Lighthearted and relatable, Patchwork Guilt’s (the moniker of Phoenix Mundy) “Dance Class” dares to dream of the beauty of letting go and breaking free. Mundy explains that the song was written after a counseling session intended to help her work through her struggles with social anxiety. “‘Dance Class’ was written after one of the sessions when I was reflecting on and writing about what it actually felt like as a mental state.” Ruminating on the possibility of liberating herself through movement, the chorus of “Dance Class” finds a confident and energetic voice singing, “So I wanna go to a dance class alone and let my body flow.” Evoking positivity, Mundy’s alt-pop sound serves to further the excitement of going into a social situation and simply not caring what others think. “A lot of it is about the feeling of being trapped in my own body and feeling horrendously awkward in my movements,” she says. “I thought about how liberating it would be to be able to go to a dance class by myself and just move freely.” That idea became a goal for her and eventually, the basis for the track.

Mundy writes vividly, letting her imagination run as she sings “What would I know about anything? What would I know about rolling out the van at 2am and setting up my tent or sleeping with a circus performer and never seeing him again?” In this way, she doesn’t constrain herself – “Dance Class” is about putting fear and shame aside and living in the moment, expressing who you are freely. “It was incredibly cathartic to write and was one of those songs that sort of burst out and took barely any time to write at all,” Mundy explains. Reminiscent of artists like Talking Heads and Sonic Youth, “Dance Class” utilizes rhythmic synths and hazy guitar to move the song along with pulsing positivity. Whether ironically or intentionally, it’s a categorically danceable song and the production encourages the “noodle-like” dancing which Mundy embraces. She sings, “I wanna move like a noodle and not give a damn who’s watching me” and “Dance Class” seems to be the perfect song for that. “Dance Class” is the first single off of Patchwork Guilt’s upcoming album, slated for release later this year.

ABOUT PATCHWORK GUILT

Patchwork Guilt was born in a bedroom in Bristol in 2014, through the late-night tinkerings of songwriter/producer Phoenix Mundy. Her early releases drew inspiration from the woozy psychedelia of the likes of Connan Mockasin and Syd Barrett. Now her music has gravitated towards jazz and classic pop influences, with a hazy, ethereal quality present throughout most of her output. Her music has gained mentions in the likes of BBC Introducing, Indie Shuffle and Spotify’s ‘Fresh Finds’ playlist.