Coming from a heavy, grungy background, the Reading-based Marisa And The Moths have been climbing a steady musical ladder. Their self-titled debut was released in 2019 and showed the world just how powerful vocalist frontwoman, Marisa Rodriguez, could be. With emotive lyrics and formidable instrumentation, these hard rockers are destined for festival success galore, having delighted audiences nationwide.

Now, off the back of their latest single, comes a video to be remembered. The accompanying track itself, boldly titled 'Nothing's Getting Better', is a vengeful battle cry. Rodriguez sings on the ongoing issue of misogyny in healthcare. This is done with a personal touch, lamenting on how she "took the pills that the doctor recommends" to little effect. It's done with an understandable level of rage, fiery to the ears and belted out by deep vocals. Listeners can feel that underlying pain; there's no doubt about it.

To accentuate these themes, Rodriguez and her band go for the kill, visually. It's three and a half minutes of pure gory chaos. The hospital backdrop becomes a hyper-reality of sorts, dipping into some vague horror and 00s emo influences. Images of Rodriguez sprawled out in an untidy pink bedroom are spliced between the band looking glum in a sparse waiting room, with a clear heavy focus on their frontwoman as a protagonist (although lead guitarist Alez D'Elia gets his own moment to shine). Ingeniously, she flits between two roles. One of the medical victims herself, screaming in anguish, and a dubious doctor figure, complete with a giant red wig and claw-like gloves. It becomes a camp exaggeration of these struggles, down to crude stitches on the patient's face and flashing pink lighting. 

Marisa And The Moths have certainly found their image here. How much this changes over their career will be something to watch, but such confidence and stage presence can only be welcomed at this point.

Sofia Neal

@girlfailmarkcorrigan_

Image: 'Nothing's Getting Better' Official Single Cover