The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
Sometimes, in order to peel away the layers, shed the old skin, and find out what you’re truly capable of, you got to try new techniques, go where they aren’t expecting you to go. That’s what singer/songwriter Sasami Ashworth, better known as SASAMI, pulls off with imaginative style on her sophomore record Squeeze. The LA based artist’s process to peel that skin starts by catching it on a hook, then attempting a range of different moves, from flailing to wild, heavy metal, appropriately loaded with chunky riffs, to beating her body against a wall with an even stranger, hard rock vibe with techno beats. But Sasami also returns to what she’s best known for, employing patience and smoothness, as she slithers and writhes to well crafted indie rock and folk jams. When she isn’t mumbling out scary fx laden lyrics about stomping vermin, or eviscerating her throat with screams of self-deprecation, Ashworth also delivers beautiful melodies that sing of human connection. By the end of all this shedding and peeling, you might not be sure what you enjoy more, the new, liquid form glinting in the light, or the old, stretched skin flapping in the wind.