There’s a simplicity to the large shoulder grappling groove “Sober Karaoke” wraps you in that really accents the light-hearted honesty put forward on Extra Special’s new single. A steadily syncopated stacked drum machine sound is covered in a bath of various 80’s synth sounds to wonderful effect. Lyrically, the song tackles some of the challenges of trying to navigate sober moments in a sea of blackouts with humor and tactful storytelling. She sings, “I tried to be responsible/ By taking it easy/ Shutting my Blinds/ But that only teased me.” This is a sentiment most people who’ve ever drifted between binges and sobriety can understand.
“I wrote the majority of “Sober Karaoke” back in my senior year of college in New York City. At the time, I was getting blackout drunk more days than I wasn’t, and I really didn’t know what trajectory I was on. I experimented with taking a month off alcohol and went out for Karaoke (something I never would have normally done without liquid courage)and I surprisingly had a great time. It got me thinking about whether a life without alcohol would be better all round. It would be another 10 years filled with many traumatic hangovers and mistakes before I decided to take the plunge and commit to sobriety for a longer haul. My great friend Gary Atturio helped me to bring what was once a demo on GarageBand on my iPhone to a fully produced song ready for release at a time where it felt more appropriate than ever.”
