Pouty’s “Virgos Need More Love” States the Obvious
Article by Isabel Dowell
Photo by Sheldon Omar-Abba
Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rachel Gagliardi - also known as Pouty - has just released her first single in over two years, “Virgos Need More Love”. According to the track’s press release, “Virgos Need More Love” is catchy, angsty, and all around Pouty.
Formerly known for her work in Slutever and Upset, Gagliardi started the solo project Pouty in 2016 with the release of her debut EP, Take Me to Honey Island. Since then, Gagliardi has been sharing music through the Pouty moniker, including the 2021 hit, “Bambina”, which reflects on the changes that accompany motherhood. While you might think Pouty was born at the time of the 2016 release, this project is years in the making. Almost a decade ago, Gagliardia and Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) collaborated on a solo-song-a-day-project that is still able to be viewed here.
On “Virgos Need More Love”, Gagliardi shares, “They needed an anthem.” This further justifies the lines, “It’s the Virgo in me / Worry comes naturally.”
“Virgos Need More Love” brings all of Pouty’s favorite things - 90s nostalgia, obsessively singable hooks, and the zodiac - into one signature pop-punk track that perfectly describes anyone with Virgo in their charts. Sorry Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, get your own single!
Thirteen was able to chat with Pouty about her latest release, learn more about her journey through music, and, of course, the zodiac!
THIRTEEN: Can you tell us a little bit more about Pouty? Who is Pouty?
POUTY: Pouty is ever changing. I like to think of Pouty as my alter ego, she’s the songwriter version of me that’s always gnawing to come out more. Pouty is the musical manifestation of my innermost thoughts, feelings, and aesthetic
THIRTEEN: From the sounds of it, you aren’t new to the world of music and have used a variety of monikers over the years. What sets Pouty apart from the rest?
POUTY: I’ve performed and recorded with many musicians throughout the years in a more collaborative sense, but Pouty is my own thing. Not that Pouty isn’t also collaborative in its own way, it’s mostly that its purpose is to divulge MY true essence. Musically if you’re into my previous projects you’ll love the Pouty discography because it still exists in the same grunge pop universe.
THIRTEEN: What pushed you into a solo project after Slutever and Upset?
POUTY: I’ve always loved to write songs and will hopefully never stop…so Pouty is the best way for me to perform and express those tracks, to create music videos, and build sonic universes that are otherwise just floating around in my head. There’s so much I'm feeling desperate to say, to communicate - and Pouty is the car I’m driving to that destination. This is my destiny - I’ve always wanted to do this.
THIRTEEN: Can you tell us more about the solo-song-a-day-project you collaborated with Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast)?
POUTY: Michelle and I met through the Philly music world and became friends and neighbors and coworkers, we worked for R5 together which meant helping run local DIY shows. With both our respective projects sort of winding down, we had dinner one night at her house and were both feeling like we needed some motivation and wanted to be writing more solo songs, so we started a Tumblr and each uploaded a song we wrote for a month.
THIRTEEN: How do you see this project as still being relevant to your music almost a decade later?
POUTY: I work best under deadlines, it’s helpful to know that about myself…and some of those songs made it onto my early Pouty EPs.
THIRTEEN: Congrats on the latest single, “Virgos Need More Love”! Tell me more about the single. Why did you feel that Virgos were looking for an anthem?
POUTY: I think this song started out for myself, as a little self-disclaimer…“handle me with care” sorta energy…I’m a Virgo (duh) and maybe it was some self soothing. I think the place that my musical collaborators (Evan Bernard, Chris Baglivo, Jarret Nathan, and Cat Park) brought it to sonically on the recording is the most realized version of Pouty and we definitely delivered an instant anthem.
THIRTEEN: Now the most obvious question, why do you believe Virgos need more love?
POUTY: Virgos are perfectionists, we can overthink small details…we tend to be self- critical and cautious people…we need a little extra TLC!
THIRTEEN: This track is punk, it’s bratty, it’s exactly what I’d expect to hear from an artist named Pouty. Why did you choose this as your first release since 2021?
POUTY: I’d like to think it was some cosmic fate, thanks to the magic of Virgo season. It’s a song I first started writing in 2017… sometimes good things take time…
THIRTEEN: Your sun sign is in Virgo. What is your moon and rising? How do you think these played a role in this single, if at all?
POUTY: Aries moon, Gemini rising. I just recently discovered that Jenny Lewis is also an Aries moon, so I kind of love that since she’s my favorite ever. I think an Aries moon placement gives you drive, makes you impulsive, which helps with staying self-motivated in order to accomplish and promote creative projects. Gemini rising is a talkative and highly creative sign, maybe some of why I love to perform and sing…I find lyrics a really crucial way of expressing myself and a very instinctual form of communicating, whether by writing mine or dissecting others.
THIRTEEN: It’s hinted that more music will be coming soon… Is there anything you can share about that?
POUTY: More music will be out this fall and winter!!
Photo by Sheldon Omar-Abba