Avery Lee Releases Intimate, Unfiltered New EP — Hand Washing: A Love Letter to Ritual, Restlessness, and Starting Over
Punk-inspired indie singer-songwriter, Avery Lee, has released a hauntingly vulnerable new EP titled Hand Washing: — now available on all major streaming platforms. A minimalist, deeply human collection of five songs, the EP explores themes of ritual, addiction, care, and the small acts we repeat when everything else feels out of control.
With a title that feels both literal and metaphorical, Hand Washing captures the meditative, almost obsessive quality of trying to cleanse the self — emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Written and recorded with the sincerity replicated in the songs themselves, the EP leans into lo-fi textures, abrasive vocals, and stark lyricism that lingers long after the final track fades.
“Hand Washing is a cleansing of older versions of myself. It’s a thank you to the masks that helped me survive and a gentle acknowledgement that they can be put away.” — Avery Lee
Highlights include the opener “Paw Paw Tree (Peach Pretender),” presenting riffs and climbs that let you believe the song has been set, then pulling you back in with a momentum change that feels like a resolution to a problem you weren’t aware you had. The in-your-face vibrato of Lee’s “Twelve” and the gentle, yet assertive cadence of “Black Pepper” leaves listeners with an entirely different notion of addiction in its traditional and not-so-traditional meanings. “Southern Mothers” allows the listener to consume a very specific and tangible feeling of familial trends, both good and bad alike, before “Wind Chimes” rounds out the EP in spectacular form. Lee’s vocal presentation, coupled by their band’s understanding of space and texture, invokes the archetype of hard-fought comeuppance in the age of avoidance.
With vocal accompaniment by Jude Brothers, the EP, recorded and mixed by Raif Box at Holy Anvil Record Co., mastered by Greg Obis at Chicago Mastering Service, and distributed by Cooper at Catapult Recordings, keeps the arrangements intentionally raw and close to the chest – like a whispered secret that allows the quiet confidence of Lee’s story to come full circle.
Fans of intentional, bold, and rhythmic music will find comfort in Lee’s intensity and lyrical precision.
Hand Washing is a short, aching pause in the noise — a reminder that even the most mundane gestures can carry the weight of transformation.
Hand Washing EP is now streaming everywhere.
Avery Lee and The Sweeties will embark on their Summer Tour in support of Hand Washing beginning on June 13th in Lawrence, Kansas at Replay Lounge. For full tour details, please visit wishmeluckmgmt.com as well as @averyleeandthesweeties and @wishmeluck_mgmt on Instagram.
