Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein on how grief influenced new album ‘Little Rope’: “I really needed to keep going”

Sleater-Kinney‘s Carrie Brownstein has opened up about how losing her mother influenced their new album ‘Little Rope’.

The US rock duo – comprising Brownstein and Corin Tucker – shared details of their 11th album and a tour in support of it back in October, announced alongside lead single ‘Hell’.

The track was released against the backdrop of a family tragedy, after Brownstein’s mother and stepfather were been killed in a car crash while on holiday in Italy last year.

According to press notes, while the album was already in progress, some musical aspects of songs were approached with the artist’s fresh grief at the fore.

Brownstein has now opened up about the personal impact of the sudden loss. “I don’t think there was ever a question that we would stop recording, she told The Guardian. “I really needed to keep going.”

To support and console her through grief, Tucker would send over a chorus or melody for Brownstein to work with, where she “would just sit with it for hours, all day really, re-harmonising the chords,” adding that it “felt like praying”.

Elaborating on her journey through navigating the loss, Brownstein shared: “Grief is intangible and you feel so incoherent, right? There is a before and after and you can’t reconcile it. It’s not like a broken leg or something that will heal. It’s just gone.”

The artist added that musically, she’s “learned to appreciate the presence” of the guitar in new material.

‘Little Rope’ is out on January 19 via Loma Vista Recordings, which you can pre-order here.

Last month, Brownstein called for “Palestinian liberation” during a live show in London.

The band performed at The Dome in London on November 8 in what was their smallest UK show in over two decades. During the show, Brownstein said (via Clash): “We want a ceasefire and we want Palestinian liberation and we want peace.”

Earlier this year, meanwhile, Sleater-Kinney joined Brandi Carlile on stage as special guests during her show in Portland.