The five songs were written and composed by Klovis Gaynor during a lonely winter he spent in Rutland, Vermont. As is standard with Klovis’ storytelling, he assumes the role of first-person narrator and tells his account of queerness in rural America— an account that follows a circular pattern of intense longing, desire, and shame. Klovis tells us he “hates his insides out” yet yells his innermost feelings at us. There is a tug and pull between discretion and indiscretion that illustrates the impact that large-scale societal homophobia has on the interpersonal level. The songs are strikingly personal, outlining the singer’s fears and traumas, though can be understood as illuminating a collective experience.
While one might assume an EP about sexual abuse and drug addiction would be rather despairing, BABY PINK SPLIFFS is saturated with hope. This hopefulness can be heard on the EP’s closing track “SPLIFFS & DILFS”, in which Klovis recounts life lessons he has learned from his experiences. His powerhouse voice comes out for the first time as he admits to us that, despite all the healthy goodbyes he’s made through this journey, he has not yet learned sobriety. Nevertheless, there is a hope through loss, a hope through acknowledging the hurt, and the systems, and the pain of a human— hope through screaming, hope from sharing, hope from forgiving, hope from growing, hope from forgiveness to the self and others.
BABY PINK SPLIFFS contains five tracks - a spoken monologue thesis that begins “Why open me up?”, a baroque punk rock anthem, a spoken poem, a cursed celtic sounding song about meth, and a piano ballad about sobriety, lying, and identity. The variety of these soundscapes is grounded by the intense loyalty to concept. Klovis knows himself and his story. His works and performances capture the confidence of a star.
The EP was produced by Klovis Gaynor and Brayden Baird, and performed by Klovis Gaynor (vocals and keys), Brayden Baird (guitar), Dane Bundschuh (bass), Josh Hausman (drums and french horn), and Larah Helayne (fiddle).
