Toronto’s sonic shapeshifter U.S. Girls (aka the wildly talented Meg Remy) is back with a glittery new single, Like James Said, and we’re dancing in our living rooms about it. This one’s the second taste of her upcoming album ‘Scratch It,’ landing June 20 via Royal Mountain Records and 4AD. Mark your calendars, tape a reminder to your mirror, write it on your arm in glitter pen—whatever works.
Like James Said is a funky little gem with a big nod to James Brown and a soft spot for dancing alone in your kitchen at 2 a.m. Think: ELO on a nostalgic AM radio trip, with Remy’s unmistakable voice delivering tragicomic gold (we’re still not over the delivery of “I’m the queen of exercising […] pain.”). Co-written with longtime collaborator Rich Morel, it’s classic U.S. Girls: catchy, clever, and a little bit devastating.
The single comes with a video that’s as oddball and endearing as the track itself. Directed and performed by comedian Tom Henry, it’s a single-shot dance sequence that somehow manages to be funny, beautiful, and maybe even a little sad—in other words, the whole human condition, told through awkward dance moves and perfect lighting. Henry says he wanted to make a video about dancing… so he did. Sometimes, it’s that simple.
The video and single are streaming now—go on, treat yourself.
LISTEN TO Like James Said HERE.
A Deeper Dive into ‘Scratch It’
Last month, Remy shared Bookends, a sprawling 12-minute ballad that honoured her late friend Riley Gale (Power Trip) and pulled inspiration from Eyewitness to History, a 700-page epic of human accounts. It’s raw, cinematic, and deeply moving—especially with Caity Arthur’s short film-style video pairing.
So how did this whole new record come together? It all started with a festival invite in Hot Springs, Arkansas (of all places), and a wild idea to form a one-off band with Nashville musicians. The vibes were just too good, and what was supposed to be a one-time thing turned into a full-blown recording session. Ten days. No computers. Just tape, soul, and a killer band:
- Dillon Watson on guitar
- Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather) on bass
- Domo Donoho on drums
- Jo Schornikow & Tina Norwood on keys
- Harmonica legend Charlie McCoy (yes, that Charlie McCoy)
They tracked the whole thing live, with minimal overdubs. The result? An album that breathes. It hums. It grooves. ‘Scratch It’ is loose in the best way—like an after-hours jam that turned into something magical.
Musically, it’s all over (in the best way): country, disco, garage, gospel, folk, pop. Remy ditched the digital toys in favor of old-school analog warmth, and it shows. She’s not chasing trends—she’s chasing the gut feeling. And if instinct were an instrument, Meg Remy would be a damn virtuoso.
‘Scratch It’ track list
- Like James Said
- Dear Patti
- Firefly on the 4th of July
- The Clearing
- Walking Song
- Bookends
- Emptying the Jimador
- Pay Streak
- No Fruit.
All DSPs | Standard Vinyl | CD | Screen-Printed Test Pressings [Bandcamp Exclusive]
PRE-SAVE | PRE-ORDER
PRE-ORDER/SAVE ‘SCRATCH IT’ via Royal Mountain Records, HERE.
Catch U.S. Girls Live (and yes, you really should)
Remy is taking her Nashville band on tour this summer, and it’s going to be something special. She already did a secret pop-up in Nashville, playing the new album in full. Now she’s heading out for real—and more dates are on the way.
2025 Tour Dates:
- May 14 – Nashville, TN – Soft Junk
- June 21 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
- June 22 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis
- June 23 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
- June 25 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- June 26 – Somerville, MA – The Rockwell
- June 28 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
- June 29 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
- Sept 9 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
- Sept 11 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
Grab tickets while you can—these shows are going to be rich with vibes.
About U.S. Girls
Originally from Illinois and now a fixture of Toronto’s experimental scene, Meg Remy has built U.S. Girls into one of the most singular voices in modern music. With a string of Polaris Prize-nominated and Juno-nominated albums under her belt (Half Free, In A Poem Unlimited, Heavy Light), she’s also a published author (Begin By Telling), filmmaker, and now film composer (check her score for Dead Lover, which premiered at Sundance 2025). Her work is full of feminist fire, surreal storytelling, and outsider-pop smarts.
As Rolling Stone put it: “Avant-pop provocateur.”
The New Yorker says she’s “a shell game of identity.”
And CBC Music calls her dancefloor politics “songs you need to hear.”
Stay tuned. Stay dancing. Stay weird.
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