Cheekface – MFT
Los Angeles trio Cheekface are back with “MFT”, the third single from their upcoming album Podium, due July 28 (self-released). It’s the first Cheekface track to feature lead vocals from bassist Amanda Tannen, shared with guitarist/vocalist Greg Katz. The video was shot and edited by Mallory Turner, with additional footage by Tyler Heron.
The title is the abbreviation for “marriage and family therapist”, and Katz is direct about what the song is actually doing: “This is a song that mentions AI, but it’s not about whether AI is bad. (It’s bad, but that’s not the point of the song.) It’s an elegy for someone seeking a safe space to share her worst thoughts, and feeling that even therapy isn’t really safe, because the therapist might have to report those thoughts to the government. Me and Mandy related to that feeling of despair and fear”. That’s a lot of weight for what lands as a sharp, nervy pop song, but Cheekface have always worked that way — the hooks carry the heaviness.
Having Tannen take the mic here isn’t a novelty move; the vocal split is structural, and it shifts the perspective in a way that fits the subject. I noticed how the conversational delivery keeps the emotional charge from tipping into melodrama, which is undoubtedly the tightrope the subject requires.
Podium is their sixth album and follows Middle Spoon from 2025. The record also features contributions from Teddy Roxpin (known for his work with Mac Miller), Jer Hunter of Skatune Network, and Elise Okusami of Oceanator. “MFT” follows singles “Hostile Street” (February) and Black Site (W13) (March). North American touring starts in August.
