First Place, the latest EP from Flowers for the Dead, kicks off a new chapter for the Washington D.C. trio known for their modern take on ’90s grunge. After leaning into the noise on 2024’s Magnolia, the four songs on First Place find the group experimenting with a softer, more intentional sound while capturing the pursuit and politics of community, friendship, and love. The title recalls a vintage pin—pictured on the cover—that proclaims “1st prize big shot.” The absurd notion of being a proud egoist captures the sly humor of an EP filled with “sarcastic screw you songs.”
Flowers for the Dead began in 2021 as an outlet for guitarist/vocalist Jessie Szegö and has evolved into a threesome composed of Szegö, bassist Ella Buskirk, and drummer Ten Bears, all in their early 20s. “First Place is collaborative and more representative of us as a group, rather than just my own brain. I think it's an evolution and you can really hear it in the confidence of our playing,” says Szegö. “We’re taking up less space and we're not scared to have parts that are not so embellished speak for themselves.”
The biting “Tiny Beanie” was inspired by a local scenester who named Flowers as an example of how hardcore has gone “soft.” In the vein of Bikini Kill’s “Thurston Hearts the Who,” the band transformed the dismissive rant into a critique of toxic masculinity. The title track rips into a similarly self-important type of person: “You walk around like you've just won first place/I question if I should be here in the first place.” With its skeletal bassline and empty, booming drum sound, “First Place” evokes the Breeders’ Pod, a guiding light for Flowers for the Dead.
In January 2025, the band headed to Massachusetts to record these tracks with Magnolia producer Justin Pizzoferrato, known for his work with Flowers’ alt-rock heroes like Dinosaur Jr. and various Sonic Youth members. The band were able to book more studio time, allowing the music to evolve during the recording process. One song to emerge from the sessions was “Thorn,” an understated last-minute addition pulled from Szegö’s collection of voice memos. “I wanted to see if we could remove the sounds that we’re known for—distortion, reverb, wall of sound type stuff—and still write a song that leaves an impact,” she says. “It was very fun to write a Flowers song that wasn't the same formula that we always go on.” Such experimentation helped Szegö understand that there’s no predetermined Flowers sound: “If the three of us make it, it's gonna sound like us.”
The EP concludes with “Perfect View,” a gentle love song about “being confident in yourself and your beliefs, as well as the certainty you feel when you think about the kind of person you want to end up with and the kind life you want to live.” First Place concludes on a hopeful note, with Szegö resisting the urge to hit a distortion pedal and instead singing “Cause I know what I want” over a resolute, clear-hearted jam. In the process of self-realization, Flowers From the Dead emerge clearer than ever.
