February Artist of the Month and frequent genre-bender SASAMI has transformed her Squeeze cut “Tried to Understand” from a soft rock ditty to a fuzz guitar opus, and she’s done it with the help of sludge masters Ty Segall and Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis. Listen to the rocking new version below.
SASAMI explained how this new version of “Tried to Understand” came to be in a statement, noting that the song already “took many forms before it became what you hear on my album, Squeeze. This rawer cut with J. Mascis is kind of a peek into the different dimensions and moods one composition can inhabit. This version features Ty Segall on drums, me on bass and guitar and J. on the ripping leads and backing vocals. It’s the less cute version of what spinning out can sound like.”
The chaotic feedback and distortion matches SASAMI’s tale of self-destruction — or, watching from the sidelines as a loved one self-destructs — well, and as Mascis’ guitar wails while the two repeat “I tried to understand,” the song’s feeling of helplessness is palpable.
SASAMI is in the midst of a North American tour with HAIM. The artist recently broke down the process of making Squeeze, and caught up with Kyle Meredith to discuss her inspirations, ranging from caterpillars to System of a Down’s “Toxicity.”
As for Mascis, he and Dinosaur Jr. last released the 2021 live album Emptiness at The Sinclair, while he and Kim Gordon kept the spirit of the ’90s alive with the Sub Pop Singles Club collaborations “Abstract Blues” and “Slow Boy.” Meanwhile, Ty Segall has previewed his upcoming album Hello, Hi with the title track and “Saturday Pt. 2.”
