Mother Mother Take On Double Standards With 'FINGER' Video

05-23-2025

(Warner) Mother Mother proclaims their commitment to interrogating gender roles and double standards and hits a precisely pointed new high with their delightfully shocking new single, "FINGER."

The thought-provoking track gleefully takes on a series of societal absurdities over an off-kilter, distinctly Mother Mother brand of post-glam, alt-rock. The song also arrives with an appropriately surreal music video that pokes fun at domestic expectation.

The globally celebrated five-piece teased the arrival of the well-placed "FINGER" on social media, prompting thousands of fan comments. One well-received clip responds to the frequent fan request, "You should make Verbatim II," referring to Mother Mother's beloved 2005 track, "Verbatim," which memorably asked, "What defines a straight man's straight?" "FINGER" taps into a similar inquisition, while exploring new sonic territory.

The bold new song opens on whirring synths, stuttering drums, and acoustic pluck as frontman Ryan Guldemond wastes no time stating his head-turning message: "Oh, you shouldn't feel ashamed if the feeling is great / If the feeling is great, you shouldn't feel ashamed." His bandmates respond with eerie harmonies, jarring ad libs, and, at one point, what sounds like bird calls as he continues to drop captivatingly quotable lines that are - in fact - common sense observations about the weird, unjust world we live in.

"This track may very well be the long-lost sibling of 'Verbatim,'" says Ryan about "FINGER." "The song addresses several societal double standards: the stigma surrounding female promiscuity compared to the celebration of male conquest, the absurdity of the animal class system - why are some creatures considered food while others are viewed as pets? - and the feelings of shame that heterosexual men may experience when exploring sensual pleasures that are not traditionally considered masculine."

Directed by long-time collaborator Sterling Larose (Snotty Nose Rez Kids, SonReal, Claire Rosinkranz), the "FINGER" video transports us to a disturbing slice of suburbia where a couple with plastered-on smiles move through a series of mundane scenarios that get increasingly odd. The band is seen playing in paintings on the wall that come to life, while the poultry get violently stuffed, the man of the house roasts in the sun, and a strapping milkman arrives at the door. The clip is full of easter eggs that Mother Mother's devoted fans will surely catalog in the comments, including the art from their 2005 debut LP, Mother.

The new single is the latest taste of the band's 10th album, Nostalgia, out June 6, which celebrates Mother Mother's 20th anniversary with a set of songs that dive deep into the group's familiar themes - alienation, existentialism, self-love, self-hate, gender roles, spirituality - while intentionally returning to the creative verve and fearlessness that guided their earliest work. They've previously shared the long-awaited, fan favorite "Love to Death" and "Make Believe," a spirited sonic rollercoaster ride that celebrates outside-the-box thinking and, naturally, unicorns.

"Make Believe" has already amassed over 2 million Spotify streams and 350K YouTube views. WHEN THE HORN BLOWS professed, "This track is a bold first taste of the expansive and cohesive creative palette Mother Mother has crafted for their upcoming album." Melodic Magazine marveled at how, "Mother Mother continues to push boundaries musically and aesthetically, nodding to what the next two decades will hold." Billboard raved, "The song is an energetic ode to fantasy and divinity, with a slightly sinister edge. It wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack for a TV drama like Yellowjackets."

Nostalgia delivers a creative palate as simultaneously expansive and cohesive as Mother Mother has ever offered. Arriving on the heels of 2023's acclaimed Grief Chapter, the new album fosters the spirit of total originality that fans know and love, while also pushing their musicality, lyricism, and aesthetics to new peaks. The dozen songs contained within are heartfelt, brazen, dark, and wild, funneling and fractaling intense themes through the vibrant imagery of otherworldly landscapes and mythical creatures.

In making their 10th studio album, Mother Mother have achieved something few established acts can pull off: total creative freedom, resulting in a record that feels both true to their legacy and gesturing toward their next two decades. Stay tuned as the group dives into Nostalgia and the journey ahead.