Canadian indie rock group Braids have dropped two singles today: “Slayer Moon” and “2020.”

As expected by the title, “Slayer Moon” is inspired by the popular anime series Sailor Moon. In a statement, the band said:

“'Slayer Moon' is inspired by a Sailor Moon phone case I bought in Tokyo, at 3am while on tour in Japan. Growing up I was obsessed with Sailor Moon, particularly with the ability to magically transform from a normal girl into a full-on mystical and powerful Sailor Scout, battle-ready to combat the evil forces of the world.
“What a deal, legs with more potential than my life”
Sailor Scouts have the longest legs ever drawn - so long that I drew a parallel between their immaculate legs, and our frenetic modern minds, lost in the ego abyss of the infinite scroll.”

“2020” isn’t a track heavily inspired by one of the most brutal years ever, but for the band, it felt perfect for the situation. Braids stated:

“‘2020’ was written sometime in 2017, after a long period of being alone – in an abstract sense of the word – while reaching for fleeting physical closeness. I was with friends, but my heart was lonely and longing for companionship, my body confused with the unfamiliarity of new and shallow encounters. I had been meditating a lot during this time 'tracing a line through the centre of my body' – a process of inward-looking that I veer towards when I take the time to sit. I titled the song ‘2020,’ in 2020. Revisiting the song's lyrics through the eyes of our present reality struck a chord with me. I felt as close to the song as when I had first written it. I find that I am asking myself similar questions while in this pandemic, without my friends, my family, my familiar structures.”

Both songs are available on all digital services right now. The tracks were recorded during the sessions of their previous studio album Shadow Offering.