Hand Habits Measures the Ache on New Single “Something Wrong”

In their first release since their breathtaking 2021 LP Fun House, Meg Duffy—aka Hand Habits—has teamed up with Fat Possum Records to unveil a new EP, Sugar the Bruise, which arrives on June 16. Duffy collaborated with Luke Temple and Philip Weinrobe to bring to life an articulation of how they “surrendered to the present moment, trusting that whatever sounds and words emerged were meant to emerge.” The result is Sugar the Bruise, an intimate and vulnerable construction of melodies and emotions, where Duffy dares to approach the work with as much intent as they do playfulness.

The EP’s lead single, “Something Wrong,” is a patient, gorgeous blend of electronica and indie folk. There are moments when Duffy’s technical prowess on guitar jumps out, but, here, they are mostly tinkering with the digital textures that made Fun House such a rich and explosive milestone in their catalog. They channel the ache of longing; the uncertainty of patterns falling back into place. “I’m losing / My mind can’t understand / It’s stupid / I’d do it all over again / I’m begging / Eating from the palm of your hand,” Duffy sings. The transition from their sublime debut Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void) to the grief that stretches into bliss on Sugar the Bruise has been so immense and rewarding, and it only solidifies Duffy’s standing as one of our most important songwriters.

“Music, for me, has always been a spoonful of honey easing the intermittent and inescapable bitterness of the human experience. It’s been a thick sweetness in my loneliest moments,” Duffy says. “In my earliest memories of playing music, whether alone or in a group, the feeling of being connected to a greater force beyond explanation is the one that shines through. I’ve been deeply committed to the path of conjuring this elusive yet poignant feeling through playing guitar, through making songs and sounds and sharing them with others.”

To coincide with the single and Sugar the Bruise, Duffy has also announced a summer tour starting in May. Check out the dates and album artwork and tracklist for Sugar the Bruise below.

Sugar the Bruise album artwork:

Sugar the Bruise Tracklist:
Something Wrong
The Gift of the Human Curse
Andy in Stereo
Private Life
The Book On How To Change, Pt. 3
The Bust of Nefertiti

Hand Habits’ upcoming tour dates:
5/3 – Solvang, CA @ Solvang Festival Theater *
5/19-21: Big Sur, CA @ Hipnic – SOLD OUT
6/15 – Healdsburg, CA @ Little Saint ^
6/17 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ^
6/18 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt ^
6/20 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern ^
6/22 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel ^
6/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Barnsdall Gallery Theatre
9/30 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Rialto (Pop Montreal)
* w/ Tegan & Sara
^ w/ Gregory Uhlmann