Cold Court’s “Backslang” turns sibling tension into a freaked-out noise-pop stomp

Mini Serrano and Jojo Lavina-Maldonado, the Philadelphia siblings behind Cold Court, are not shy about the lineage they came up on. They say they “grew up on Skrillex and 100 gecs,” and, honestly, it fits. Their music has the kind of restless, shape-shifting energy that makes that influence feel less like a reference point than a starting gun.

That sound comes through hard on “Backslang,” the latest taste of their new EP \ (^_^) /, which arrives next month. Cold Court already shared lead single “Burn,” but this new one lands with a different kind of impact: huge drums, guitars that feel like they’re constantly leaning forward, and synth noises that seem to dart in from every corner. It’s a freaked-out stomper, and if it brings MSPAINT to mind, that’s very much in the compliment column.

There’s also a story behind the song that gives it a little more bite. Mini Serrano describes “Backslang” as “this indirect conversation between me and Jojo.” The two had been arguing over who should sing it. Mini says he thought Jojo should handle it, since that’s how it would go when they played it live, but Jojo unexpectedly told him to “feel it out” instead. Mini wrote the lyrics while lightly mocking him, just to see whether he’d catch on. He didn’t. That push and pull, Mini says, is exactly what makes the song work: “we’re super emo and take a lot from each other and put each other through a lot.”

Check it out below.

The self-released \ (^_^) / is out 6/19.