Ekko Astral – horseglue
Washington D.C. punk band Ekko Astral channel frontwoman Jael Holzman’s disillusionment with political journalism into “horseglue,” a two-minute noise-punk assault. After covering Congress ahead of the 2024 election, Holzman quit journalism and wrote this track about what she witnessed in the newsroom and on Capitol Hill.
The song was written and performed by Holzman alongside Liam Hughes and Miri Tyler, with Jeremy Snyder producing. Pounding drums and scraping guitars build intensity as Holzman delivers lines about proximity to violence and the broken systems that normalise it. The track closes with the news industry slogan “if it bleeds, it leads,” pointing to how corporate media profits from sensationalism.
Ekko Astral have been playing “horseglue” live since last year, and the studio version captures that raw energy. Holzman co-directed the black-and-white video with John Lee, featuring stark performance footage juxtaposed with newspaper imagery. Jessica Dunn Rovinelli edited the video.
The band released their debut album “pink balloons” in 2024, followed by the deluxe edition “pink balloons: popped” this spring. They were named a Stereogum Band To Watch and organized Liberation Weekend, their trans rights festival in D.C.
Tour Dates North America:
- March 25-29: Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest
- March 26: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile (with Mclusky)
- March 28: Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater (with Mclusky)
- March 30: San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel (with Mclusky)
- March 31: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater (with Mclusky)
