Over the past decade, Speedy Ortiz has established itself as one of rock’s most vibrant bands, with frontperson, vocalist and guitarist Sadie Dupuis continually recognized as one of her generation’s sharpest lyricists. 2012’s Sports EP introduced the Massachusetts quartet’s constant study of contrasts, with Dupuis’ gnarled riffs acting as both counterpoint to and bolsterer of her acerbic, conversational poetry. 2013’s Major Arcana went further, the members’ reflexive chemistry inspiring them to push the limits of their sound, swaggering with a gusto that commanded sweaty Boston basements as easily as festival stages, and leading to touring with legends of the alternative boom like The Breeders and Stephen Malkmus. 2015’s Foil Deer added headphone-ready detailing to the already-adventurous mix, with worldwide headlining dates on which they were supported by modern-day best-new-music makers like Mitski, Alex G, and Downtown Boys. Twerp Verse, Speedy’s third album and first as Philadelphians, added surprising, crate-dug textures to their off-kilter hooks, the pop maelstrom swirling around Dupuis’ voice providing a defiantly charged, infectious optimism to songs about political weariness. In between these records, the band have been tireless advocates for artists and their communities, breaking ground on normalizing safer spaces through the first-ever show help hotline, advocating for overdose prevention resources in venues alongside Harm Reduction Coalition, and working with collectives like Girls Rock Camp, She Shreds, and We Are Moving the Needle to further gender equity in recorded music.
But before it was a full band, Speedy Ortiz was a home-recorded solo project with Dupuis performing every instrument, turning around raw and thoughtful songs comprising early EP Cop Kicker and first album The Death of Speedy Ortiz. Self-released on Bandcamp in 2011 as Dupuis left her hometown of New York for Northampton, MA, the new project quickly brought her into the fold of New England’s burgeoning DIY scene and attracted friends who’d become her bandmates. In celebration of the project’s ten year anniversary, these cult favorite, long-offline early works will be reissued and pressed to double LP for the first time, after extensive production updates from Dupuis (now an established solo artist and producer with her newer project, Sad13), mixing from Speedy’s long term collaborator Justin Pizzoferrato (Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh), and remastering from Emily Lazar (HAIM, Liz Phair). As both releases re-enter the world alongside never-before-shared outtakes and liner notes ephemera, The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker …Forever joins the official Speedy Ortiz catalogue, a love letter to the past that expands the scope of the band and glimpses its aching origins, oozing with heart and bite.
For tour dates and more visit: speedyortiz.com/
