Queer alt/pop duo Outer Shapes return with raw & fiery new single “FREEWAY”
“FREEWAY” is a raw and heartbreaking song, amplified through wide-ranging vocal samples, warm synths, and a hip-hop inspired beat.
As lead singer and bassist, Laura Shkouratoff, explains, “‘FREEWAY’ is a song about a broken relationship in my life that I fear will never be fixed, about regretting things in the past, telling people what they want to hear, and sitting in a truth that’s been avoided until now.”
“‘FREEWAY’ is our greatest accomplishment yet,” adds guitarist and drummer C Santos. “We’re reshaping ourselves and making it clear that we are ready to face any challenges. We’re carving a unique space for ourselves within the male-dominated genre that we grew up on. Amplifying the long-silenced voices that need to be heard is the essence of the alternative and DIY music scene.”
“FREEWAY” is part of a collection of singles Outer Shapes has been releasing this year that are a reflection of what it means to have big, red-hot feelings, and breaking out of a mold that tends to perceive queerness as soft and sweet. Outer Shapes is contextualizing the space they take up through the flames that fuel them, that keep them up at night, that spiral their thinking in the spaces they find for themselves throughout the chaos that is their lives.
Outer Shapes is celebrating the song’s release with a string of shows in the NYC area:
September 5 @ Young Ethel’s w/ Pass The Poi and Bat Kid
September 12 @ Berlin Under A w/ Coral Moons
September 20 @ Alphaville w/ Meghan Dowlen and Anna Fox Rochinski
October 17 @ Pianos w/ Victor Jones and Footnote
More about Outer Shapes
Independent alt queer duo Outer Shapes, consisting of lead singer and bassist Laura Shkouratoff and guitarist and drummer C Santos, are known for their high energy live set within the NYC music scene, complete with costumes, projections, and both of them shuffling between over 5 instruments including a tuba. Their shows involve audience participation and are the perfect vessel for their powerful beats and synths intertwined with emotional lyricism. Their motto is "FEEL ALL YOUR FEELINGS," and their music paints the full complexity and depth of emotion.
Outer Shapes’ music making process is a long and intimate experience, as they write, record, and produce all of their work in their home studio. Having been in a relationship together for a decade, they are able to constantly create a genre-bending sound that is uniquely theirs, exploring a new area of the queer voice as well as breaking barriers between pop, rock, and alternative music. The duo’s debut EP, Senses, released in 2024 and won the Wavy Awards’ Album of the Year. Their second EP, TOOTHACHE, released later in 2024 and is currently nominated for the same award this year.
