Caffeine & Alcohol
A single by Kat and the Hurricane.
Religious trauma is never really something that goes away. Particularly for queer people who fought for years to figure out who they are in spite of that trauma. You can do some healing and move on in certain ways, but that seed is always in there somewhere waiting to sprout at any moment. How you handle these moments and deal with the sources of your trauma is heavy on the minds of Wisconsin-based synth rock pop band Kat and the Hurricane in their latest genre-fluid single, “Caffeine & Alcohol”, independently released on April 19th, 2024.
It’s no secret to many who know me that I was raised in the Seventh-Day Adventist church. It’s something I was fortunate enough to put behind me at around the age of thirteen, but the trauma I experienced and continue to work through, particularly through the lens of my trans identity, is just as prevalent all theses years later. Oppressive, religious trauma is difficult enough for anyone to work through, but what queer people raised in the church experience is even further compounded. The fear and shame of who you are coupled with a lack of knowledge or representation to explore when you’re raised in those spaces can be crippling. I often find myself thinking back on my upbringing and saying to myself “Oh yeah that was definitely a sign that I was queer. I wish I knew what that was instead of constantly shaming myself and telling myself there was something wrong with me.” It’s a small wonder why so many ex-religious queers turn to substance consumption and abuse in order to numb and avoid these feelings. We all have them, the variation lies in what poison we pick to get the job done.
The Wisconsin-based synth rock/indie-pop trio Kat and the Hurricane grapple with these feelings in a fresh and sobering way in their latest smash single, so appropriately-titled “Caffeine and Alcohol”. Amidst the powerful rhythm section and spacey, retro electronic effects, Kat juggles feelings of self-destruction and post-religious trauma through the lines “Is this the caffeine and alcohol in my blood? / Or is it some kind of divine punishment?” The single strikes this ethereal balance between somber tones and empowering progressions that effectively encapsulates the feeling of a trans adult navigating their religious trauma along with the daily tribulations of living in a world designed to make you hate yourself.
There’s a solidarity beaming through this song that extends beyond the familiarity of the trans experience and truly feels like the confessions of a close friend. Amongst the slick keyboard melodies and smartly-placed tinges of vocal effects, “Caffeine & Alcohol” exudes a highly-infectious pop energy that both contrasts the challenging, underlying core of the single while also working to soothe the emotional heartburn. Kat and the Hurricane isn’t messing around with this latest single and I am eagerly awaiting the next achingly queer, synth-pop/indie rock obsession they will throw our way.
Kat and the Hurricane is:
Kat Rhapsody (lead vocals, guitar)
Benjamin Rose (keyboard, vocals)
Alex Nelson (drums)
“Caffeine & Alcohol” was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt LaPlant at Madtown Mix Studio.
Co-Produced by Matt LaPlant and Kat and the Hurricane.
Learn more about the band and how to support them here.