Since being dubbed “your favorite indie rocker’s favorite guitarist” by Pitchfork in 2019, Meg Duffy has proven they’re so much more. While they still play guitar for other artists’ projects — including recently touring with Perfume Genius — Duffy has poured just as much passion into their solo project, Hand Habits.
Last Friday, June 16, on the release day of Hand Habits’ newest record, Sugar the Bruise, I had the pleasure of speaking with Duffy ahead of their Friday, June 23 show at SOhO .
Though it’s just six tracks and 20 minutes long, Sugar the Bruise feels like a fully fleshed record. Duffy tells me it came about after teaching a month-long songwriting class that moved them to push outside their comfort zone. Taking inspiration from the likes of Frank Ocean and Björk, Duffy ended up with a more textural, processed sound.