Laura Jane Grace Sings About Feeling ‘All F–ked Out,’ Explains What That Means
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You’ll have to pardon Laura Jane Grace, she’s not feeling herself. On “All Fucked Out,” her latest single backed by the Mississippi Medicals, she explains her predicament atop a dusty tarpaulin of loping country-punk: “I’m all fucked out of the real thing/I’m dry like bread – stale & crusty/I got just the ends left.” For what it’s worth, though, she sounds like she’s making the best of it, especially in the context of what inspired the song.
“Back in 2021, I sat down in my office to do some songwriting,” Grace said in a statement. “Not knowing what specifically to write about that day, I challenged myself to write a song similar to whatever the current Number One hit in the world was at the time. I made the challenge to myself without knowing exactly what that song was so I had to look it up, and as it turned out at that moment, the current Number One song in the world was ‘Butter’ by BTS. Now, for those of you not familiar with the song ‘Butter’, it’s about how the singer is ‘smooth like butter.’
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“‘Hmmm…’ I thought to myself,” she continued. “‘If they’re ‘smooth like butter,’ what am I?’ And the answer to that question is ‘All Fucked Out’ — not to be confused with ‘All Fucked Up’, mind you.”
Grace then took a moment in her statement to go into full George Carlin mode and differentiate her intention with changing the preposition. “[I’m] ‘All Fucked Out’ as in zero fucks left to give,” she said. “The song quickly became a staple in my live set.”
She attempted to record the song a few times but none of the versions were fucked out enough, at least until she attempted it with the Mississippi Medicals: Drive-By Truckers’ Matt Patton on bass, Mikey Erg on drums, and Paris Campbell Grace on vocals and percussion (note: cowbell). They all recorded the tune in December at Patton’s studio in Water Valley, Mississippi. The band also recorded an EP for which details are forthcoming.
Grace and her crew of magnolia state doctors (isn’t a medical a physical exam?) will hit the road in September, culminating with a couple of shows at Riot Fest where Grace and Catbite will perform a tribute to Operation Ivy. Catbite and Taylor Hollingsworth will open the Medicals tour with only a few exceptions.
Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals tour dates:
Sept. 3 — Louisville, KY @ The Whirling Tiger
Sept. 4 — Memphis, TN @ Growlers
Sept. 6 — Pensacola, FL @ Handlebar
Sept. 7 — St Petersburg, FL 2 The Floridian Social
Sept. 8 — Orlando, FL @ The Social
Sept. 10 — Gainesville, FL @ The Wooly
Sept. 11 — Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
Sept. 13 — Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater *
Sept. 14 — Ft. Monroe, VA @ Supernova Ska Festival **
Sept. 15 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Anchor Rock Club*
Sept. 17 — New York, NY @ The Liberty Belle
Sept. 18 — Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents
Sept. 19 — Syracuse, NY @ The Song & Dance
Sept. 20-22 —Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
* — no Catbite
* — no Taylor Hollingsworth
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