NYC band BETTY releases new anthem as we ramp up for Pride season
BETTY – the trailblazing award-winning Indie Rock trio of sisters Elizabeth and Amy Ziff and their bestie, Alyson Palmer who have been creating addictively melodic music for almost 40 years – have released their invigorating new anthem, “Pride”.
Their first new recording in seven years, this new track will be part of their upcoming 11th album EAT, scheduled to be released later this year. “Pride” features beats by Mexican Grammy Award-winning DJ, Human Fader. The single and upcoming album are produced by Jason Carmer (Third Eye Blind, The Donnas) from the legendary Dischord Records.
BETTY will help launch NYC Pride and celebrate the new single with a special concert at Joe’s Pub on Thursday, May 30 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available HERE.
“BETTY headlines Gay Prides all over the world. Amy suggested we rush onstage under a glorious voiceover to announce our set. That’s her voice kicking off our song, ‘Pride.’ Elizabeth laid down a beat, Alyson started chanting ‘If they try to stop us, time to RISE!’ and the three of us burst into song. Across the nation, as more rights are being challenged, this song is about the joy of living, loving and dancing for yourself in community. We wrote the song to spread that cheer: music for people to march, to chant AND to cha cha. BETTY believes in effective forward motion through music, celebration, and with love all the way!”
Discussing the upcoming album, BETTY comments: “After 38 years and 10 albums, we wanted to create a recording reminiscent of when we began as a band. We craved the joy of collaboration in the bubbling, borderless music scene in the ‘80s in DC. We wanted to make a record rich with the spirit of the time that shaped us, but contemporary about who and where we are now. We turned to our old friend from the punk/new wave/go go scene back in the day, Jason Carmer, now a prodigious award-winning producer based in Mexico City. Through joyful, hilarious recording sessions, we created an album that synthesizes many of our passions beyond boundaries. As musicians who’ve been touring for decades, we love that our music speaks to different generations at the same time. With this album, we want to bring listeners of all ages and backgrounds along, continuing to connect them in this fragmented time. We hope we’ve created an intergenerational, intergenderational banquet of shared pleasure, which is one reason why we call it, EAT.”
BETTY’s tight harmonies over upbeat original music they play on cello, guitar, bass and electropop beats ensure compelling music that resonates with diverse audiences. Their live shows are passionate, theatrical, and inspirational. Their talent is equal to the commitment they have as activists, promoting equality worldwide for almost four decades. Since forming in 1986, the band’s distinctive sound has been heard in concert globally from Carnegie Hall to London Pride, to Midtown music festival in Atlanta, to Arts Walk festival in Buenos Aires. Performing for 38 years on 5 continents as an independent act, the band has garnereda very loyal fan base.
In addition to a robust touring and appearance schedule, BETTY has written, performed, and appeared on multiple television shows, including writing and performing the Iconic theme song for Showtime’s hit show “The L Word,” as well as having many other songs used by throughout the cult status series’ run. Other notable shows that have used their music or made appearances on include “Ugly Betty,” “Encyclopedia,” and their music has been licensed by multiple networks including Comedy Central, Showtime, The Discovery Chanel, HBO, A&E, and PBS.
In film, BETTY has appeared and or/performed on the holiday classic Life with Mikey, The Out-of-Towners, and more and Off-Broadway, the hit musical BETTY Rules, directed by Michael Greif of Dear Evan Hansen and Rent.
Get the music and more info here.
BETTY has been live on countless radio shows including WBAI, WDST, KGAY, WGN, WNYC etc. They perform from cafés to cultural centers, vast festivals to museums. They’ve been regular holiday commentators for National Public Radio, appeared on dozens of guest and compilation recordings, and to date, the band has released ten albums. They have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Variety, Vanity Fair, Elle, BUST, Jewish Weekly, Alma, The Guardian, and many more.
They recently performed to sold out rooms including City Winery, Joe’s Pub, and the Cutting Room in New York City and performed at the V&A Museum in London for International Women’s Day. Over the years, BETTY has lent their voices to cause they believe in, singing for hundreds of thousands in DC for Pro-choice marches, LGBTQ rights, AIDS walks, DNC, and more.
When beloved civil rights activist Gloria Steinem witnessed BETTY’s heartfelt passion for equal rights first-hand through their headlining Pride tours across the US, Europe, South America and Africa and work as Arts Envoys for the US State Department in Indian the Baltic States and Mexico, she urged them to create The BETTY Effect, an organization to further their effectiveness on behalf of women and girls, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Stonewall Ambassadors, BETTY has received numerous arts and humanitarian honors for their lifelong musical mission, including two Emmy Awards, BMI Career Excellence Awards, and the Official State Honor of Buenos Aires. You can hear more of BETTY’s ongoing rock and rollercoaster story on their podcast BETTY: Girlband.
