Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! Shares a New Summer Tune, “Park Life Forever”

Against Me! frontwoman, author and activist Laura Jane Grace shared on Thursday a lighthearted new song called “Park Life Forever.” Recorded alongside the musician’s eight-year-old daughter Evelyn, “Park Life Forever” is a loving new tune that captures the relationship between this dynamic mother-daughter team. The slice-of-life song follows the duo as they explore the park on a summer day.

Grace talked about the inspiration behind the song in a statement, saying:

This past summer my daughter learned to ride a bike which was a lot of fun. Everyday we would wake up and ride our bikes to the park, and on the way we would stop and get coffee and lemonade. She would play on the playground for hours and I would read in the grass. Then we would eat ice cream. It was the best. As the summer was ending, I started working on this song. It’s been a long winter. I’m ready for summer again (I think everyone is), so I thought this would be a fun song to share with everyone and help usher in those summertime vibes!

The musician recorded the tune in her Chicago-based home studio, using the Spire mobile recording app. Accompanying the lighthearted single is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the song.

This single is a cheery switch from Grace’s usual appeals to social justice. The musician has been advocating for gender identity issues for years now, even going so far as to burn her birth certificate on stage in protest of North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill” in 2016 (as recounted in her new single’s YouTube description).

As important as the musician’s pledge to make the world a more tolerant place is the love she has for her daughter, which resonates through the acoustic chords of this summer-inspired new single. Check out “Park Life Forever” (hear the song alone via SoundCloud or the song with added Grace commentary via YouTube) and a making-of-the-song video down below, followed by Against Me!’s 2014 Daytrotter Session.

Grace also revealed that Against Me! are currently working on a follow-up to their 2016 album, Shape Shift With Me, so keep following Paste for more information on the album in the coming months.