Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. Her album I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life is, on the surface, a fun, danceable record—but dig into the lyrics, and you’ll find explorations of race, representation, and privilege.
“This has been a theme in Tune-Yards’ music for a while,” Garbus says. “But living in Oakland as a white woman, I started scratching deeper into some uncomfortable truths.” The album was written before, during, and after the 2016 election, and while it captures that turbulence, Garbus is cautious about overstating its importance. “It’s just one of many trickles and rivers of people doing important work over a long time.”
She’s aware of the complexities of discussing race, especially as a white artist with a predominantly white audience. “I think whiteness is something we don’t talk about enough. There’s this fear of saying the wrong thing, of getting it right the first time—but that’s not how these conversations work.” At a show, she once spotted a white fan singing along to Real Thing at full volume from his car. “That’s all I can hope for—giving someone the words they needed to hear.”
The album’s visuals reflect the shift in tone from previous records. “It felt dishonest to keep everything neon and bubblegum,” she says. “I wanted to sit with grief—especially around climate change and the violence in our communities—and not paint over it with rosy colors.”
Garbus, who has lived on both coasts and has ties to the Midwest, is acutely aware of the growing divides in America. “Touring gives us this incredible opportunity to see different communities firsthand. People tell me, ‘Oh, you’re playing a lot of red states,’ but I never think of it that way. It’s a privilege to be in all these places, gathering perspectives.”
Despite the heavy themes, she hopes listeners still find joy in the music. “I love to dance. I love making music that makes people move,” she says. “And that’s part of it, too—music can hold complexity. It can be both a good time and a wake-up call.”
Listen to the full interview above and then check out this earlier chat from 2015:
