,” which is the latest single off of their upcoming third album, Use Me.
With a sonic intro that gives you a few Prince vibes, the band are seen driving to what later turns into a trippy dance party. Between all the camera angles and persistent red tone to the clip, the song starts to feel like a step into the dark side.
“‘Dead Weight’ is about being a people pleaser, holding others up and never asking for anything back,” PVRIS leader Lynn Gunn said in a statement. “Quite often that can being taken advantage of and can be hard to say “no”/set boundaries, this feels amplified especially as a woman. This song is about stepping into my power as a woman, shedding old skin and taking nurturing/caretaker feminine nature and turning it into a superpower.”
While she’s taken a backseat on previous records, Use Me has become Gunn’s way of showing the world everything she can do.
“I allowed myself to support a narrative I thought I had to support of PVRIS being a band,” Lynn confesses. “I didn’t really have a role model for this. Coming from a ‘band culture,’ it’s about how the group is always greater than the sum of its parts, and you’re not supposed to take credit, even if you do everything. There’s no template or role model for really owning it as a woman. I wanted to make everyone else happy and uphold an image I thought we had to. Growing up, I learned I don’t have to do that anymore. I’m finally allowing myself to take credit. I’ve got the full support and encouragement of my bandmates. PVRIS is a unit and very much a team, but the heart and soul of the vision and music always has sourced from me. I’m just saying it now. I fulfilled my own vision of what a role model should be.”
Use Me releases on May 1. To celebrate to release, PVRIS will be heading out on a headline tour followed by a number of dates with Halsey. Information on tickets can be found here.
Find out when PVRIS will be performing in a city near you:
May 8 – Columbus, OH – Newport
May 9 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
May 12 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic
May 14 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg University
May 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
May 19 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
May 20 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head
May 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
May 22 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
May 24 – Boston, MA – Boston Calling (FESTIVAL)
May 26 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
May 27 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
May 28 – New Orleans, LA – Republic
May 30 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
May 31 – Dallas, TX – Canton
June 2 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
June 4 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda
June 5 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
June 7 – San Francisco, CA – Regency
June 9 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
June 10 – Seattle, WA – Neptune
July 12 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage (with Halsey)
July 15 – Forest Hills, NY – Forest Hills Stadium (with Halsey)
July 18 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center (with Halsey)
July 19 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion (with Halsey)
July 22 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre (with Halsey)
July 24 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena (with Halsey)
July 25 – Saint Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (with Halsey)
July 27 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (with Halsey)
July 30 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre (with Halsey)
Aug. 1 – Irvine, CA – Five Point Amphitheatre (with Halsey)
