New Music: SHEARS – BONES

There is still something of a taboo when it comes to women talking about their bodies, and the restrictions society places on both.

It’s a subject that Edinburgh-based musician SHEARS tackles on BONES, her latest single that’ll also feature on her upcoming WE ARE BUT CHEMICALS album.

The track feels deeply personal, but one I suspect many women will be able to identify with, as SHEARS details the physical and emotional effects of poorly treated women’s health issues.

BONES is not a polemic, however, but more a masterful call for understanding and solidarity, expressed through a powerful ballad format with candid lyrics and a vocal performance that has the fire and feminism of Marina and the emotional intelligence of a Carole King or Janis Ian.

“BONES is about the side effects of hormonal birth control and what women have to put in their bodies from an early age,” reveals SHEARS.

“I read the book Nasty Women and read so many bad encounters with the birth control pill that I related to. It’s about the lack of research into women’s health.”

The accompanying video for BONES finds SHEARS continuing her ongoing collaboration with designer Genevieve Ryan. The video gives the lyrics and unspoken emotions they seek to impart a strong yet sensitive visual presence.

“The character is in physical and emotional pain, so I placed her lying down in the foetal position,” explains Ryan.

“The psychological impact is represented by her morphing into a pill. Bones begin to tumble out of the pill as it falls apart. This loop represents the woman’s monthly cycle; she pulls herself back together, only for it to begin again.”

WE ARE BUT CHEMICALS is set for release on the 10th of October in digital and limited-edition vinyl formats. BONES can be heard on Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube Music.

For all the latest album news, as well as other streaming options for BONES, check out SHEARS on Instagram or TikTok. You can support SHEARS directly on Patreon.

Header photo by Laura Prieto Martin