by Jane Lambert

The Allure and Honesty of Gun-Shy Butterfly’s Debut Single “Dark Side”

On their debut single, Philadelphia duo Gun-Shy Butterfly – the collaborative force of Julie Exter and Andrea Tarka White – make an unforgettable entrance.

With “Dark Side,” they summon the ghosts of ‘90s alt-rock and grunge not as a nostalgia act, but as a vehicle for urgent and lived truth. It’s gritty, melodic and emotionally unfiltered – a track for anyone who has been dismissed, diminished or erased and decided, finally, to stop apologizing.

Listen here:

From the opening bars, “Dark Side” makes its mission clear. A thick wall of fuzzed out guitar crashes forward, underscored by relentless pounding rhythms. Exter and White keep the structure lean, the parts tight, but the sound feels much bigger. Their vocals cut through the distortion with sharp, melodic urgency, the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention. Harmonies buzz, crackle and scorch and linger like smoke in the wake of a personal firestorm.

But what elevates “Dark Side” beyond a well-executed homage to Veruca Salt, The Breeders, or early Hole is the emotional precision. There is no coyness or artifice. Just clarity. And rage. And the slow burning strength that emerges when you finally accept that sometimes the only way forward is straight through your own wreckage.

At the heart of “Dark Side” is a searing narrative of loss and self-assertion. Andrea Tarka White, who penned the lyrics, pulls no punches in describing the song’s origin. It was a time when she lost everything – friends, community, her social identity – all in the fallout of a betrayal that left her isolated and angry. But rather than shrink from that anger, she leaned into it. She chose the more honest choice:

“Dark Side is about a moment in time when I lost absolutely everything: my friends, my social life, and my sense of self. People had to choose between me and a lying, cheating man, and they chose him. I was so angry, not just that I lost everything, but that he somehow didn’t.

At that moment realizing how bifurcated everything felt, him or me, right or wrong, dark or light, it changed something in me. I realized that love isn’t about being positive all the time. Or being nice. It’s about embracing all of who I am and moving forward. Which sometimes means standing up for myself and leaving people behind.”

In that spirit, “Dark Side” becomes more than a breakup song. It’s kind of like a cultural exorcism. It speaks to a wider exhaustion shared by many women (and others) who’ve been told, explicitly or otherwise, that survival must come with a smile, that pain should be polite, and that rage is somehow unseemly.

Gun-Shy Butterfly torpedoes that notion. Here, darkness is not weakness – it is armor. It’s clarity. It’s the fuel for transformation.

The title alone is a challenge to binary thinking- good/bad, victim/villain, light/dark. A butterfly that flinches but never stops moving. That duality threads through the song’s DNA and defines the band’s ethos.

And the DIY ethic behind the track only deepens its impact. Much of “Dark Side” was recorded in Exter’s basement, where raw takes became the backbone of the song’s visceral sound. Guitar tones were captured on the first try. An impressive feat that speaks to both musicians’ instinctive command of their instruments and their refusal to over-process the realness out of their work. Final vocal tracking was completed at The Daisy Corner and The Gradwell House, with mixing by Dave Downham and mastering by Kim Rosen (Knack Mastering) providing a final sheen that never sacrifices grit.

Gun-Shy Butterfly also offers something refreshingly rare in the current music landscape: a voice of women in midlife who are still making, growing and loudly refusing to disappear. Both Exter and White are mothers in their 40’s, navigating parenthood, work and creative life in tandem.

“Dark Side” is a song for anyone who has been gaslit into silence. For anyone who has walked away from everything they knew in order to reclaim who they are. For anyone who has learned, sometimes too late, that self-respect isn’t always gentle. And that’s okay!

Keep up with everything Gun-Shy Butterfly on the Website

Stream music on Spotify and Apple Music

09.19.22

by Jane Lambert

Video Voyager: AP Tobler’s “Claustrophobia”

AP Tobler has released their new single “Claustrophobia” and it’s accompanying video, an alt rock grunge song reminiscent of Green Day meets Weezer.

The song is about how uncomfortable they are in their own skin and is translated into their video. The whole thing is quick frames of a variety of different shots, consisting of AP in several different positions and outfits, the empty coach, and the empty coach with just their guitar. The many different ways they orient themselves is a perfect representation of trying to find comfort with yourself.

We spoke with AP about their video. Check out what they had to share about the “Claustrophobia” music video:

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

Claustrophobia is about feeling trapped and uncomfortable in your body. I wrote this song at a point of severe discomfort with myself. I was also just getting out of a spell of writer’s block and it took me quite a while to bring the song to completion. In the video, I wear all sorts of different clothes. The line, “You can’t become a new person every day,” inspired these outfit changes that show my futile attempts to renew myself.

What was the inspiration behind this video?

The video features myself singing the song while sitting on a desolate sofa. My outfit and position changes often in the video. These outfit changes represent that no matter what external things I change, I am still the same at the core, even if I don’t want to be.

What was the process of making this video?

The process of making the video was super easy and quick. The shoot consisted of myself singing along to the track in varying outfits and positions. The video was different from my others as we used a single camera angle for all the shots. We shot in my house which helped us prepare test shots and make sure we would get what we wanted. I did multiple sing throughs in each outfit and my dad did the editing. The tv frame and glitches represent changing the channel on an old television. While the concept is simple it is one of my favorites.

Watch here:

Connect with AP Tobler via:
Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / TikTok / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud

09.12.22

by Jane Lambert

AP Tobler Shares Their Next Hit Single “Claustrophobia”

Ab Tobler, who has been described as a “grunge poet”, tends to write about heavier laden topics like anxiety and depression.

In their latest track, “Claustrophobia,” from their upcoming EP Devoid, AP explores their musical range with heavy elements of grunge rock and, with a definite alt rock feel that sounds like Weezer or Green Day.

“In the melodic alt rock track ‘Claustrophobia,’ the lyric “I am imprisoned in this vessel, I can´t flee” is about the terrible feeling of being trapped in my own body,” they share.

The song describes how uncomfortable it feels for them in their own skin, but also to be yourself, fully and completely: “I wrote this track as I was getting through a spell of writer´s block, and the line ‘No longer can I synthesize it into sound’ references that struggle to turn pain into art.”

Listen here:

AP´s musical career began when they first discovered how to play drums at the age of 8. Since then, they’ve explored hard rock, alt rock, grunge, metal and jazz and have added both guitars and bass to their instrumental portfolio.

They began writing music at a young age, and performed at music events like PASIC and Sweetwater Gearfest.

Their post grunge sound, described as described as “existential post-grunge bops,” is sure to capture their already growing audience from previously released music, as well as new material.

Stay current with AP Tobler on their Website and social media channels Instagram , Twitter , Facebook and TikTok

Stream music on YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud

03.02.22

by Jane Lambert

This Video Will Not Be Eclipsed Behind Anything!

Annapurna “AP” Tobler is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter based in San Jose, CA. Often described as a “grunge poet,” AP writes music with heavy riffs and complex themes, holding mental health topics as vital influences in their songwriting. AP aims to share their experiences with anxiety and depression by crafting songs rooted in grunge and alternative rock, with hopes that these thematic elements will speak to listeners who are going through similar experiences.

In their music video for new single, “Eclipse,” it showcases their talent and is reminiscent of how old music videos in the days of MTV were made and we are here for it! The vintage grunge rock music accompanies the Smashing Pumpkins-esque music video and really welds the both together. It highlights the importance of mental health especially being someone with anxiety and depression. AP is not only authentically genuine, but they are also relatable.

They state that, “The video for Eclipse was filmed as a family project. It is directed and filmed by my dad while my mom and brother assist with video artwork, concepts, and filming locations. Eclipse is about the struggle of not being able to let go of past trauma. The song explores deep, often distracting, feelings and we used disorienting and warping imagery to represent the struggle to gain clarity. Images of Blunt Force (B-side) are blended into the video to tie the stories together. The core imagery is based off the album cover and was shot close to my home in San Jose, CA. The video is more artistic and abstract and I hope it conveys a deeper meaning to the song.”

Watch “Eclipse” here:

AP’s musical journey began with the discovery of drums at the age of 8. They explored the sounds and composition of grunge, hard rock, metal, and jazz through their studies, adding guitar and bass to their instrument studies in the years that followed. AP has been gigging regularly since a young age, performing at high profile music events such as PASIC, Sweetwater Gearfest, and touring with the School of Rock AllStars. They drum professionally for local bands, and with the dynamic Street Drum Corps. Nirvana, Green Day, and Weezer are all significant influences and their versatility as a multi-instrumentalist has allowed them to compose and perform all tracks for their songs.

We look forward to hearing, and seeing, more from this multitalented artist!

You can find AP Tobler via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

02.16.22

by Jane Lambert

The Video for AP Tobler’s “Blunt Force” Encapsulates the Meaning of the Single

Post-punk, alternative rock star, AP Tobler, just released their latest official music for their recent hit, Blunt Force. This video perfectly encapsulates the hurt and anger portrayed in the song, with a strong narrative, and pleasing visuals.

Tobler states that this video was a family affair, as the video itself was directed and filmed by their father, as well as their mother and brother working on graphics, concept, and securing location sites. This video hints at this nostalgia of losing a close friend at an early age, with shots from a childhood bedroom. There is no doubt this video will hit close to home upon giving it a watch.

Tobler describes the video as “the story of a close friend suddenly ending our friendship without warning. The video depicts me aggressively releasing the anger and hurt associated with this traumatic event.” It is clear through this new video that the visuals seamlessly connect with the themes of this track.

With influences such as Nirvana, Green Day, and Weezer, there is no doubt this new video will not leave banging your head in awe of AP Tobler’s honesty, and rawness throughout.

Watch “Blunt Force” here:

You can find AP Tobler via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.26.22

by Jane Lambert

AP Tobler’s New Music is Authentically Them

AP Tobler uses their own life as a guide for their music. Unlike many musicians out there, you can hear their passion and intimacy with the music, not just the words. We can hear their rawness and vulnerability in their work, allowing the listeners in and feeling along with them. AP Tobler is authentic and that’s what makes them, and their music, so amazing.

Their newest single, “Eclipse” was too big for a single song, so they gave us “Blunt Force,” the single that lives on the B-side. “Blunt Force” is the perfect companion piece to “Eclipse,” a grungy rock song that sounds like Nirvana meets Green Day. “Eclipse” This song is a personal one for AP that most people been through. It describes the way trauma affects our minds and bodies in the music. “Eclipse is about the mental block that comes with suffering a past trauma,” shares AP. “I wrote this song while I was replaying painful events in my head. I was sick of feeling upset over things that had happened years ago. When I write music about personal experiences, the lyrics and melody tend to come together very quickly. This is the case with Eclipse. I was actually on a phone call with friends and started feeling anxious. In the middle of the call, I opened my Notes app and started typing fragments of lyrics about how I was feeling.”

The companion piece, “Blunt Force,” is about a time in which a close friend to AP just left, suddenly and unexpectedly. There was no notice, they were just no longer friends with no explanation. This grunge song depicts this experience and the repercussions it had on AP. “After two years without resolution, I finally wrote a song to express the lingering emotions I was feeling,” says AP. “One night I picked up my guitar and wrote a cord progression that I liked. I started to write the lyrics and within 30 minutes I had a melody and lyrics to represent the emotions of this painful experience. I refined the song over a few sessions, adding layers to fill it out. The writing process was cathartic, as I had encapsulated this traumatic event into a song.”

Listen to “Eclipse” and the B-Side “Blunt Force” here: