Hot Scary Summer

Album: Darling Arithmetic (2015)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Villagers mainman Conor O'Brien raking over the end of a relationship blighted by "all the pretty young homophobes looking out for a fight." He explained to Gigging NI: "I guess when I started thinking about the negative connotations of the relationships in my life, part of that was experiences of homophobia. I've been threatened, I've been chased. Ever since I've been born I've felt the more subtle side of institutionalized homophobia."

    "I'm in my 30s now and it's just time to talk about it," O'Brien continued. "I was a bit too shy when I was in my 20s to put it all out there. I wasn't 'in' in my private life, but when it came to giving interviews or whatever I'd get panicky. I've had those experiences, so they obviously kick you back into your shell again, until the shell is broken, which is happening kind of now in Ireland to a certain degree. We are getting a bit more free thinking I think."

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